Prepping the Dinghy

A dinghy became a requirement once we started anchoring out on the boat. We have a four person Typhoon that rides on a Hurley Davit on the swim platform. It's great for sightseeing and getting to shore (aka a bar or restaurant).

This is from last year when we left the dinghy at the dock when the boat was being serviced.

We spent some time this week getting the dinghy motor ready for the season. We bring it home to work on it because we don't want to risk spilling any oil into the water. I think Doug has rigged up quite a system for the work:

After running it for a few minutes to warm up, we poured out the old oil. I like Doug's analogy about why we heat up the oil - think about how easy it is to pour caramel when it's warm. If only oil was as tasty as caramel instead of a greasy mess. Since we were working on this after a long day in the office, we left the second stage for day two.

Somehow I got put in charge of pouring the new oil into the motor. Phew! Didn't spill.

After adding new oil (both the upper and lower units), it was time to run it again. Old trashcans full of water are perfect for this task.

We are officially ready for the season!