When All Else Fails, Check the Plugs

For the past two tournaments, my boat had been a major pain. It coughed and shut down constantly when at idle, yet didn't run too bad wide open. However, I had noticed at last Saturday's event, both my hole shot and top-end speed appeared to have been reduced from what I initially had enjoyed when Wayne recently had my prop re-pitched.

It would be an understatement to say I was elated yesterday afternoon when Wayne called to let me know he had been granted a bit of a reprieve from work and would be getting off at his regular time. Further, he said he would be able to meet me at West Neck Marina in the evening to take a look at my outboard and see what he could do to improve its performance.

I gotta admit, though, that my earlier enthusiasm had waned just a tad after watching Wayne work on my motor for an hour at the West Neck ramp, with no noticeable sign of improvement. One thing was certain: It was becoming increasingly apparent that carburetor adjustments were--at best--only a part of the problem.

As luck would have it, some deer hunters started returning from opening day of the season, and we were forced to interrupt our business on the ramp so they could recover their boats. It was during this break that Wayne told me he wanted to check my spark plugs and engine compression, which hadn't been done since early this year. While the compression checked good on each cylinder, the same couldn't be said for the condition of my spark plugs.

I subsequently got a new set out of my van, and before you could say Jack Robinson, Wayne had the new plugs installed. Once we could get the boat back in the water and Wayne had fired up the engine again, I knew from the look on his face...and the sound of the motor...that he had gotten to the root of my problems.

A few more tweaks, and I left the ramp a satisfied customer, thanks in no small part to the fact that Wayne always treats a boat he's working on as his own. There are no shortcuts or jury-rigging...just honest, by-the-book repairs that you can trust to work as expected. Many thanks, my friend, for always being there when I need you.