The History of Outboard Boat Motors – Part Three
About the same time Mr. Waterman was developing his first boat motors, a young man named Ole Evinrude, born in Norway in 1877 and came to America in 1882, started out his adult life at the age of sixteen by getting a job in a machine shop in Madison Wisconsin. He soon became very skilled in machinery and pattern making and studied mathematics in his spare time.
He moved to Milwaukee Wisconsin and in his spare time he built his own automobile powered by a four cylinder air cooled gasoline engine of his design that he used for his own transportation.
In 1907 Ole along with his wife Bess founded Evinrude Motors in Milwaukee and developed and produced a 1 and 1/2 horse power single cylinder two cycle outboard boat motor that first came out in 1909. Top speed was estimated to be about five miles an hour and either a two bladed or three bladed boat propeller was used. The first outboards sold to the public were all built by Evinrude himself. The cost was $62 and they weighed 65 pounds. In 1910 Ole applied for a U.S. patent for his outboard engines and it was approved in 1911. The Evinrude ad shown appeared in the National Sportsman magazine in July 1910. In the ad it says ” Don’t row! Throw the oars away! Use an Evinrude motor. These outboard boat motors using specially designed boat props by Ole were an instant success.
The History of Outboard Boat Motors – Part Two
What is considered the first generally known outboard boat motors that the public became familiar with was developed by a man who’s name was ( and this is no joke ) Cameron B. Waterman, in 1905 and located in Detroit, Michigan. His first engine was made from a single cylinder Curtis motorcycle engine and was chain driven, which had to have thrown up an amazing shower of water.
In 1906, Mr. Waterman hired Oliver Barthel, a consulting engineer also from Detroit, to improve and refine his motor. This newer outboard motor was water cooled and the boat propeller was driven by exposed beveled gears that used the water for lubrication. Later that year the engine was changed to be air cooled that made it lighter with less parts. About 25 of these motors were produced in 1906.
In 1907 Waterman, for some reason lost in history went back to a water cooled engine design. This new model also had twin flywheels to reduce vibration. Production increased to around 3,000 in 1907.
In 1909 there appeared an ad in a magazine called the National Sportsman for the Waterman outboad that seemed to target fisherman in the ad, which is still the true today for outboard motors.
By 1915 the Waterman motor had many improved systems that included a reversable boat prop and a powerhead that could be taken off and used as a portable engine around the farm. A total 30,000 of Watermans little gems were sold by the end of that year.
In 1917 he sold the rights to his motor to Arrow Motor and Marine Company located in New York who produced them until 1921. They went out of business in 1924 and the Waterman outboard boat motors became a part of history.
The History of Outboard Boat Motors – Part One
I am sure the idea for inventing the outboard boat motor came from someone who was rowing a boat one hot steamy day and thought to himself, there had to be a better way to move that boat. But Information on the origin of the outboard motor is a little obscure at best. Historians seem to concentrate on writing about more important things that the masses would be interested in reading about. What we understand of what might have been the first outboard motor ever was probably a steam engine model from Europe dating back to the 1880’s. There is some proof that an outboard motor exsisted in Germay around 1900.
The first known gasoline powered outboard boat motor made here in the U.S. was the “American” and was first produced in 1896 by the American Motor Company, Long Island, New York. Amazingly enough it had a variable pitch boat propeller on it similar the boat props used today. It was an air cooled four cycle motor that turned between four hundred and six hundred RPM’s and could use either kerosine or gasoline. It had a one or two Horsepower rating. And another amazing thing about this motor was it also had a remote gas tank with a flexible hose connected to the motor and the carburetor was on the gas tank. Suction created from the engine would draw the vaporized gas from the carb thru the flexible tube into the motor. No fuel pump was needed. About 25 of these motors were made.
Drag Boat Racing and Stainless Steel Props
At Dan’s Discount Propellers we offer Great performance and low priced stainless steel props for all modern marine engines. Stainless steel propellers for 9.9 HP. motors on up. So you might ask what does that have to do with Drag Boat Racing… well in racing as well as in recreational boating it is all about the engine and the boat propeller.
