'Drowned' Yamaha Keeps On Running
A Yamaha F60 four-stroke outboard has endured a two-day capsizing in the isolated waters of north-west AustraliaPart of a two-dinghy convoy for Broome-based charterboat business Reel Teaser, the dinghy flipped upside down and remained submerged at the Rowley Shoals before the owners could rescue the capsized vessel.
Unmanned but tethered together, the two dinghies were often left at anchor so as to allow the main charter vessel to travel unhindered around the Rowley Shoals, a popular fishing destination 170nm west of Broome.
Coastwatch had called the skipper of Reel Teaser Charters, Ross Newton, to inform him of the mishap, which had occurred two days before.
“When we arrived at the dinghy mooring site we found our first dinghy overturned, with the Yamaha 60 completely underwater,” Newton said. “It took us five hours to upright the 5m dinghy, tow it until it floated again, bail it out, spray the engine down, change the oil, pull plugs, clean out the fuel system, fit new terminals and battery, check and test for spark.
“Then with fingers crossed, to our amazement the Yamaha 60 spluttered and started to run. The crew were totally astonished that this engine would even fire, let alone run,” he said.
The attempts to revive the engine paid off, with both dinghies out the very next day ferrying clients to a full day’s fishing.
The dinghies were then left again for another three days and returned to for a final day’s fishing.
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