1925 Article on History of the Outboard Motor by Finnish Outboard Designer and Metalurgist Gillis E. Huss - Part Two

This is Part 2 of the article started previously in Mootori.  Huss continues his comparison of Evinrude and Archimedes outboards.

However, the Evinrude engine, as well constructed as it was in many respects, was comparatively inferior in detail. The counterweight, which balances the parts moving back and forth, and which should have been located opposite them, i.e. in the knees of the crankshaft on the opposite side of the crank pin, was also adapted to the flywheel.

Because the latter was located very far away due to the long bearing structure, it naturally created unnecessarily strong vibrations when the engine was running, which in a thin and light boat often caused such an echo that the boat began to shake violently. I dare not suppose ignorance to have been the cause of this unfavorable design.  Guessing — here, as in many other cases, the right design had to give way to the cheaper one.

 

             

Most of Evinrude's followers scrupulously copied the counterweight in the flywheel, and the few who had realized the fallacy of this design never went to great lengths to try to achieve such a perfect balancing that the engine speed had been made to rise even a little bit higher.

 (The "Arcko" engine, with its well-weighted counterweights forged together with the crankshaft, is probably the only exception. Using a special carburetor, the speed of this engine has been raised to over 3,000 revolutions per minute, more difficult = no vibrations.)   [2022 Note:  Could "Arcko" been a typo, and was meant to be "Avecko" - the motor that Huss designed?]

However, it is impossible to achieve perfect balancing in single-cylinder engines without using additional machinery. Theoretically speaking, in order to build a perfectly balanced engine, it is still not necessary to carry out the division into several cylinders. The kind of two-cylinder model that the French call »moteur eguilibre» fulfills the intended ideal, albeit with this engine, at least in the original design, is an unnecessarily complicated piece of machinery.  In the two-cylinder engine last mentioned and shown in outline in Fig. 4, the reciprocating masses balance each other perfectly.

In reality, absolute balancing cannot be achieved, because some disproportionality always remains, no matter how carefully the machine's cylinder is built.

Creating a high-speed, vibration-free engine was the goal of the builder of the "Archimedes engine", when he chose an engine whose cylinders are evenly opposed and pistons move in opposite directions. 

The relatively complex shaft belonging to the motor shown in Figure 4 has been abandoned here, sacrificing a bit of the possibility of balancing, and it has been replaced by the two-knee shaft according to Figure 5. This shows the old fashioned Archimedes engine, cut in half.

Between the oldest models of the Archimedes engines and the Evinrude engine, there was hardly any more essential difference as far as the rest of the machinery is concerned, but over time a whole series of interesting and appropriate structures have given this a design aimed at perfection for the engine. I would like to mention a few of the most significant details of this development.

Archimedes was probably the first outboard motor that was freed from battery ignition hindered by various shortcomings and equipped with a high-voltage magneto. This device was fitted to a stand that could be moved around the axis, so that the setting of the ignition could be done by moving the magnet along with the stand. With this design of the mag a strong spark was still obtained from the net device, when the device was rotated to a position corresponding to both late ignition (when starting) and early ignition (as is well known, this is not the case with ``Bosch'' magnetic devices operating with a standard ignition layout).

After the war, no magnetic device could be obtained from Germany, which caused A-B Archimedes started his own manufacture of these instruments. The form then chosen was what is now called a flywheel magneto (because the steel magnet of the magnetic device is attached to the flywheel of the engine), and it may be interesting to hear in this connection that the Archimedes flywheel magneto actually gave rise to the excellent flywheel magneto which manufactured by the world-famous company name Robert Bosch, in Stuttgart.

                    

A weakness that was common both to the old-style Archimedes engine and to most other outboard engines, but which has been corrected in the newer models of this engine, deserves to be mentioned.

 
The cooling water pump placed in the gearbox, kept running by the eccentric, started to leak regularly after being in practice for a long time, due to wear of the piston. The water was then able to penetrate past the worn piston into the gearbox housing, causing the lubrication of both the heavily loaded gear and especially the bearings of the propeller shaft and drive shaft to deteriorate. But if that's not enough, the water penetrated upwards into the pipe surrounding the drive shaft as well. The pipe had to be equipped with holes so that the water could escape when it penetrated upwards, because otherwise it could have penetrated into the engine's crankcase and interrupted the engine's operation.

