Outboard Motors

April 17, 2008

You may Listen or download this story in .mp3 format. or as a .wav file

Profile America — Thursday, April 17th. A young woman’s wish for some ice cream led to the development of one of the most important pieces of boating equipment — the outboard motor. The young lady was picnicking on an island near Milwaukee with a young man originally from Norway, Ole Evinrude. He gallantly rowed ashore to get the ice cream — a round trip of five miles in the summer heat. This led Evinrude, whose birthday is noted this week, to begin work on the first practical outboard motor. He field tested his first engine in 1907 — a 62 pound, 1½ horsepower model. Today’s outboards range from tiny trolling motors to those with well over 200 horsepower. There are 8.5 million outboard motor boats in the U.S. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 1216
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html