Repatriated With Outboard

[gibbo500]

Well today i finally got back an engine my kids accidentally lost nearly 2 years ago whilst playing around on the River Yealm.

It is a little Tohatsu 3.5 and at the time it disappeared was in about 15 foot of water, i tried to dive down then but after an hour of trying had to give up.

As it came out of the water it was like raising the titanic.


I got her home and have removed all the seaweed and crustacean off it and stripped it down. It absolutely stank and sand was everywhere. I wasn't surprised to find the thing had seized.


You lot will think i am mad? but i am going to see if i can get it going again.....if only for sentimental reasons.

So this is what an engine looks like after 2 years on the sea bed.

[chewy]

Would be good if you did get it going again!

[m chappelow]

think a new set of plugs and fresh fuel wouldent go a miss ...lol .. but best of luck with it ,i once saw a brand new engine fall of a boat due to the fact they had put stainless steel sheeting on the transom .going ahead was fine until they put the tiller hard over the engine clamps had nothing to grip on and it just twisted itself off ,took about month to recover it but they stripped it and had it running a few months later ,regards mart

[matt h]

i bought a supacat 6x6 that had fallen off a supply vessel in 300 ft of water, it was left there for 3 weeks,
took me another 2 weeks to get it running and used it for some great off roading!!
(library pic from someones site)

[Mollers]

I knew of a Fal oyster dredgerman years ago, who dredged up a Johnson 4hp and got it going. I don't know how long it had been there.

[spartacus]

I've got a Tohatsu 3.5 hp auxilliary on my boat, and use a ratchet strap as an extra precaution. You may need to shot-blast it - to shift the crustations and genereal debris. I'd only do that if I was satisfied I had a cat in hell's chance of getting it going. Good luck mate!

Incidentally there's still a few of these Tohatsu 2-strokes for sale - for around £450.

[gibbo500]

Originally Posted by spartacus

I've got a Tohatsu 3.5 hp auxilliary on my boat, and use a ratchet strap as an extra precaution. You may need to shot-blast it - to shift the crustations and genereal debris. I'd only do that if I was satisfied I had a cat in hell's chance of getting it going. Good luck mate!

Incidentally there's still a few of these Tohatsu 2-strokes for sale - for around £450.

I spent a few hours on it yesterday and am pleased to say it is not seized as originally thought. It was just full of silt and sand that was preventing it turning so i am confident once i replace the electrics she will be running again.

The plastic cowl has come up really well, the paint has come off the leg which wont be too much of a problem also the transom clamps and tilt pin have seized but again shouldn't be difficult to sort out.

Will keep you updated with progress.

[Bigmuz7]

Well that sounds impressive,.. I wouldnt have held out much hope for something thats been under for that long .. also .. that you knew where it was on the bottom after all that time .. look forward to your progress

[gibbo500]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

Well that sounds impressive,.. I wouldnt have held out much hope for something thats been under for that long .. also .. that you knew where it was on the bottom after all that time .. look forward to your progress

I did go back to the area a few weeks after we lost it, borrowed a mask and snorkel and had another go but had to give up.

On the day we recovered it was a spring tide and at low tide the whole area looked totally different, as my friend was down searching i was even questioning if i was in the right place?

I was actually quite impressed with my accuracy- in the first picture you can see the drop line buoy and the air bag, the engine was 6 foot away from where i dropped the Anchor / drop line.....how's that?

[gibbo500]

Looks a little bit different now? you can see what side of the cowl was buried in the sand - it looks like the day it went in.

I have all the other bits in bags soaking in oil.