With the recently increased popularity of drag boat racing, you may have been hearing more and more in the media and on the Internet about this exciting form of recreation. Drag boat racers take their hobby just as seriously as drag racers who race cars – the only difference is their vehicle type!
Just as with drag racing on land, two competitors will pit their boats against each other on a straight race course. There are three different options in the boat drag course length: 1/8 mile (650 feet,) 1/4 mile (1,320 feet,) and 3/16 of a mile plus 10 extra feet (1000 feet). Since boat racing is so different from car racing, the boats can’t actually start from a total stop like cars do. Therefore, with drag racing the boats have a short rolling start. There is a starting line marked and the boats can’t pass that line until the green start light comes on.
The different components of the boat make a big difference when it comes to excelling at drag boat racing. Boat propellers are considered to be particularly important as they are responsible for propelling the boat forward. The boat props are how the boat will get the all important speed it needs. Propellers are something that can be just as unique as the boat, and the experienced drag boat racer will usually be seeking the most advanced and most powerful boat propeller that is available since it can make the difference between falling behind or beating the whole field in record time!
Come check out our stainless steel propeller selection and lets see if we can improve your boat’s performance.
Unlimited Hydroplane Boat Racing
Contrary to what its name implies, Unlimited Hydroplane Boat Racing does not actually involve hydroplanes that have unlimited power or speed. What it does mean is that the unlimited hydroplane boats used for these kinds of races have fewer restrictions than traditional (limited) hydroplane racing. This is because these 30 foot vessels primarily use T 55 L7 turbine engines which generate approximately 3000 horsepower (with restrictions), and the average output of the T 55 L7’s power plant allows it to create high-speed rotations, which is then transferred via gearbox at about 50 percent reduction of the engine’s turbine to propeller RPM. What this basically means is that unlimited hydroplanes are designed to produce speeds of more than 200 miles per hour as well as the qualifying average lap speed of around 130 to 165 miles per hour.
Aside from their speed, unlimited hydroplanes are also constructed to have very durable boat propellers and hulls made from composite materials. Fiberglass, honeycomb aluminum, stainless steel as well as carbon fiber are some of the materials which are commonly used in creating the boat props and hulls of an unlimited hydroplane.
With regards to engines, it’s worth mentioning that unlimited hydroplanes use all kinds of engines. In some cases, they can even be outfitted with an aircraft’s piston-power engine. Furthermore, certain parts and components of an unlimited hydroplane, like its boat propeller for example, can be modified or replaced with less conventional parts in order to increase the vessel’s speed and performance. However, due to the sensitive nature of these parts, upkeep and maintenance for unlimited hydroplanes tend to be a little difficult to manage.
The main racing circuit for unlimited hydroplane racing is the H1-Unlimited. Its active season usually runs from the middle of February and lasts all the way through to September. In 2014, there is a scheduled event in November in Doha, Qatar. The racing circuit traditionally consists of about six to eight races per season, and takes place throughout the United States and certain regions in the Middle East.
Unless you are racing hydroplane boats, Dan’s Discount Boat Propellers offers hundreds of great performing modern boat props at the lowest prices for all modern name brand engines.
Offshore Power Boat Racing
Offshore power boat racing takes place in the ocean and is done using large specially designed boats with high pitch props that race pretty much at full speed at all times during the race if it is a point to point race over distances of maybe just a few miles or many hundreds of miles. They do have closed circuit coarses that are mostly long stretches of staight line racing with just a few turns to complete the circuit.
Since these races are over long distances quick take offs are not very important. The highest top speed over the long hull and the best operated boats win races.
Very High Pitch Props
The boat propellers used are very high pitched so it takes them a long time to get going. Once they do hook up well in the water and top speed is attained, the fastest boats can do 250 miles per hour. That can be a pretty wild ride in a sometimes not so calm ocean.
There are many classes of competitive boats ranging from small single driver and single engine boats all the way up to boats well over 45 feet in length and with 3 or 4 engines and 3 or 4 people in the cockpit, such as a driver, a throttle person who handles the speed of the the boat, a navigater if it is a long race and maybe an engineer or mechanic to handle the mechanics of the boat if problems occur.
