Smoking Starter????

Ok so my boat has been running great for the first time in since I have had her (after 2 years of storage). Got the Fuel fume smell taken care of thanks guys for your help..

But now there is something over my head going on (again). Took my mom, sister in law, and nephew and sister for a ride this morning (the day before the 4th of July) and we had a good time. Stopped at my moms place on the lake and was about to go back to my Grandfathers property where there is a lift to put her on over night and all I got was a "click" when I turned the key to fire it up... did this several times and all I got was a "click"..

Finally I just gave up and had someone give me a ride over to the other side of the lake to get my car and go home, leaving the boat on the dock to my knowledge "inoperable".

I couldn't stand not knowing what was going on so I went back over there tonight and tried to get her to start again, still nothing but a click. But then after a few tries (with my brother fiddling with some wires looking for a lose connection etc..) the starter actually started smoking... like a decent sized puff of smoke came from the starter. I was at first thinking the boat was going to ignite or something.. but now not even a "click" from the solenoid. I have juice, volt gage on the boat reads about 12 volts. Nothing changed from the time I got her to fire to when we finished the boat ride today..

I'm so depressed, it seems to me the solenoid is shot, as well as the starter now but how on earth did this happen the day before the 4th of July!!

my brother said the plug going into the computer/surge protecting unit was loose and he thought it might have been that that was causing the starter not to get juice, and the solenoid to just "click" but why did the starter smoke!??
Anyone think I can just swap the solenoid and try to turn it over or is a smoking starter a dead starter?? (which is what I think)...

I could just about rip my hair out, she's been running so good this year and now on the 3rd of july my Red White n Blue Nautique is once again going to be incapacitated for the 4th of July.

I still have yet to run it in the Boat parade for the 4th of July on my lake and I was really looking forward to it this year.

any help would be appreciated.

I had the same problem about 2 months ago on my 1970 SN. Had the started rebuilt in 08 however; when I got it back several people told me it did not look rebuilt. Where the main wire came out of the outer casing, they didn't put a rubber grommet to shield it from the metal casing and was rubbing making contact and smoking profusely. Check the terminal and see if it is loose. This could be a safety issue with potential sparking and fire from gas fumes. Had is rebuilt again about 4 weeks ago and it performs great though having engine rebuilt now.

The grounds and everything were checked and tightened up just this spring. should not be that..

Smoke was actually coming from all around the circular end of the starter.. it wasn't coming off a wire, or one isolated point at the starter..