Air bubbles coming from under the boat - what can it be...? Ha..April fool played in a sleepy Alice Town.

No fooling around on job repairs: first the auto-steering mechanism - a broken pin had resulted in one of the steering arms disengaging. Strange design to have some arms above the levers and others below.... of course it is the one below that has the sheared pin. So, some thinking, some re-designing - invert the steering arm to above by inverting the pins and this may work...at least it won't fall off by gravity!

Next to the outboard - will the clean fuel solve the non-start problem? No - unfortunately the engine still refused to start. Despite the noon day sun beating down and the wash from the Island Link ferry passing very close by(!) - more was to be done to get it to work. No visible electrical problem, the spark plug cleaned and gap re-set....ah a drain plug in the carburetor - yes more dirty fuel dripped out. a pull on the draw cord and it bursts into light! Success. That was until the draw cord broke - another 2 hours re-threading and re-coiling the spring mechanism. In the interim, a socket falls off my tool and plops into the water - gone forever - yes the same 10mm socket I had recovered from a "loan" in St Augustine...damm - that's the second piece of equipment I have left on the bottom of Hatchet Bay - there won't be a third!. Well, finally, a fully functioning outboard and a trip around the bay to prove it!

A bbq to finish a good day’s work!