So it's been a while since our finicky 15HP outboard engine has been working, getting parts for a Honda isn't exactly easy in the Bay Islands of Honduras. So we've been using a friend's old 2-stroke that you need to start by sticking your hand into the carburetor to manually block the flow of air while you pull the cord. It sounds (and looks) a little riskier than it actually was, but regardless we're super happy to have our beatup old outboard back in the water, powering out little dinghy, Paw Patrol as we zoom around the aquamarine waters of Roatan.
It's nice, she starts on one pull, just like that and runs nice and clean. Sounds like she's almost humming, although out mechanic says this will fade. More importantly, she shifts nicely back and forth from forward into neutral and into reverse. Nice and easy, no grinding, no jerking, nice smooth action like it should be. Which is good, since we've got all new gears, new prop shaft, seals, shocks, etc. It's basically got a completely new lower unit. Hopefully we'll keep things working nicely for a ... week? Month? I'm not even going to speculate, don't want to jinx anything and sailors are a superstitious lot. I'm just hopeful that we're not gonna get stranded on a dive mooring again. We're joking, of course, the Honda outboard is now something that we're both supremely confident in! We've got to be since it's our car for the water.
Which means we've been back out on the water, doing some snorkeling and diving exploring the utterly amazing MesoAmerican barrier reef system we have surrounding the islands here on Roatan. In just the last week we've seen sharks, moray eels, spotted eagle rays, sea turtles and hundreds of species of fish and more marine life than we could ever possibly name. It's a great privilege to be able to explore and enjoy these amazing underwater sites, to cruise these gorgeous waters and call these islands home.
We also had our fire extinguishers serviced by a local Honduran authority who pronounced them good for another year. Ensuring we have sufficient working fire suppression in every part of the vessel is something we take very seriously on City Dogs. We also checked the fire and CO2 alarms and changed the batteries. Safety is job number one and it's a constant, never-ending challenge.
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