So on my first day out with the new boat, we launched, the engine started just fine but the boat wouldn't go anywhere. The engine rev'ed as though it were in neutral. After a quick panic, someone says "you should look at the engine". I'm mechanically inclined but this sounded stupid but I had a boat full of people becoming disappointed and I needed to make some sort of effort. I opened the hatch and immediately saw the problem.

During the 450 mile ride home, the transmission cable fell out of the bracket. Without holding the cable sheath in a fixed place, obviously nothing would happen. I just stuck the cable back in place and we were underway.

One question: can someone else check theirs? I'm surprised that this cable is just resting/wedged into a fork mount. Is there no positive lock for the mounting?

If that's the case, keep this in mind if your engine starts but you can't get it into gear.
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