We should have expected it… the ups and downs of cruising life. We had the ups of exploring in idyllic settings for weeks, then the downs of the furler hassles. And just as we were ready to lap up some more ups, the dinghy outboard decides to give us grief!
Man, does it ever stop? We were about to head out for the reef, but Peasy’s engine has been playing up for a while, stopping at the most inopportune times, like when it is too blowy or too far to row, or when you are in the middle of a busy harbour entrance, or near nasty rocks. So despite feeling we had seen enough of Pioneer Bay in Airlie Beach, we ended up staying a few more days while the Honda outboard was being looked at by a marine mechanic.
All fixed… Bengie is licking her chops!
During our week at Airlie we worked on the boat, waited, teased the pussycat and admired sunsets!
We are now leaving for the Whitsunday Islands to hopefully enjoy sailing and snorkeling for a little while in this iconic part of the tropics. We are hoping we leave our troubles behind.
Sv-Anui 
We feel your pain…we know all about dingy outboards playing up! Hopefully all fixed and you can explore with confidence now…cheers Trish
Hi Trish – back to Island life now. A frustrating and expensive week between that and the furlers, but it is behind us now.
Take a deep breath and stay out of Dodge. Glad things are fixed but civilisation is expensive! The pattern is not uncommon…as you say just as you get one thing fixed, some other issue always seems to pop up at the most inopportune of times. Enjoy the islands!
Alas! You must know what they say: “When it rains, it pours!” Yet, the TIE crew is safe and sound! Take care Chris! 🙂
Go little Peasy. Nice to know you are all better now. Have fun in this iconic part of the world
Thanks Sue. Can’t wait for you to join us… a month of discovery, company and fun! Saw a whale with her calf this morning, not at all bothered by our presence, baby on its back showing his white belly! You will get to see them this time for sure. 🐋🐳
Cruising life…fixing things in exotic places.
Yap!
All the best from now on ! We have reached voyage end, Southport. Fly home tomorrow.
We’ll see you next time you are up this way! We are at Stonehaven Anchorage for the night, Butterfly Bay tomorrow… back to island life and snorkeling at last.
Sadly, a lot of boat ownership is about ‘showers and $50 notes’ ….. happy cruising guys!
Yes, it goes with the environment. Despite this we are finding it is cheaper to live aboard than on land!
What ended up being wrong with the honda? Would you buy the same motor again? I have heard they are noisy, but I love the air cooled, four stroke idea.
Hi guys – water in the carbie and the fuel tank. Unfortunately the bleed screw on the carburettor bowl ceased and the mechanics could not undo it any more than we could so a new bowl is ordered. For now they emptied the fuel tank and all is OK. Interestingly we had the same problem with an older Honda engine but were able to undo the bleed screw. The advice from the mechanics is to bleed regularly and put grease on the thread each time. We are on our second Honda engine. They are noisy but light, so more concerned about saving our back! They also have a good warranty period. So yes would get one again.