We had our Yamaha 15 hp motor serviced by the mechanic in Cumana before we left the boatyard as there was no Yamaha dealer there. It had been sitting for 1 1/2 years and refused to start. The mechanic said it was a simple fix, that the jets were gummed up with dried up fuel.

In Tortuga it ran fine close to shore so we took it for a run out near a reef in the very large bay we were anchored in. Suddenly it heated up and quit. We had a grueling paddle back to the boat against wind and current. Back on board Bill tried to determine the problem without success. It turned out the impeller was worn out. The problem with sailing is you often don't return to the last place a repair occurred, forcing you to start fresh at the next stop.

That was the end of our dingly exploration on Tortuga.

The dealer in Puerto La Cruz repaired it properly, reminding us to have it serviced every 100 hours or once a year. We will remember this lesson.