Atomic 4 Care

Well, you know I can't go sailing ALL the time! Every so often, there are boat chores that need to get done - and today it was the old Atomic-4 engine that needed a little attention. Yes, the Atomic -4 is old, dated, obsolete, whatever - but I have really come to appreciate it over the past several years, and I think it gets a bad rap in some circles. At 45 years old, my Atomic 4 doesn't produce too much more than half of if it's rated power, and it does guzzle fuel at nearly one gallon per hour, but it has proven itself to be a reliable engine that even I - a non-mechanic - can keep in running order. For my use, it has been a great engine. If I were cruising the eastern seaboard, or sailing across oceans, I'd really rather have a diesel. But, for day sailing, racing, and coastal cruising, the Atomic 4 is sweet. It won't push me upwind in 40 knots of breeze, and it won't run much more than 15 hours off my 14 smallish gallon fuel tank, but I use it as an "auxiliary" engine, not a get me anywhere engine. If the winds are greater than 35 knots, I can sail - and if I have to motor more than 15 hours between fuel stops, I might as well not be on a sailboat. It has been a good engine for Whimsy, and after 45 years it is still getting the job done. Thanks to Moyer marine for helping me keep this engine working!