For this reason, the cooling water pump models in newer models are placed outside the gearbox, as shown in Figure 6. The eccentric that uses the pump is surrounded by a pockenholz ring, which, as is known, needs no other lubrication than water, in which it moves all the time.

 Some models of the »Archimedes» engine are equipped with a convenient take-back device and a device that automatically sets the rudder arm in a position corresponding to the straight travel direction.

The Archimedes engine, which was based on the Swedish engineers O.W. Hult and C. A. Hult patent, and manufactured by Aktiebolaget Archimedes, Stockholm, was put on the market relatively soon after the Evinrude engine began to gain popularity in Europe. With its many excellent features, the Archimedes motor soon conquered the market all over the world, soon becoming the leading brand in the world market.

In addition to the determined work of the factory's leading technicians, this has probably been influenced by the precise selection of materials, the quality of the company's available machines and tools and, last but not least, the precise work of the factory's convenient and skillfully trained workforce.

1925 Article on History of the Outboard Motor by Finnish Outboard Designer and Metalurgist Gillis E. Huss

This is only the first part of the article as it appeared in the June issue of Moottori.  I will post the second part  from the July issue when I get it done.  

Just a little background - I was researching Gillis Emanuel Huss because he designed the Aveko outboard, the first totally Finnish outboard offered for sale.  The Aveko will be added to Jack Craib''s Rowboat Motor Information Site when I am done.

Outboard Motors

Their structure and development

A Critical Review, by Gillis Em. Huss

Outboard motors belong to a type of boat motor that has at one time achieved a considerable expansion all over the world. The explanation for this circulation probably lies for the most part in the fact that the mentioned motor always forms a completely ready-to-use combined transport and steering system, which anyone can attach to any kind of rowing boat in a few minutes, thus turning the latter into an easy-to-maintain and somehow fast motorboat.

After being mainly a "summer motor" for city dwellers in the early days of its market appearance, and even after that for some years, the outboard motor has conquered many industries with its well-deserved reputation as a machine that runs reliably and is easy to maintain. It is often used, for example, in pilot boats, in tourist traffic on routes where relatively expensive motorboats cannot be used, in small barges belonging to the fleets of numerous countries, for ocean survey purposes, as an aid to scientific expeditions, and very widely as a means of transport on short trips.

 —

Among other things, the outboard motor also has the great advantage that it does not take up usable space in the boat. This fact is especially important when small boats are in question. In such boats, the usual boat engine really usurps space for itself, unpleasantly, at the expense of the enjoyment of those on the boat .

 Of the nuisances caused by oil splashes and old, spilled oil and grease on the bottom of the boat in most small motorboats, there is not the slightest trace in a boat equipped with an outboard motor, of whatever design is in practice today. After all, the machine as a whole as well as the fuel tank are then completely outside the side of the boat.

The history of outboard motors goes back a long way, probably about a decade back., — The first model, which was built by a French, German and American factory, was a standard two-stroke engine in a vertical position. On the extension of the engine's crankshaft, there was a somewhat long propeller shaft moving inside the tube sleeve. A «fish iron« was attached to the socket, just in front of the propeller, as well as a protective device surrounding the propeller. The rudder arm, which supported the small fuel tank, protruded from the crankcase as an extension of the crankshaft, directly opposite the propeller shaft. 

The design can be seen in picture 1.

The device was attached to the stern of the boat with a strap, on which the rest of the device was rotatably mounted. Somehow, the long propeller shaft stuck out from the stern of the boat roughly like a stern paddle, and based on this, this outboard motor was very commonly called a «motor rudder».

The model is remarkable indeed, naturally quite improved, it has retained its place in the American market. We don't use this design as the engine has no future, mainly because it takes up a lot of space at the stern of the boat and because the length of the engine limits the maneuverability of the boat. 

