My Yachtmaster Instructor friend, John Wetton, rang me in late summer to suggest that I go on an outboard maintenance course in Southampton. He knew I was worried about my outboard water pump and expecting problems in the future — and that winter overhaul bills were now £80+.

He told me that I could bring my own outboard to the class, which was an in-depth instruction course to familiarise sailors with the servicing and repair of their own engines. It had been especially designed for those with small outboards up to 10 horsepower.

I decided to go with John, taking my Johnson 9.9 with the water pump problem and an old Seagull Forty Plus for him to tinker with which I had bought from Len Wingfield.

We sat in the classroom until 11 o’clock for theory and were given a clear and simple introduction on how outboards work from Tim Vernon, the instructor. Tim teaches young people how to service outboards and inboards all the time and they then go off to work in the boat industry, so the instruction is to a very high standard.

After a coffee/tea break, we drove around to the back of the building and unloaded our outboards into the huge workshop area where we each had a bench and vice. Then under Tim’s supervision we learnt how to strip down our motors with care and in depth and to discover their peccadilloes and little habits etc. Tim has a huge store of tools in the workshop and has encountered practically every known outboard problem. He was able to build our confidence about our particular motors, tactfully showing us how to do all the tasks but, more importantly, making us do each stage ourselves.

My Johnson was found to have had a ‘cowboy’ service at some stage in its career with the good stainless steel water pump bolts having been stolen and old ones with stripped threads substituted, evidenced by no damage to the aluminium holes into which they went! The pump bottom plate was deformed and bent letting the pump flood the exhaust casing. None of this would I have found out on my own!

John stripped down Len Wingfield’s old Seagull, replaced the head gasket, fitted a new throttle cable, checked the points and the water pump — and the motor roared into life first pull! Made modern technology look a bit sick!

We all felt great after the course! Tim Vernon enabled us to solve all our problems and we were left with:-

1. A ‘no problem’ feel about our outboards 2. A simply written course book giving clear details of how it all works — i.e. a troubleshooting section, winterising, a list of tools and some things to avoid. 3. Working outboard motors. 4. Sensible diagnostic rules to solve problems quickly.

The course is a pilot by Southampton City College and its Maritime Technology Centre in Hazel Road, Woolston — underneath the high level bridge on the east bank of the Itchen. Phone: 023-8058 4910 Fax: 023-8097-9063 Cost: £34.00 Class size: 4 people and on Saturdays 9am — 4pm. There is plenty of parking.

I would highly recommend this course and especially Tim Vernon for all who want to prolong the life of their outboard but feel scared to take their motors to bits. It would be a good idea to take a new water pump impeller with you to the course at the very least.

NB — Appeal — Tim Vernon will gratefully receive all your dead outboard motors for his students to practice on. At the moment, it seems that he has more students than engines and will take them in any state of disrepair.