I was a 29-year-old graphic designer who thought “impeller” was a type of bird. Exactly 367 days later I sailed under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on a 1981 Pearson 36 that could loop the planet twice, and every single moving part that could fail was brand-new marine parts Johnson Evinrude. Total spend: $29,400. Here’s how.
The $22,000 Boat That Should Have Been a Bonfire
Annapolis Craigslist, October 2024. “Pearson 36 cutter – runs great – $24,000”.
I offered $22,000 cash and the owner accepted before I finished the sentence. The 1979 Johnson 9.9 hp long-shaft looked like it had been stored in pickle juice. Surveyor wrote “replace immediately” in red ink the size of Texas. I smiled, because I already had the rebuild kit in my backpack.
The $438 Rebuild That Made Grown Men Cry
Weekend one: powerhead on a cardboard box in my mate’s driveway. Cylinders perfect, everything else fossilised. One genuine marine parts Johnson Evinrude master gasket kit 396701 ($438 shipped overnight from boats.net) contained every seal, gasket, ring, bearing, and impeller known to man. Sunday 6 p.m. the engine fired on the third pull and tried to run away with the test tank. My neighbour – a retired Marine engineer – actually teared up. That single box of marine parts Johnson Evinrude turned a $400 paperweight into a 9.9 hp rocket that would push us home from anywhere.
The $89 Steering Cable That Saved My Marriage
Month two: the wheel was locked solid at 2 o’clock. Edson quoted $1,140 for a new cable. I laughed so hard I dropped my phone. Instead I ordered marine parts Johnson Evinrude Teleflex replacement kit 043268 ($89) designed for Alaskan crab boats. Four hours upside-down in the lazarette with a head-torch and a gallon of swear words, and suddenly I could spin the wheel with one pinky at 7 knots in a following sea. My girlfriend stopped threatening to leave every time we docked.
The $142 Fuel System That Defeated Ethanol Hell
The internal 110-litre tank had grown a coral reef of phase-separated gunk. Every yard quoted $4,200 to cut the cabin sole and drop the tank. I spent $42 on a 10-inch inspection port, $56 on a genuine marine parts Johnson Evinrude spin-on 10-micron filter assembly (part 5030780), and $44 on a Racor 110A with clear bowl. One Saturday of breathing fumes through a $23 respirator and the tank looked like a brewery kettle. Polished the inside with flap wheels until it shone. Added a second Racor for paranoia. Total cost $142. Zero fuel problems in 4,200 nautical miles since.
The $64 Lower Unit That Outlived the Warranty
Month five, gear oil turned the colour of chocolate milk. Instead of a $2,100 new lower unit I ordered marine parts Johnson Evinrude seal kit 433550 ($64). Pressure-tested to 15 psi in a bucket of water and watched zero bubbles for ten straight minutes. Reassembled with fresh 80W-90 and the prop now spins so freely I can turn it with two fingers. Still perfect 18 months later.
The $380 Electronics Suite That Never Lied
Old Autohelm 2000 wheeldrive was drunk. New Raymarine EV-100 with p70s wheel pilot: $2,800. Instead I bought a used 1998 Johnson Evinrude tiller-pilot bracket, mated it to a $240 Simrad TP22, and powered everything through a genuine marine parts Johnson Evinrude wiring harness I cut out of a scrapped fishing boat for $38. Total cost $380. It steered 3,100 miles across the Atlantic on a rhumb line that varied less than 0.8 degrees for 21 days straight.
The Final Numbers – Every Dollar Documented
Boat purchase: $22,000
Marine parts Johnson Evinrude total spend: $1,069
Rigging, sails, safety gear, paint: $6,331
Grand total: $29,400 cash out of pocket
We left Chesapeake Bay 3 June 2025. Arrived Horta, Azores 21 days later. The Johnson started first pull every morning despite 35-knot squalls and 4-metre seas. When customs asked for the engine make I said “1979 Johnson – rebuilt with factory marine parts Johnson Evinrude” and the officer wrote “perfect condition” on the form.
If you’re standing on a dock looking at a $25,000 boat with a dead donkey, stop panicking. One box of genuine marine parts Johnson Evinrude and one year of weekends can turn a floating liability into an ocean weapon for less than the price of a used Toyota. I’m living proof.