A notable step forward in development was the «Porto» engine, built and manufactured by the Waterman Marine Co. factory located in Detroit, which is shown in figure 2. 

The engine here is the same as in the previously mentioned model model, upright two-stroke engine. At one end of its crankshaft is a wedge-shaped pinion gear, which drives corresponding wheels attached to the combined drive and starting shaft. To transfer the driving force from the vertical drive shaft to the horizontal propeller shaft, a bevel gear is used, which is completely left un-encased (at least in the first engines). The cooling water pump is operated by an eccentric fitted to the extension of the propeller shaft. — 

The »Porto« engine has a cylinder diameter of 70 m/m and a stroke of 76 m/m.

The credit for inventing the basic form of outboard motors, which is mainly represented by most products today, undoubtedly goes to the Norwegian-American Ole Evinrude, who has sometimes been called the father of the outboard motor, sometimes exaggerated a bit.

The design of the Evinrude, viewed against the background of the above-explained engines, contains a whole host of remarkable details, and when this engine, with its beautiful and practical construction, was put on the market, it quickly became very popular, and with good reason. 

The structure of the motor can be seen in figure 3.

The most significant detail of the Evinrude engine was the fact that the engine itself was placed in a horizontal position with vertical crankshafts. The drive shaft is immediately connected to the crankshaft with a long conveyor sleeve, where the drive shaft can be pushed. As a result of these constructions, it was possible to avoid using the necessary drive shaft gear in the Waterman engine. 

Starting can be conveniently done using a handle fitted to the engine's horizontal flywheel. The gear housing, which beautifully matches the shape of the propeller hub, forms a closed chamber filled with lubricant around the bevel gear, which transfers the movement from the drive shaft to the propeller shaft. The cooling water pump, which is built inside the gear housing, gets its movement from the cam formed in the gear wheel of the propeller shaft. 

Among other notable details of this engine, it should be mentioned that the sleeve device surrounding the drive shaft is telescopically protruding, so the sleeve can be extended or shortened as desired. The mounting bracket is designed in such a way that the motor can easily be placed in a position corresponding to the slope of the stern.

The diameter and stroke of the cylinder are both 64 mm.

From the above brief explanation, we can see that the Evinrude engine, when it appeared on the market already fourteen years ago, came from the hand of a fairly independent and clear-minded builder. - (to be continued)

1923 - Report on Outboard Sales in British Market

I found this interesting. The Thames' exorbitant lock fees to discourage outboard use was a surprise!

_______________________________________

1923  Commerce Reports

American Outboard Marine Motors Succeed in British Market.

Assistant Trade Commissioner William M. Park, London, May 7.

The average number of outboard motors sold in the United Kingdom each year is approximately 1,000. American makes lead the sales, although Swedish motors are close competitors.

The principal makes of the latter are the “Knight (known in Sweden as the “Archimedes”) the “Comet,” and the “Penta.”   The German “Fortis” [Note: I have Fortis as a British maker! -E.C.] and the British “Water Mota" also are being sold, although the latter is more expensive than any other make on the market and sells less readily for that reason.   Prices are fairly steady in the range of £30 to £40. The prices of American motors are quoted entirely in line to meet competition.

There is no import duty on outboard motors, except that of 33 percent of the value tax on the magneto.  American manufacturers are on equal footing with all foreign competitors, as no countries entitled to imperial preference export outboard motors to the United Kingdom.  The present season has started out very auspiciously for increased sales, in contrast to the lower volume during the past two years.  The twin-cylinder motor is fast replacing the single-cylinder machine. Local Restrictions Lower Volume of Sales.

Certain local features tend to restrict any rapid growth in the demand for outboard motors, although it is susceptible of considerable future expansion.   Pleasure-boat construction is in no way standardized, as there is no mass production; most of the pleasure boats now on the rivers need some slight structural alterations before outboard motors can be attached.   Furthermore, owners of boats for hire hesitate to rent them if an outboard motor is to be applied, contending that such motor causes undue wear and tear on the boat and makes it unsuitable for rowing purposes.

