Salinas, PR -- Free At Last!

So it has been a running joke between us and our friend Jim that our dinghy is the "Beast". For starters, it's usually the longest dinghy at the dock (13 feet vs most are like 8-10 ft). Secondly the outboard is 30 horsepower, while you see most other dinghies with something less than 10hp. But what really makes it a Beast is that it revs up with a huge roar and a big belch of smoke when you start it. When we first started cruising, I tried to start the damn thing and ended up hurting myself and cussing up a storm. So for the past two years Kevin and I have been kidding that I'm his "prisoner" because I can't start the outboard and go ashore by myself. So we've been joking with Jim from Adventure Bound about how we'd be willing to trade in the Beast and finally he just had me come onboard their dinghy and start it to see how easy it is to start most outboards. Piece of cake, started up no problem. Meanwhile his wife Amanda, a triathlete who is in way better shape than me, had a go at starting up the beast and had no trouble. So then of course I had to go over to our dinghy to prove that I couldn't start it, except -- I did! It took a two-handed pull, but it sputtered to life! So this morning Kevin had me try to start it cold (the "Beast" doesn't like waking up early in the morning). After 10-plus pulls, I was able to start the thing, and Kevin had me practice steering it all over the anchorage. I feel like a 16 year old who has just learned to drive!