Thanks for the help! I have also posted on rec.boats.electronics

Does anyone know if the principle of operation is that the belt
disengages from the drive gear, or does it slip on the driven drum??!!
I am thinking that maybe the belt is old and doesnt have enough
stiffness to pull back from the teeth?

I have had the unit apart, the only thing that seemed a bit amiss is
that the idler wheel that is moved by the lever seems a bit sloppy--
maybe it is binding?

It's a weird one. I was hoping for a "Oh yeah, mine did that and it was
__________!"

Thanks again!

Otter
Catalac 8m
Currently in Cocoa, FL headed south