She's showing her name!

When we acquired Bright Eyes, she came with two 9.9hp 4-stroke motors -- electric start, charging circuitry, the whole nine yards. Ample power for the local tidal currents and no need to mess with oil/gas ratios in the fuel. The drawback: on the transit from the previous owner's dock to the boatyard for haul-out, the Honda quit running when I throttled it up as we made the turn into the ICW and would not restart. The P.O. covered the cost of the tow from our moorage-of-convenience, though he was not obligated to do so and it cost him half the sales price of the boat. (Thanks Dave, you are an honorable person!!)
I worked on diagnosing the Honda and couldn't come up with a good reason for it quitting beyond a suspicion of ignition trouble; I freshened up the Yamaha , which had been stored for ten years, with mixed results. Finally I loaded both into the back of the pickup -- not without some concern for the risk of hernia! -- and dropped them at a local boat shop for diagnosis.
In the meantime, I hauled out my old 1973 Eska 1747-C. After six or eight pulls on the rope it fired right up, just as loud and smokey as I recalled it being NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO.
In the meantime, the boat shop checked out the 4-strokes and declared that it would cost $705 to get the Yamaha up to snuff, and for the Honda the cost would be in excess of $2000. (A brand-new 4-stroke outboard in the same power range can be had for $1800.)

The questions are twofold: Does the Eska have enough grunt to combat the tidal flow, and will it keep running? (It's worth mentioning that the only time the Eska ever quit on me was when the remote tank ran dry in the middle of the Willamette... .)

dscn1635.jpg -- It turned into a destruction test of the extension tongue. (It's hard to tell from the refraction of the water, but as I backed down the ramp with the tongue at full extension the tube snapped at a spot that had been rusted, where I had attempted to cut out and weld in a new patch. Not the best way to save $123, especially since I have now had to spend it anyhow for a replacement tube.)

dscn1637.jpg -- Didn't even get the boat to float, but luckily there was enough unrusted metal left in the tube to pull the trailer back up the ramp.

dscn1639.jpg -- We were able to break off the extension and push the remaining tube back into standard towing configuration.

dscn1643.jpg -- In furled configuration

dscn1648.jpg -- Bottom link of the stabilizing A-frame

dscn1652.jpg -- The roller assembly for the A-frame comprised of 1" EMT, intended to keep the mast stabilized laterally while stepping and unstepping

dscn1654.jpg -- On the way back down

dscn1658.jpg -- The sheave assembly that allows the trailer winch a good angle to the jib halyard

dscn1659.jpg -- These experiments have to take place on the side street: When parked in the back yard, Bright Eyes is right under the power lines... bad location for 25' of aluminum mast to be waving around!

dscn1662.jpg -- A-frame roller assembly in action

dscn1665.jpg -- A-frame lower pivots that fit into the stanchion bases

dscn1666.jpg -- A-frame roller assembly in place

dscn1667.jpg -- Roller assembly separates to install or remove from mast

dscn1670.jpg -- Mast disconnected from step, rolled forward and set into pulpit support

dscn1673.jpg -- Crutch extension removed; ready for transport!

Other Units of the FSN