Yes everyone, they are Ficht engines. After doing a tremendous amount of research on these motors prior to buying them (including conversations with mechanics who have worked on them), I came to the conclusion that the modifications that OMC made to address the design defects originally present in these motors did the trick. As part of these mods, these particular motors were refitted with redesigned cylinder heads, fuel system modifications and new ECU software. These motors were installed on a NMFS vessel in Alaska for four years. When they repowered their fleet in 2003, I purchased them with about 325 hours on them and put another 100 trouble-free hours on them myself last year. I do the vast majority of my fishing within 20 miles of shore and when I do go offshore, I never go out more than about 100 miles. The chances of both engines failing simultaneously is pretty remote.

If any one of you badmouthing the Fichts has ever owned one and had problems with it I'd like to hear your story. I'll be a bit surprised if anyone can offer anything more than "I know someone who knows someone....". The original design of these motors was definitely deficient and their fix came too late. It contributed substantially to the ruination of OMC, more through the loss of reputation than the quality of their products.