On The Pegs June 2020 - Volume 5 - Issue 6 | Page 117

On The Pegs VOL. 4 ISSUE 7 - July 2020 117
pensed it to the engine. It was what a lot of people call a “pumper carburetor”.
It had no float bowl. The second section housed a round slide with an adjustable
needle and a hose connection below the needle. The main body had three
fittings that had hoses on them, two screws and a button. The largest hose was
hooked to the fuel tank. One took an impulse from the transfer port in the cylinder
on one side of the bel-lows. On the other side of the bellows was another
fitting that supplied fuel to the bottom of the needle. The main body had two
screws for adjusting fuel volume to the needle. There were no Jets per se. One
would be adjusted so the engine would be crisp off the bottom. Once that was
dialed in, you held it wide open and adjusted the other screw to get max revs.
There were rubber boots that covered the area where the screws and hose fittings
were. There was also a button. This was depressed several times to start the engine.
It acted like a choke. It was velvet smooth and super strong down low and
revved to the moon!!! Mick told me that it was never produced due to its high
cost. Mick still has a few sets, so I am told… I rode for Yamaha International, the
Importer in the USA in 73-74.
I started sailing again when I was in college. I have raced boats as small as 12
feet and as large as 65 feet. Helming a sailboat well takes an abundance of practice
and the ability to “feel” the boat and be able to anticipate what actions were
needed in advance. I was fortunate enough to have progressed quickly and got
to the point that I had boat owners flying me in to race their boats. A “Hired Gun’
so to speak. I was on top of the world. I have raced in the SORC Rally in St. Petersburgh,
Florida, the Miami to West Palm Beach Race in Florida, Three TORC’s in the
Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas, The Johnny Walker Cup (Miami, Florida to
Montego Bay, Jamaica), Key West Race Week in Florida, Fort Lauderdale to Key
West Race in Florida, two Chicago to Mackinac races on Lake Michigan, Block Island
Race Week in Rhode Island, the All Swan Regatta in Newport, Rhode Island. I
have also assisted in deliveries of yachts from Newport, Rhode Island to Bermuda,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Virginia Beach, Virginia, Fort Lauderdale Florida to St.
Thomas USVI and St. Thomas USVI to Virginia Beach, Virginia. One year I crewed
on two different J-24’s that qualified to attend the World Championship in Athens,
Greece. I campaigned a J-22 in Middle America a cou-ple of seasons with friends.
Other sailors hated seeing us show up, and we liked that. I even did a stint as a
Captain on a Private Yacht. That’s when my hobby became a job. And the fun
ran out quickly, so I quit sailing. I have sailed some since but on my terms….. I
have had the fortune of sailing with America’s Cup winners, World Champions,
Olympic Champions, Regional Champions and National Champions. The greatest