thunder wrote:
On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 08:31:09 -0400, Harry Krause wrote:


The largest "modern" outboard Evinrude made for some years during the
1950s was the 25-hp BigTwin. My dad, an Evinrude dealer, had a couple of
50 hp monsters left over from the late 1940s, or maybe very early 1950s.

Memory lane. I had an Elgin 7 1/2 on an old 13' rowboat, but what's
interesting, I found an old 1920s era Evinrude. 22 hp, I believe. It was
a monster, and as kids are, I got it running and put it on that same
rowboat. Fortunately, it blew up before I killed myself. Fortunate then,
unfortunate now, as I'd love to have that old engine.


My first outboards were ones my father put together from parts salvaged
from motors he had in the shop for repair and I suppose some new parts.

My very first outboard had to be from the late 1940s. It was a 1-1/2 hp
Evinrude without a recoil starter and with an exposed fuel tank. Single
cylinder. Ran like a Swiss watch. I was about seven years old, I guess,
maybe six. Before my father would let me run the motor and boat by
myself, I had to show him I could swim 100 yards. I also had to wear a
lifejacket when I was in that boat. The one time I didn't, my mother saw
me and I was "beached" for a week.