"the manager will say when it doesn't work on a charter for say a third time SUmmer and requires a call, "that's it, I'm calling the owner and getting a new one."
I do not doubt some manager on some dock somewhere said that once or even twice. But, that is nonsense. All the quality outboards are designed to last 4,000 hours or more. That is one hour a day for more than ten years. If a small outboard is difficult to start or has problems periodically there is an issue with a component that a proper technician should diagnose and replace the component. On the small dinghy outboards there are just not that many components to troubleshoot. If the compression is no longer adequate or the drive components inoperable that may be a different story. Intermittent issues is not a sound justification to toss the tool. Even with a brand new motor foul fuel, a fouled fuel system, or a poor electrical connector can produce intermittent trouble. To try and dodge all that when we rent we do our best to make the member of the crew with the least upper body strength test the outboard before we leave the dock.
Now to really derail this thread. I have long felt unease with the charter operators who try to match a yacht owned specific dinghy and yacht owned motor with each boat. I have greater comfort with the operators who have a pool of dinghies and motors to send out with each charter leaving the dock. A 24 hour weekend charter turnaround is not much time for a technician to troubleshoot ornery outboards. With no pool of outboards and dinghy's the options are limited when my wife or daughters says "This one is hard to start".
Please let me know where this dock is where outboards are trashed on the three strikes you are out practice. I may want to retire cleaning up and selling those outboards.
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