TOPIC: Not the way I wanted to end the season

The starter went out in the Mark 55 on the very last trip; I should be thankful for a full season without troubles but I hated to get towed to the launch.

That's embarassing. Look at the bright side, you have the whole off season to fix a half hour job. Hope it's nothing serious.

I feel for ya. I got towed at the end of last year due to a faulty connection. I think maybe the solenoid went on me. I found a brand new in a box OEM one on ebay cheap. Starter was rebuilt a couple years ago by a company in Albany NY that specializes in electric motor rebuilds. They didn't do it right, but fixed it for nothing when I brought it back in. Good thing I (mostly!) do my own work.

Frank

Darn! Did you try to pull start it? They usually start pretty good off the rope.
Conrad

If anyone asks, you weren't being towed, you were pushing that pontoon boat with a stiff rope! Most of us have been on the sad end of a rope at some point. Here I am pushing a Sheriff Patrol boat last year with our pontoon.

easy peasy fix dont feel bad ...3 days ago I had a call 1:00am my buddy's commercial salmon boats net was snagged on a sunken tree , while trying to free themselves the engined died and they found they were sinking the stuffing box blew apart, I couldnt use my skiff, it wouldnt pull a 10-15 thousand lb commercial fishing boat full of water
I fired up my Crosby with the twin Mercury MK55A's and ran out to the fishing grounds with a gas powered water pump and started the tow to the city launch ramp approx 6-7 miles away, the current was raging which added to the strain and I need the twin propellers, 3-4 hours later, crisis averted, I was on my way home 1 motor jumped into neutral... I blew the lower unit...I swapped it out for another gearbox on the docks, lost a reverse lockout cam in the river in the process, pulled out a spare cam & went for a test ride and life is good again on the river

You go, MadProps or should I say McGyver? I appreciate a guy who carries spares and can fix it all himself.

Geesh man, not everyone carries a spare motor around for parts.

Three years ago I pushed a fishing trawler into port using a 1/2" line and that was with a broken oil line on my I/O.

Spend enough time on the water and just about anyone will have a story no matter how cautious they are.

Let us know what the verdict is on your starter.
Cal

Two years ago, we lost the main diesel fuel pump on the Elco 57. We had 20 paying customers aboard and it was dark...then it started raining. Drinks were on us for the next two hours. Eventually, we were towed in by a pontoon boat at about 3 knots for 5 miles. It was total professional and social embarrassment and I considered hugging the anchor and jumping overboard.

None of this surprises me about you Michael...if I was in trouble on the water I would call you first.

So the old cop boat does what it probably did many years ago...bravo!

For some reason the hand pull wasn't engaging, will look at that too.