HOT SPRINGS, Ark., - John Faulkner, of Hot Springs, Ark., put the reliability and durability of his Yamaha outboard to the test, although it wasn't on purpose. And so far, Yamaha gets an A+.
Faulkner, who works in the engineering department for the City of Hot Springs, took his stepson and his 20-ft. fishing barge, powered by a 5-year-old Yamaha F50, out on Lake Hamilton, caught a limit and trailered the boat back home. Sounds like a normal day out on the water, doesn't it? The only difference is that Faulkner carried the boat eight miles from Lake Hamilton to his home in Hot Springs - with the outboard still running.
"The wind was blowing really hard and I let my stepson try and trailer the boat," said Faulkner. "You know, you don't have to tie down a barge, you just wench it up, and we were just glad that he got it on the trailer. So, we got in the truck and headed to the house."
"When I pulled in to the yard, we passed my wife, who turned around to see if we had caught anything," said Faulkner.
"Well, she was coming down the driveway, and I thought to myself, 'My goodness her Jeep is really loud.' And then I realized that the noise wasn't coming from the Jeep, but it was coming from behind me where my boat was."
Faulkner proceeded to shut down the engine and take it to his dealer to see what kind of damage had occurred.
"The only thing that was even remotely wrong with the engine was a little bit of black on the impeller's housing wall," said Faulkner. "But that's it. The service man said there was nothing wrong with the impeller or its housing, but I told him to replace them anyway, just in case."
Faulkner is a firm believer in the Yamaha brand, owning a Yamaha outboard, guitar and motorcycle.