The 9.8 Tohatsu XLS  have been  amazing,  faithful performers. After Six years of continuous service, the decision was made to change and upgrade to the 9.9 version.  The 9.8’s have  the largest hp available in that size and weight range. The only slightly heavier 9.9 block is identical to the 15 and 20 hp versions, which use different ECU’s ,. so an upgrade in power, if needed,  is possible without the added weight.  In our case, the 9.9’s give a noticeable increase in thrust and speed (they throw a slightly larger prop than the 9.8’s).  So far we are very happy with them. .

Another big plus is the ability to flush,  using the side mounted hose ports. We rigged a permanent PVC pipe with attached garden hoses so all that is needed after docking is to  shut down and raise the motors, connect the hoses on engine (easily accessed on the side) connect the PVC pipe to the dock, throw open the valve, and flush both engines at once.   This is way quicker and easier  than standing on your head while monkeying around with an earmuff, and running the engines dry ( 9.8’s were carburetor  versions) while flushing.

The new and improved swim platform gives about another 10 sq. ft of real estate. It  makes  checking/servicing the steering gear much simpler and accessible. Finally, now I have a reliable, quick way to deploy a boarding ladder (half of a Wagner aluminum painter’s ladder from home depot) with a simple cleat tie off at the top, and a permanent attached large boat fender tied off on the bottom rung, to keep the thing at the proper angle when boarding. MOB pole, throw ring, and strobe light will now be accessable  from the helm.

Notice the work float underneath. Five sheets of 2″ pink foam board from home depot, held together with ratchet straps. Works great! It is light,  and can be stowed up forward on the tramp.  I can now scrape the water line and below,  to  the length of my arm, about 2/3rds of the surface area, without getting in the drink.   I do  hate getting in that water!

We have been trying to solve a recent recurring problem. The sail is not sliding up and down the mast as easily as it did when it was new. It doesnt hang up every time, and sometimes it is worse than others. We have always been able to get it up at least to the second reef point. Usually it just takes a little fiddling, letting it down a bit and re hoisting till it goes on up. It doesnt hang up coming down. The mast is about 45 feet long at the luff. It has a male track with a small amount of bend, and a joint in the track just below the Tangs, which is about 3/4 of the way up.The joint is kept in column by a spline that is screwed in with very short, small, metric, fine threaded, flathead screws. The question up to now has been whether the problem is with the track, the cars, the sail batten tension, the bearings, or something else.

This is the suspect car. If you move it from side to side with your hand, it moves a bit more than the others. This is the car that seems to be hanging up. We pulled the car and replaced the bearings. it still wiggles and it still hangs uo.

This is another view of the car in question. Note how it is out of alignment with the others. This was done by pulling it over by hand.

OK this is the track. This photo was taken aloft, right about where the thing seems to be hanging up. There is a scored place, a scratch on it, not in the side grooves, but on the face, The screws are in tight, and don’t seem to be protruding enough to catch on the car. The track is otherwise in alignment.

What we have done so far: gone up the mast and checked the joint in the track. It seems to be OK. It happens to be at the deepest point in the mast bend (It is bent fore and aft by tightening the diamond shrouds, which are swept back)

So, today we eased the diamonds about one thread on the turnbuckles.

This car is at the first batten which is a fiberglass rod, which is tensioned from the leech end with a big flathead screw. So today we backed off the tension on the batten till there was none.

The car bearings are torlon 1/4 inch. We removed the car, and replaced the bearings. I couldn’t tell any difference in the appearance. They all seem to be round without any flat spots or scoring.

To be continued.