Said earlier in the week i was looking forward to going out for a fish knowing that massive swell and strong southerly would surely fire up the Snapper!
I had to work Saturday, my first 6 day week in years, i try to avoid them but works been smashing me.

SATURDAY

We ended up launching at 4.30 at Little Manly cause the swell was way to big to even consider launching at Longy.

We were only going to fish for a few hours and then head back in cause the gate at the ramp was shutting at 9 p.m.

As we rounded the heads we knew it would be a loong run to Long Reef due to the swell and wind.

I felt confident with my boat and my experience so we plugged away.

We got there about an hr later on dark and saw one of my mates heading back in, saying it was too crazy and he kept pulling anchor.
We weighed up our options and decided that the smart thing to do would be to turn around and punch our way back.

Took up even longer to get back but we ended setting up in Roseville, killing abit of time and recovering from being bashed up, hoping to get a Jew.
One hit the Tailor i had on the springer but no hook up.

It was a weird contradiction from being smashed outside, to the placidity of in the estuary.

SUNDAY

At the ramp at 4.30 a.m.

The swell was still up, but with abit of a westerly in the southerly, the ocean wasnt in such a mess.
Decided to stop and get some Trag before heading for the snapper.

Pretty much bagged out on them in no time after i dropped the secret weapon.

At first light we ducked in behind a headland but the westerly was stuffing our lay of the boat and we couldnt get our floaters in the right spot.

THEN THE DRAMAS STARTED....
At about 7.00 i went to turn the key so we could go abit wider, and i i got was a click.
SHI7!

Starter motor didnt sound to goodsky.

We took the cowling off, inspected the fuses and tapped the starter motor with my bat but to no avail.

We were a long way from the ramp and i didnt want to disturb some mates that were out on the water for a tow.

We started banging it even harder, and about 45 min later she kicked over.

There was no way i was going to turn that key off again, so we did abit of silly fishing. Drifting for flathead, but the wind was pushing us too quick.
Same went with a livie out the back over the King grounds.

I was shattered that i couldnt anchor up for a Red!

That engine didnt turn off till we got back 4 hrs later, but it did kick over at home for the flush out.

Somebody at work today told me a new starter motor for a Yammy is about $1400.
This cant be true can it???

You're a Brutty Twit

Why would you even consider attempting a fish with the seas being as big as they were on the weekend ??????????



Why does it matter ???

Your ears are the best ally when diagonising motor probs
Clicking noise was the solenoid failing to engage power to starter.
Allways carry jumpus leads on a boat they come in velly handy

Direct + from the battery to the starter would've kicked it over

Bugger
Least you got home to tell the story

Interesting fishing.

The clicking noise was the solenoid energizing, quite normal and it makes that noise every time you start it but you've probably never noticed it over the starter motor and cranking noise.

Here are the options.

Battery going bad, not likely because it came good again.

Brushes worn out in starter, not likely as above but did it sound right when it came good?

Bad contacts in solenoid, not likely because usually after a few clicks it will work & I'm sure you gave it some.

Bad connection on battery, solenoid, engine block or starter motor, very likely.


If the starter motor also made a noise then it could be bad brushes.

The biggest problem is getting it to misbehave again so it can be diagnosed properly, failing that you may have to get every power connection cleaned/checked. Only 6 in total so it's no big deal but it would be nice to find the problem.
(If you need to fit brushes for the starter you may have to make a little 'tool' to reassemble it, Merc/Yam)

Oh yeah

Dont 4get to check your breather, blockages will hamper the Flux Capacitors ability to generate enough power to start the Warp engines in your starter

Cant be the batteries cause i just installed 2 new ones a couple of weeks ago after the other ones died on me.
So it could be a bad connection on the battery, but ive used it half a dozen times since the new ones were put in, and started the bugger dozens of times with no probs.
The only noise coming out was a light "click" every time i turned the key, and boy did i turn it!
It did take many 'taps' on the starter over about 40 min to get her to kick over.

Ive always carried jumper leads on the boat for years, but after changing to the new batts i took them out to jump a mates car and never put them back in.

I had the solonoid go on my old boat years ago but cant remember how she sounded.
So bloody busy at the moment i dont even have time to have it checked out so i can go for another fish when i have a few hours to spare...

Hold on......you got trag? As in teraglin? Wow.

Sounds like it was working fine unless it wasn't traveling far enough to allocate power to the starter
As much as it grieves me to say so
I have to agree with Mr Shinny Head twas a bad connection, solenoid needs bugger all power to engage but the starter does




Googlefsushy there's nothing really wow about it @ all esp if you're fishing offshore reefs have caught 100's of them & so have many others
Prob is not to many even bother to ID them correctly & automatically assume they've caught a Jewgong
Quick look @ the tail & ID can be confirmed

Well Fed, you have it in writing... Save this part of the post mate...





Same here... Ran into 100's of them while fishing for bait with jigs... bringing 2 at a time on occasion.. MM showed me the difference tails

I just noticed you have 2 batteries Salty, if they're wired through a change over switch then it and its connections may be suspect too.
If you can't get it to fail for you try cranking it over for a bit ( 3 x 10 second cranks) then feel all the power connections for warmth.
By power connections I mean battery terminals, change over switch terminals, solenoid terminals and starter terminal/s.
I don't know what motor you have so how you crank it without it starting is up to you.

Good catch Bees.

Same here... Ran into 100's of them while fishing for bait with jigs... bringing 2 at a time on occasion.. MM showed me the difference tails
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The other differences i find are that Trag have a couple of fangs on them, but most of all, the fight.
Most Trag will swim up with you to the point that you think you dont have anything, until they take off again when up top.

Youre giving me good info here FED. Come to think of it, my isolator switch isnt doing its job i noticed not long ago.
If i have it in the off position i can still do everything, including start my engines.
I was going to chuck it out and fit a new one when i had a chance.
Im hoping its something that simple.

Ewe sure ewe caught them on Long Reef ??????

Cause I found a Short Reef 2day, easy to distinguish cause I saw Milk Crates

you have to go wider than where you were mate.
End up with anything decent?

Think the current would've been raging out wider
It was running pretty quick in on Short Reef it made it hard

Got quite a few throw backs around 30 cms, then decided to move out another 30 odd meters into some deeper water ended up with 1/2 doz or so better fishys up to 37 cm's

Kungs were there but not in plagues like last time alot smaller this time & the wittle shits had me tinking they were good reds