All he is accomplishing is prematurely aging his motor. We’ve all seen that guy at the ramp who starts his engine and lets it idle for 15 minutes or more before he leaves the dock, much to the annoyance of everyone else. If an impeller fails and pieces of the vanes break off, they can cause serious engine damage when they get lodged in the cooling jacket and block water flow. That means if you run your outboard dry for three seconds five times, it will likely fail.” According to David Meeler, Yamaha’s product design manager, “You only have about 15 seconds of cumulative dry running time before your impeller starts to fail due to excessive friction. Most boaters are guilty of accidentally starting their engine with the prop high and dry, but I’ve seen boaters at the ramp give their engine a quick bump of the starter switch just to make sure their battery is strong enough. Owners who avoid these seven no-nos will have a much happier engine. The way an owner drives his boat can have a drastic effect on how long the engine lasts. How a boat is driven greatly determines how long its engine stays healthy.