3th -18th Sep 2025

Anne and Huw

3 happy trips in the RIB up and down river. Remember to leave bung out when leaving as boat filled up with rain. Also using a Spring very important when leaving to stop bow hitting pontoon. Boat refuelled.

4th Aug -19th Aug 2025

Eileen and Tim Hoare and family

Oh dear.

First trip:

Engine started easily on choke, idled with choke off, cooling water coming out as it should - all looked good. After 5 minutes at low get out of port speed there was a warning buzz, "Automatic Winterization" (or something like that) appeared on the display, and the engine cut out completely a couple of minutes later leaving us drifting with the tide. Fortunately after waiting a couple of minutes the engine could be restarted, and continued to work normally for another 40 minutes till we were back in port.

Second trip:

Same story. Engine started ok then went into "Automatic Winterization" and stopped. Restarted OK after a couple of minutes and we went back to port (via the petrol pump to top up - 13.5 liters). Total trip time about 10 minutes.

Went to Trieux Marine and spoke to Madame. She suggested it might due to low oil level even though the oil reservoir was only a bit under half full.

Back to the RIB to top up from the 0.5 gallon cannister that was in the bilge. This was empty - used up previously but not replaced. Back to Trieux Marine, who only had a 2.5 gallon cannister (80 euros). Back to the RIB, oil reservoir filled to 3/4 full, old 0.5gallon cannister refilled and left in bilge. 2.5 gallon cannister with remaining oil brought home and put in sous sol.

Trieux engineers will look at the RIB when they return from holiday on about 10 September. I think Hugh will be in residence then.

Madame thought that we were living on borrowed time with the Evinrude. They aren't made any more, spares are difficult to get, etc etc.

Looking at the story of Evinrude and its demise on the internet was instructive. The engine is very technical. I have some doubts that Trieux have invested in the very specific and expensive equipment and specific specialist expertise to maintain it and diagnose any faults, and there may be a lot of guesswork in their servicing. Madam's suggestion that the current problem may be due to the oil reservoir being a bit under half full may fall into this category. Keeping Evinrude ETecs running is a niche business in the USA, and whether there is anywhere in Brittany which has the needful I do not know.

Dec 2024-May 2025

RIB Not used