Bendix

Learning, learning, always learning.

What's a bendix? Well it's not a store selling oddball housewares, for one.

This is a bendix. Or rather, these are. It's the wee gear thingerdinger* that pops up to engage the fly-wheel on your outboard motor to get it spinning and ultimately start your boat.

Knowing this, you might be able to deduce why I now know what a bendix is.

When the wee bendix decides to turtle and not pop up at the correct time, your boat goes "whiissssshhhhhhhhhh" "whiiisssssssssssssshhhh". When you turn the key.

Then the men neighbours start to prairie dog out of their cottages. "Boat trouble!?! Quick! To the Bat Cave!"

Luckily our bendix can be coaxed out of hibernation with judicious application of a screwdriver (which now remains in the boat, just in case). I've also heard that you can pry it up with a paddle, but I'd be worried about breaking the paddle, especially since the bendix needs to turn as it's lifting, or it doesn't budge.

Apparently WD-40 will also lubricate it to help it to move freely. We'll be trying that the next time we're out.

I swear, That Damned Boat is going to break the bank sometime soon.

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*gear thingerdinger is a technical term. As a technical writer, I'm well versed in technical terms.