These boats are extemely expensive to build and to maintain. Even just one boat prop can cost thousands because they can be custom made and then fine tuned for best performance.
At Dan’s Discount Boat Propellers we offer hundreds of great performing high pitch props at the lowest prices for all modern name brand engines.
Quake on the Lake: Hydroplane Boat Racing
“Quake on the Lake” has become one of the prime hydroplane boat racing events of the summer that takes place on Pontiac Lake, Oakland County, Michigan.
For the past thirteen seasons the boats have been putting on fantastic shows of speed and with their boat propellers shooting walls of water high and far behind them it’s an awesome sight to see. The one mile oval race course on Pontiac Lake has proven to be one of the fastest oval courses in the country that has produced 17 American Power Boat Association (APBA) world speed records in 5 different racing classes. The racing event takes place every July towards the end of the month with practice racing on Friday’, heat racing on Saturday’s and racing finals on Sunday’s.
Over the years, the “Quake on the Lake” has given thousands of dollars to various charities through this great fund-raising event.
The lake has a Michigan State Park beach that is used for the boat pits and for concession stands, exhibits and spectator areas. Live bands play on Friday and Saturday nights and fireworks are shot off on Saturday night. Over 10,000 people enjoy the boat racing every year.
There are two different engine types (stock and modified) and eight classes of race boats that range from fourteen foot hydroplanes with 1.5 litre stock car engines that can create speeds of up to 95 miles an hour, all the way up to the twenty four foot long Grand Prix class boats that are the fastest automotive powered class of hydroplanes in the world with blown five hundred and ten cubic inch car engines that fly around the race course at up to one hundred and seventy miles an hour. The kind boat props they use are three or four bladed and are made out of nibral or stainless steel.
This is a great boating event to attend for the whole family. And if you are looking for nibral propeller, we got them, and you can find many brands of stainless steel propellers at Dans Discount Propellers.
How to Easily Load Your Boat by yourself
Loading your boat on to your trailer at the boat ramp is pretty much just the reverse of what you did when you launched it as described in our previous article “How to easily Launch Your Boat by Yourself“. When you are done for the day and it’s time to go home, drive your boat the the ramp dock if there is one and tie it to the dock or just beach it if there is no dock next to the ramp. Then you can go and get your tow vehicle and trailer and back the trailer down into the water at the ramp. The important thing here is to remember how far your trailer was in the water when you launched it so you can position it in the water at the same level. You should have made a mental note on how much of the fenders were above the water line or how far up the front of the trailer the waterline was when you launched your boat. Once you have your trailer in the water far enough if you have a roller type trailer or a bunk type trailer you can slowly drive your boat up on to the trailer carefully so the bow of the boat goes into the rubber v-pad on the trailer bow stand. Once there leave the engine in forward gear, using the boat props forward thrust to keep the boat from backing off down into the water, go up to the bow of the boat while you are still in the boat or get out at the dock next to the boat and connect the winch strap to the boat and crank it up with the winch handle until the strap is tight and locked. Put the safety chain on the boat’s bow eye now also. then go and put the engine / drive in neutral and turn off the engine. Bring the drive unit all the way up with the trailer button if you have a sterndrive or outboard motor. Pull up an outboard motor manually to the trailer ing position if you do not have power trim and tilt.
If you don’t feel confident enough or have never tried to drive the boat onto the trailer, bring up the drive unit or outboard engine to the trailering position and just use a rope tied on the boat to guide your boat up on to the trailer and hook up the winch strap and safety chain. Either way once the boat is secured on the bow stand you can now take your boat and trailer out of the water and install the trailer tie downs. You should inspect your boat prop for any damage, you might have hit something and not have felt it or noticed it. Take out anything from the boat that might fly out once you are driving down the road and put in the tow vehicle. check your trailer lights to make sure they are working and trailer brakes if you have them. now you can drive on down the road.
