The dinghy motor is now back from service. We were so lucky to be here when the motor began to overheat... (well to be more accurate, when the motor began to REALLY overheat, as it had been tending to do since Annapolis - high speed run on plane from Weems creek to EGO alley).

Anyway the service organization put a lot of new parts into the 2000 Mercury outboard (including a new water pump, housing, etc.)

But when I got the motor back on Tuesday, the same overheating symptoms showed up. Damn!!! call the service guy back... Scott took a ride with me in the dinghy and shot the motor head with an infrared temp sensor; YEP.. overheating, with he called the "cat's ass syndrome"
(the grommet, beneath the motor head, had closed from 1/4 inch diameter to less than 1/16th of an inch... causing the overheating problem in the dinghy motor).

SALT crystals get between the motor head, and the grommet, and gradually push the hole closed... and "harden" the rubber... The technician had to chip it out, and then drive to Lake Worth for the part.
I would have been hard put, to do this work... wow... We were lucky to be here when it failed, and lucky to find "Complete Marine Services of VERO, Inc." (Mercury dealer, and mechanics).

We have to keep reminding ourselves that this Mercury is already 18 years old... and (touch wood) still running like a charm.
OK.... touch wood again.

Last night we saw the movie "Three Billboards" with Mike and Donna Dailey (s/v Mojo). GREAT movie. And one more impressive thing from last night the outboard started right up in 45F temps... (touch wood). Yeah !!!