Engine

Mariner 5 (5M 6E3 L)

It’s a two-stroke from 1984. It rattles and smells, but it’s simple and reliable.

Engine Mount

The outboard sits on a lifting mount (moottoriteline) on the transom, so you can take it out of the water when it’s not needed. The mount is spring-assisted and light to operate.

Heading out, or moving around the harbour: tilt the engine down, lower the mount, then start it up (steps below).

Once the sails are up: shut the engine off, raise the mount, and tilt the engine up. Otherwise it drags behind you, and it can get badly swamped if left in the lowered position.

Lowering and raising the mount

Lowering the mount — release it by lifting the handle outwards, push it down toward the water, then press it back toward the transom so it locks.

Raising the mount — release the lever by turning it outwards, lift the mount toward you, and lock it by pressing toward the boat.

The photos below show the previous engine (a Yamaha 8); the mount and its operation are identical on the current Mariner 5.

Tilting down — release it by turning the thin lever on the rear left of the engine. (Don’t confuse it with the gear lever on the left side of the engine.)

Tilting up — make sure the gear is in neutral (lever upright), grab the engine by the rear edge of the cowling, and tilt it toward you. The engine locks itself in the raised position.

Starting and Stopping

1. Open the air screw on the fuel tank and give the fuel line bulb a few pumps.
2. Put the gearbox in neutral — the gear lever on the left side of the engine upright.
3. Throttle near the Start mark, choke open, and pull the starter cord. If it doesn’t catch straight away, adjust the choke between a couple of pulls.
4. Once it fires up, ease off the throttle as soon as the revs rise, and close the choke.
5. To get moving: gear lever forward or back (reverse). When changing direction, always pause the lever briefly in neutral.
6. To stop: hold the red button for a couple of seconds, then put the gear in neutral.
7. Close the air screw.

Tips

A couple of things worth knowing:

• Before any docking manoeuvre, double-check the fuel line is properly clipped to the engine — the connector can sneak loose when you raise or turn the motor, and you don’t want it quitting on you mid-turn.
• The outboard isn’t locked on its swivel, so you can actually steer with it while creeping around the harbour. Heading out, just set it straight so the boat tracks true with the tiller centred.

Fuel

The fuel tank and a spare canister are in the rear locker.

Important — don’t skip this: it runs on 98-octane petrol mixed with exactly 2% two-stroke oil, and the engine will be damaged if it runs without oil. Add the right amount straight into the tank every time you refuel.