Hi there,
They say that if you practice writing everyday you will get good at it, but I have a terrible time getting at it. I can write in my head by the hour, but getting it down on the computer is something else again.
We have been having lots of dinghy motor challenges, (I won't say problems, because how could anything to do with cruising be a real problem!) but our Torqeedo motor has been a challenge. It is an electric outboard that seems like the best idea for going back and forth to the shore and the marinas, very quiet, goes about 2-4 mph (Gary might say faster, but that is my estimation) and doesn't take any of the worlds depleting resource of petroleum, just electricity. On the down side, when I was boatsitting while Gary was back in Canada, the darn thing needed to be charged every day and it meant hooking up a battery charger etc. etc. etc. and sometimes I guess I didn't do it correctly, and it was hooked up but not charging..........so, when I would get half way to where I was going, it became a race to see if I would get back to Apolima or have to row! Sometimes I lost! So row row row your boat, in a not gentle stream. If you have been to La Paz you understand the currents.

Anyway, yesterday we purchased a Yamaha 8hp to get us around while the Torqeedo is on its way back to the dealer to be repaired, something has gone wrong with it internally, and it looks like it may need an overhaul, or whatever they do to electric motors that die. Of course it died at an inopportune time, we had company arrive and had taken the 2 skiffs in to the dock, and 4 of us were in the inflatable with 130 pounds of batteries, so of course just as we left the dock...........nada! No amount of coaxing could get it to go, so myself and friend started paddling with the oars to the inflatable, as you can imagine, we didn't make much time, and of course the wind was up, but we got about 1/2 way to the boat and a skiff of cruising kids came by and rescued us. They gave us a tow back to the boat. Gary took the motor apart and checked everything he could, to no avail. It is still under warranty, but I imagine it will be a month or two before it is returned, once we have figured out how to "mail" it to the USA.