On the Thames, the longest pleasure river in England, the heavy lock dues that are levied restrict the use of outboard motors.  The Thames Conservancy imposes this restriction on the basis that motor boats are a menace to a large number of rowboats, sailboats, and punts. Only 60 outboard motors were registered during 1922, over a distance of 160 miles on the Thames River.
Outboard motors are used more extensively on other rivers, particularly those adjacent to larger towns.

Dealers Desire Manufacturers’ Assistance.

Certain dealers in London handling American outboard motors feel that a larger volume of sales could be made if American manufacturers would grant better terms, longer credit facilities, and advertising allowances, such as are granted by their Swedish competitors.  Generally speaking, these dealers are small concerns of limited capital and can not satisfactorily undertake the financing and advertising of their lines.  Such assistance, in combination with a more rapid development by American manufacturers of the twin cylinder motor, which is fast gaining popularity, would doubtless result in increased sales of American makes in the British markets.

1930s - An Early Boat, Trailer and Caille Motor

I haven't a clue where this image came from 13 years ago (says the file date).

The AOMCI  Caille Special Interest Group Leader says it is a"1931-34 Caille model 15 or 16. Can’t tell is it’s a straight blade prop or a variable pitch."
Another member of AOMCI commented, "Trailer wheels, spring & axle are early 1910 +\-. "

Sweet Rowboat Motor and Kids

So sorry - no clue where this is from...or when exactly.  1914, 1915...

1914 - Evinrudes and Dredges

1923 - Racing Put-Puts - A New Thriller

Just a note on the author, Judge Aaron B. Cohn found in a 1935 Popular Mechanics article on the history of outboard racing -

By 1924, Judge Aaron B. Cohn, of Toledo, O., was causing a sensation at the Detroit Regatta of the American Power Boat Association by speeding around the course at twelve miles an hour with an outboard.

I HEARD a yachtsman say, “I have sailed sloops, schooners, yawls and eat boats, and have raced in power boats, but never have I felt the thrill that I have in a race with the put-puts. 

I believe that is true because I do all my own work in preparation and operate the put-put myself." This is the secret of the thrill—You do all the work and racing of the put-put.

No, a put-put is not a new parlor game, nor is it related to putting in golf.  A put-put is an outboard engine, so named because put-put is the language it speaks.  If it putters, you're out of luck, but if it put-puts with increasing power and frequency, then you have a winner.  Right at the outset you ask where is the thrill in those darn little things.  “I’ve always seen them advertised as being able to go so slowly and noiselessly that you could use them in trolling."

That may be true, but Oh, Boy, those ads surely are singing another tune now.  Each ad is trying to find the nth degree superlative for—FAST—each ad in graphic word pictures tells of how its outboard engine took first, second and third with a field including all its competitors.

What’s the reason for the sudden change—the radical change?  A change that has sent the Sales Manager panic stricken into the plant, to seek out the mechanical experts — and frantically demand that they create something faster  (note here—the "er" is the first step in search for the nth degree superlative for fast) than the X engine which beat them at some regatta.  

But the beating didn't cause the hysterics of Sales Manager.  Oh no, the X company's next ad in all the sport magazines read, “The fastest (Ah! in the "est" we have arrived at the base of all superlatives of fast) outboard engine on the lakes."    Imagine the consternation in the A, B, C, D, and other competing companies. Advertising managers had to acquire a new set of phrases or give way.

Next followed what—a veritable revolution.  Safety, comfort, slowness, durability, dependability, all had to give way to the twin infants Fast and Speed. There seems to be more truth than aptness in the use of the word twin - the outboard engine of tomorrow bids fair to be a twin cylinder - for the simple and obvious reason that a twin is faster, and is non-vibrating.

The frantic efforts of the rival outboard company to produce the CHARLIE PADDOCK,  the GAR WOOD,  the MISS AMERICA, the MAN OF WAR  of outboards is but a natural evolution of that engine, an evolution that is resistless as trying to stem Old Faithful by putting a dishpan over it.

Several larger regattas, including Peoria, Ill.; Madison, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Houston, Texas; Put-in-Bay, Ohio; Detroit and many others, included the put-puts on their racing program, and next year no regatta will be complete without them.  So the race is on, and the put-put will be heard throughout the land.