How to Easily Launch your Boat by Yourself
You can easily launch your boat into the water at the boat ramp with out any problems with nobody helping you, if you know what to do and with a little practice. If you have followed our tips we gave in our previous article about what to do to get your boat and trailer ready to go launch it then go to the boat ramp and follow these tips on putting it in the water.
Once you get there if you have never used that particular ramp before, park your rig off to the side out of the way and get out and check the ramp and under water bottom you are going to back the trailer down into. It should not be too steep a grade or too shallow of water to get all the way in with your trailer. Water levels can change. There might not be enough water to launch one day but maybe not a few days later. Once you have determined that everything looks good you can get ready to back your trailer into the water. First thing to do is take off the trailer tie downs then double check to make sure you have the hull plug secured into the boat and that your boat propeller is properly installed on the prop shaft. If you have any gear that needs to be put in the boat you should do it now and stow the stuff away so you won’t be tripping over it when you get in the boat.
There are two types of trailers. Bunk trailers have the boat resting on carpet covered wood or aluminum rails. Roller trailers have the boat on a series of rubber rollers Each type of trailer has both different and similar ways to launch your boat. If there is a dock at the ramp you can back your rig into the water next to the dock with the boat still connected to the trailer. If you have a bunk trailer you need to get the trailer into the water far enough until the boat stern just starts to float. With roller trailers you don’t need to go in the water as far because the boat will easily roll off the trailer instead of having it slide off with a bunk trailer.
Once you get this far, there are now two ways to get the boat off the trailer and totally away and in the water. The first way you secure a rope to the front of the boat on a cleate. Then you disconnect the boat at the bow stand and simply push the boat off the trailer. Bunk trailers usually take a little more pushing effort. Then with the rope you guide the boat to the dock and tie it up. The second way is for the more experienced boater and might take some practice. Once the trailer is in the water from the dock get in the boat, if you have an outboard motor put it in normal driving position, if you have a sterndrive put the lower unit in the down position ( Turn on the blower motor if so equipped for a few minutes). Start the boat and put it in forward gear with little or no throttle so the boat prop will be pushing the boat up against the bowstand. You then can get out and disconnect the boat from the trailer and with the forward motion of the boat going on, it should not roll off or slide off the trailer. You then get in the boat put it in reverse and drive it off the trailer and to the dock and tie it off. Go park your tow vehicle and trailer now, get back to the boat and take off. Simple.
If you have no dock to use, the drive off method is not recommended because it might be too hard to get in and out of the boat without hurting yourself. Just push the boat off the trailer and beach it instead of tying to a dock.
Before you go to the boat ramp to launch your boat.
If you do not live on the water and you own a boat and trailer you obviously need to take your boat to the water and launch it in at a boat ramp. The water is not going to come to you. But before you do that there are some things you should check out and do to make sure you are ready to go. Here are some tips and advice on what to do.
At your home or where you store your boat before going to the boat launch you should start your motor to make sure the battery is up and that it will start up, but fire it up for only a second or two so you do not burn up your water impeller. Before this test start up turn on the blower motor if you have one to make sure any gas fumes in the engine compartment are sent out of the boat. Check out you boat prop to make sure it is not damaged. Messed up boat propellers should not be used because they can cause damage your engine.
Having a spare boat propeller is a good idea so if you hit something with your prop, your boating day can continue by putting on the spare. Check to see that the boat bow strap is connected to the trailer along with the safety chain if you do have a safety chain. The trailering boat tie downs should be on and tight so the boat does not bounce around on the trailer while you are driving down the road. If you have taken out the hull plug so rain water drains out of the boat while it is out of the water, put it back in now. If you have stuff in the boat, take anything out that might fly out of the boat when you are driving down the road and put it in your vehicle, you can put the stuff back in the boat once it is in the water. Make sure you have enough air in your trailer tires. Hook up the trailer to your tow vehicle and secure the trailer hitch and safety chains. Connect the electrical cord from the vehicle to the trailer and check the trailer lights for correct operation. Look to see that your license plate is on the trailer. With all this done you should be ready to head for the boat ramp.
As always if you need to buy a boat prop, Dan’s Discount Boat Propellers is your best source to go to to save a lot of money.
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