Stale petrol can make you feel 'fuel-ish'

Matakohe Limestone Island - a safe haven for boaties, and five-year-olds having parties.

I once eyed Matakohe Limestone Island after falling into the Whangarei Harbour and thought I was going to have to swim to it to save my life.

It's a little different to the situation some five-year-olds found themselves in this week when they were rescued from the island after being stranded.

They were already safe on the island, and simply had to wait to be rescued, after the boat that had got them there broke down.

The kids were having a birthday party on the island, that went a bit longer than usual due to the broken-down boat.

One of the dads had to anchor the boat up and swim to the Onerahi shore, to organise alternative transport.

The party went a bit longer than planned and no one was hurt.

And the dad didn't have to swim too far to get to shore.

The swim that I once contemplated was about 800m against the tide to Limestone Island, or 1.5km to Onerahi with the current side-on.

Luckily I was able to right the kayak that I had flipped, and paddle home with a hull full of water.

I bought a boat after that incident, but like the dad who had to take a swim this week, discovered that they don't always start when you want them to.

My non-starting motor experiences have been close to shore, but I remain ever nervous about heading out to Bream Bay one day and nothing happens when I try to start the motor to come home.

A very good reason to join Coastguard.

A few months ago, I had the motor serviced, and mentioned that I'd had some starting issues toward the end of last summer.

The first question I was asked was "how old was the fuel?".

Apparently, the fuel goes stale, I've heard from four weeks on.

Which means that the tank I emptied and then half filled for the purpose of the service now has stale fuel in it.

Or looking at it another way, several litres of lawnmower petrol or weed killer.

At least, if the lawnmower won't start, I won't have to swim to an island.