Re: [OMC-Boats] Tilt Clutch from BC Howk on 2009-08-11 (OMC-Boats Mailing List Archive)

From: BC Howk <bchowk@...>
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:21:00 -0500 (CDT)

We launched at Willamette park on Macadam.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=willamette+park+portland&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=18442866375818000156&li=lmd

This was my first time launching there but I will go back, it's a nice set up. Think it's like 5 dollar all day parking fee? Anyway, if you drop in there and head north you'll be cruising under the downtown bridges in 5 minutes. you can pull right up and moor up at Newport Bay there on the south side of the downtown water front. The trouble we had was South of town, if you head down the river and you see some rocky scholls, even though you'll see some boat docks on the right, stay to the left of the red bouys and go slow.

BTW I have a 69 Sportsman 155. I was not aware of an 1812 event, fireworks I assume? Maybe I should check it out...

Cheers,
B.C.

On Aug 11, 2009, Scott Veazie <scottveazie@...> wrote:

Hey B.C., great story. We're planning a trip downtown next month for the 1812 on the waterfront...might as well sit comfortably in our Sportsman's seats! We're in Vancouver, but where is a good place to launch near downtown? Also, what year and model do you have? We've got our 68 Sportsman 155. I too have experienced a properly working tilt clutch near Government Island on a sandbar with a 1974 Glastron...popped up just as advertised. Lowered her back down and went on our merry way. The worn out impeller on the other hand...well, let's just say that OMC impelllers can put up with a remarkable amount of abuse before failing. Now if I could only get my wife comfortable with driving the boat at all...

~Scott

Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:32:34 -0500
From: bchowk@...
To: omc-boats@...
Subject: [OMC-Boats] Tilt Clutch

All,

I had been debating about broadcasting my stupidity but since the subject of tilt clutches has come up in Nexi's saga to get going, thought I'd share my anecdote from this very week-end.....

My Girlfriend expressed interest in getting out on the water, however is a novice to boating. I took this as a challenge to create the most pleasant boating experience I could muster while teaching her about the pastime I enjoy so much. I prepared her for the idea that there is always something with an old boat and is just part of the process...

So we get launched and are cruising through downtown Portland on the Willamette river on a beautiful day, Dauntles V6 roaring like a lion, wind whipping through hair, big grins all around...perfect.... So I hop out of the driver seat and hand my beloved sportsman over to her, and we are cruising along having a great time...

We get to a part of the river neither of us have been on that looks a little rocky, my GF asks if it's OK to go through. Looks OK to me but I suggest that when in doubt, go slow....about 2 seconds after backing off the throttle....KACHUNK....rattle, rattle rattle. OMG!!! one Millisecond of panic then I remember this site and that OMC put a tilt clutch for just such a thing. I collect myself for another millisecond turn off the motor and proceed to asses the damage. We are safe..good, the outdrive is up and hung on slightly submerged rocks, the hull is still floating and the prop is expectedy dinged up. I hop out and push then row to deeper water, lower the outdrive and start the motor. everything sonds OK. we start making way and the boat vibrates badly at anything over 1000 rpm from the damaged prop, so I decide to limp slowly back to the launch.

About halfway back I can take it no more, find a sandy beach, grab my spare prop and jump in the water with a pair of needle nose pliers. My GF (being an awsomely good sport) catches the pins and washers that I hand up to her and holds them like gold as I explain that dropping them in the river would be bad (believe me I was handling them like gold myself). Whole process took about 10 or 15 minutes (I was being VERY careful not to drop anything), since we were there took a little stroll on the beach smelled some flowers etc. Pushed the old girl off the beach, lowered the drive again fired up and took off like bats out of heck...everything is working perfectly, so we decide to pull up to a resaurant on the waterfront right downtown, had a wonderful dinner, walk the waterfront, grinning and happy again, run into one of her aquaintances that turns green with envy when she hears we boated there...Life is GOOD!!!

Morals of the story
1. Thank you OMC engineers!! for putting a clutch assembly on the tilt that prevents extensive damage on a grounding event.
2. In case you were ever curious, YES those clutches work, now you have no need to test them like I did. DOH!
3. Thank you OMC boat community for educating me about this stuff so I can be Mr. cool and collected in front of my novice boating GF, salvaging a wonderful experience for her and keeping an open door for more pleasant boating outings.

Cheers,
B.C.

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Received on Tuesday, 11 August 2009