Relocating the tender - digression

While following the other thread the SO asks - why don't we get a pedal boat for a dink?* Well .... interesting question.*

Have any of you guys gone this route, or even considered it?

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BaltimoreLurker wrote:
While following the other thread the SO asks - why don't we get a pedal boat for a dink?* Well .... interesting question.*

Have any of you guys gone this route, or even considered it?

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That might work in an area with relatively low currents (or no currents).* But try get anywhwere in a pedal boat up here when the currents are running and one's progress will be to the rear (or to the side).* It's the main reason we swtiched from rowing our dinghy to getting a motor.* Nothing wrong with rowing but when we got caught in a current exiting an anchorage and were barely able to row out of it, that's when we decided to get a motor for the dinghy.* Particularly in an emergency situation you want to be able to get to where you want to be as quickly as practical.* Being swept off in a different direction despite your furious pedalling (or rowing) we decided was not a viable option.

Marin:

Yeah, I hear that!* I figure I have only 5 - 10 minutes of peddling in me. So if I'm fighting a current it's a problem.* We have located a candidate boat that has a molded-in bracket for a small outboard.* We have an ancient 2HP Seagull, or something like that.* Basically a weed whacker with a prop, that we can bolt on.

BaltimoreLurker wrote:*We have an ancient 2HP Seagull, or something like that.

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Those are the best motor little motors you can get, if you can get them started!

And they are good at scaring bears away, too.

I suspect those pedal boats are quite heavy too.

BaltimoreLurker wrote:
We have an ancient 2HP Seagull, or something like that.* Basically a weed whacker with a prop, that we can bolt on.

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Lurker -
My first o/b boat consisted of a 1.7 hp Neptune Mighty Mite on a fiberglass*6' Pixie dink... in 3rd grade.* I paid $77 for it brand new - I recall it well.* Dad already had the dink and I bought the Mighty Mite motor with money earned from working on dad's boat with him!* I used that combo for a couple years till I out grew it.* Chunky kid!* Barrel chested, as Mom would say... **I learned to service that motor myself... with a little initial help from dad!*
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But I transgress... For a friend I recall working on a Seagull once too.* Early 60s Seagull were considered the upper echelon teenie/tiny outboard.* If you have problems starting your Seagull take the carburetor off and check the reed valve.* Probably has a crack in it so the pressure loss to suck gas is diminished.* Hope you can locate a new valve, its a flat metal piece with center flapper tongue, as I recall.* Ebay maybe?* That valve probably needs replacement.* On the*Mighty*Mite that valve was directly behind the tickle pin on the fuel bowl that*was in front of*the item they called a carburetor.* I think similar location on the Seagull* lmao! Memories!!*- Art



-- Edited by Art on Monday 7th of November 2011 05:21:00 PM


-- Edited by Art on Monday 7th of November 2011 06:02:48 PM

Hey Art. What is a Tickle Pin??

A little fuel pump in the top of the carby float bowl, in effect, which you 'tickled' up and down a few times and literally flooded the carby with it to start. Sort of in place of a choke I suspect. Many lawnmowers still used the principle until quite recently.

Forkliftt wrote:
Hey Art. What is a Tickle Pin??

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Yeah, Steve - Just what Peter B Said!* Some times it is termed a tickle float.* In that the pin was directly atop the float for flood starting.* Dem little, old o/b's hds such simple mechanical configuration.
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as per Peter B: A little fuel pump in the top of the carby float bowl, in effect, which you 'tickled' up and down a few times and literally flooded the carby with it to start. Sort of in place of a choke I suspect. Many lawnmowers still used the principle until quite recently.

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Got it!

this past summer we took our small inflatable dink to the USC marine biology campus near The Isthmus on Catalina Island (where we were on a mooring string).
It is a great way to spend an afternoon, it is a marine sanctuary but you are allowed to dinghy in there and beach it there.
We did snorkeling in the sanctuary and had a great time.

Later afternoon the winds had picked up and with my two kids in the dinghy while launching from the beach was actually a challenge.
The wind was straight onshore, on the way over to our mooring there were small white caps and we got drenched but got home safely.
We have a 9' Achilles with a 3hp evinrude.

I would not have wanted to be in that situation in a pedal boat.. just saying!

BaltimoreLurker wrote:
Marin:

Yeah, I hear that!* I figure I have only 5 - 10 minutes of peddling in me.

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*Yeah!! buddy. you got that right.

It could be used to dink around the Marina. Between the floats.

SD