starter then no starter

[gordwa]

~~I just rebuilt my1990 90 hp Johnson this winter and finally took it out .It seemed to start ok.It has a new starter motor and solenoid and all new coils and cdi .I was fishing with my grandsons and was getting late so decided to head in .So when I went to hit the key nothing. I had power to the power trim, lights ect but nothing to the starter motor.The tide was still moving and I wanted to get my grand kids out of the boat as it was getting dark and the ramp was about a 1I8 of a mile away so we started paddling. We paddled for about 20 minutesa aginst the tide and moved very little so my grand son hits the key and it fires right up.I put it in gear and I kill the motor.Now I hit the key and nothing.Now back to paddling and paddling for another 15 minutes. I check the key and it starts aging. I haul ass to the dock and tie the boat up I turn it off to see if it will start and nothing. When I get it home it starts right up again. Any thoughts of what is going on.Its no fun getting stranded with kids in the boat. I had started and stoped the boat about a half a dozen times before the first incident and it started fine all those times.?????? Thanks for any help
ps...I tried to post in electrical but it would not let me ???

 

[Bosunsmate]

might be the key switch going or the neutral no start switch.
I always take out a little bit of wire so i can jump start it at the solenoid if this happens when im out- which it has

To jump it while out, put key to on then jump from the big positive where the cable from the +ve on battery connects too on solenoid and touch that to the little positive terminal on the solenoid.
You can tell which one is the small positive as the other one, the small negative has a little wire off it that goes to the motor casing by it as a ground.

In terms of fixing it its hard to narrow it down unless you take apart the control and inspect both parts, sometimes they look ok even though one isnt.
Id lean more towards bad key switch from your description, im sure others would lean the other way