Mercury Outboard Running

I started the day with two modest goals in mind: (1) See if I could find this Ricardo person about fixing my outboard motor and (2) Purchase some diesel. Thomas had told me that I would find Ricardo across the street from the entrance to the club.

I went ashore at about 9.30 AM and after filling the two 10L water containers walked out of the club and across the street looking for Ricardo. There was what appeared to be a small boat shop next to a yacht broker so I walked in armed with nothing more than the name Ricardo and a photo of an outboard motor to show what I needed fixed. By a stroke of luck I ran into Thomas, who was just about to leave the shop. I smiled and told him that I was looking for Ricardo. Thomas replied that I had come out of social entrance of the club and not main one. He then led me to a nondescript shop on a side street with no signage and asked where Ricardo was. Ricardo wasn't around so we went to his house only a few doors up. The house had a serious high wooden gate with a push button communication system on the side. There was an answer, a flurry of Portuguese, then a woman opened the door inside the main gate to have a talk with us. In the end there was agreement to my suggestion that I simply drop the outboard off now so that Ricardo could look at it when he returned to the premises.

Twenty minutes later I returned with the outboard and soon found myself in the office speaking with Ricardo by telephone. His English was excellent. His first theory was that the Brazilian fuel with a whopping 20% ethanol had attracted moisture into the carburetor and introduced rust. I explained that I was using Argentinean fuel but the outboard had had a difficult life riding on the stern rail from La Paz, round the Horn, and then 5 months at MdP. He suggested that while he was at it he should look at the anode, impeller, and change the gear box oil. I told him that it sounded to me like I was talking to an expert and gave him the OK. He told me to expect the motor at 3 PM but it was agreed that I should show up at 2 PM to make any decisions that came up.

I could tell from the setting that Ricardo knew what he was doing. I was actually in his spacious workshop area adjacent to his house. Ricardo is a Mercury, Yanmar, and Cummins dealer and I could see some serious projects going in the well organized workshop.

I returned to the boat and filled my time by hand washing my Icebreaker merino wool garments and a wool sweater that I had been wearing almost constantly since my arrival in Argentina.

At 2 PM I was back in Ricardo's office and while I waited one of his assistants showed me the carburetor which was a mass of rust inside of the bowl and around the needles. Ethanol or not, moisture had contaminated the carburetor big time. Soon Ricardo walked in and introduced himself and for the next four hours I was treated to a wealth of information on the outboard, how to manage it, fuel systems, traps with diesel fuel, etc. Removing the bolts to get to the impeller was an ordeal, due to galling between the s/s bolt and the aluminium housing. The impeller was about to go, with one of its blades cracking at the base and another badly distorted. Then there was an ordeal with removing the anode. It took him more than 30 minutes of working with a drill and chisel go break it up and get it out. Sure, the body of the anode was solid, but Ricardo showed me how the interface between the anode and the shell that held it had degenerated to the point that the anode had pretty well stopped functioning. Then he drained the gear oil and found that he could not pump oil into it because the air wasn't being vented at the top. The whole thing had to be dismantled and Ricardo found that a seal had "grown", probably because the wrong oil had been used, and covered up the oil inlet hole. He had to physically cut out a notch in the seal. When the motor was finally put together his assistant got it started with one pull of the cord. It idled sweetly at low revs but when goosed up in gear threatened to blow the water barrel away. While we were finishing off Ricardo didn't like the setup on the system that sets the angle of the engine to the transom. The pin had the lock plate missing at the end (I knew that) and was threaded the wrong way, which had put a score on the body of the shaft (I didn't know that). And by the way, I had the angle of the motor all wrong, encouraging the front of the Zodiac to lift. Then he noticed that the wing bolt to lock the engine from rotating was missing and he provided a new one, suggesting that I remove it when I am using the engine otherwise I will lose it.

This has been a rough outline but you get the idea. During those 4 house I got a running commentary on everything that he was doing and why, as well as all sorts of side information on taking care of the outboard motor. I commented at one point on how he seemed to understand the chemistry of fuels and oils very well. He replied that it was because he is an engineer. I also told him that he was a very good businessman. He dedicates Saturdays to interacting with his customers from Santos, who can only visit on weekends. And I also said that most businesses prevent customers from entering the workshop, making the activities going on inside a black art, yet he was happy to have me there watching everything and asking whatever questions I wanted. This is rare. Very rare. Ricardo told me that he likes his customers to take an interest in the repairs.

Rust Filled Carburetor

Impeller after removal

Remarkable Ricardo at Work

At the office Ricardo went over the account item by item. He apologized for the cost of the few parts involved, explaining that Brazil imposes an whopping 100% tax on imports. The parts included on liter of aviation fuel in the outboard motor, to guarantee that there will be no moisture contamination. For labour he charged me only two hours which I told him was extremely generous, given that during the 4 hours that I was there both Ricardo and his assistant worked on the engine. The bill came out to 566 reais (roughly $250). Considering the hours put in on short notice to save the engine from certain oblivion, not to mention the invaluable first-hand lesson on outboard motor repair and maintenance, I consider the money to be a bargain.

Maybe Pangloss was right.

I recommend that anybody in the Sao Sebastiao area with a Mercury (or Yanmar) engine problem contact Ricardo Netto (ricardo@mastermarilhabela.com.br).

I motored in comfort back to the yacht feeling like a king. The day ended as it began, clear with an almost imperceptible wind. In the morning the tiny breeze had been blowing from the NE under a clear sky, and in the evening the tiny breeze was blowing from the S under a bright starlit sky.

Tomorrow I would take a hike to get more cash from the ATM and come back with some provisions. Ricardo had told me that the nearest laundry was 2 miles away, so I decided to wash a few more things by hand on board.

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