Judge Cohn (the author) at the wheel of his racer winning the Inter-Lake put-put championship at Put-in-Bay.

A Fascinating Sport

Instinctively feeling the inevitable and certain popularity of the put-put races, everyone is asking, Why?  The answer is get into one race, and you're gone.  You immediately give your order for an "X" engine, and either buy or build a rowboat of some design, that you, or the builder, knows is the last word in speed.  While you are doing that, however, others are doing the same thing, and as two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time, and likewise two boats cannot be first, the game is on.

Early Attempts at Racing

The history of put-puts at Stop 43, Toledo Beach is probably the same as at other summer resorts.  However, as I will show, it may have been more highly developed.  

As far back as 1914 a few races were held with a maximum of seven or eight entries.  At that time only the heavy fishing boats and old style engines were used.  For several years interest in the put-put races ceased.  In 1919 it was again revived and two big races were scheduled, on on the Sunday before the Fourth of July and the other the Sunday before Labor Day.  That year fishing boats and old engines were still used, and there were about twenty or more entries.

The Need for Uniform Rules

Next year, in 1920,  the evolution started.  Some of the competing boats had been specially designed and constructed during the winter.  A "Y" engine that apparently created trouble, but in reality served as an important agent in the evolution.  This particular engine had been used intermittently for seven years, and then retired to the woodshed, but resurrected for the race of 1920, and it finished in the lead.  Its unmistakable superior speed caused considerable questioning on the part of all other entrants.  The only requirements at that time were:

1. Flat bottom boats, minimum length 14 feet.
2. Single cylinder outboard engine.
3. Standard 2 horsepower.
4. No reboring of cylinder.

In the presence of about 700 people, the writer who was an official and not competing that year, asked the owner of the “Y” engine if his machine was 2 horsepower, and if he had rebored his cylinder.  He answered that it was rated as a 2 horsepower, and he had not touched his cylinder.  He was thereupon awarded first prize.  But the incident still lingered in the minds of the entrants and the next year, when another and new "Y" engine appeared, it provoked intense discussion about fair competition,  and resulted in an attempt at handicapping "Y" engines and twins.

Real Sport in 1920

Labor day, 1920, was the high peak so far as entries were concerned. Note the evolution from a handful of entries to the grand total of 68 on Labor Day of 1920.  Silver cups and pennants for first, second, third and in addition thirty-five money prizes of $35.00 for first in addition to the Cup, and graduated down to $2.00 for the thirty-fifth.   Five-pound boxes of candy to every woman in a boat raced only by women.  Several hundred dollars was subscribed by the people of Stops 42, 43, 44, and 45.  Much publicity in the daily papers, and a film of 500 feet taken of the aquatic events,  put-put races, diving and swimming.  Sixty-eight put-puts churning up old Lake Erie certainly was a thriller. We were informed by outboard engine companies that that event was the biggest of its kind in the history of the put-puts.

A Change from Sport to Science

However, up to this time the put-put races were like big family parties, racing the old family horse and buggy.  1921 saw the construction of speed row boats of % inch and 5/16 inch stock,  bottom boards running lengthwise. Several of these owners of the new boats bought new engines for 1921. Note the evolution. It was thought best to have four prize races instead of two,  so a silver cup for each of the four races was offered.

The first race of 1921 demonstrated so unmistakably the speed of the combination of new boats and engines that one by one the balance of the sixty-eight of last year dropped out of competition until there remained only seven speed boats so called.

The falling off of entries due to the development of the speed boat and speed engine has led Toledo Beach Boat club to another necessary step in the evolution of the put-put, that of classification. It proved manifestly unfair, of course, to have heavy fishing boats compete with light especially designed speed boats. 

To have twins and 3 horsepower engines compete with single cylinder engines is unequal competition. So classification has led to the establishment of three classes: 

1. Speed boats—flat bottoms, 
2. Fishing boats—flat bottoms, 
3. Free-for-all—Flat bottom, round bottom, or V-bottom twins, single cylinder, of any horsepower out board engine.
   Class B immediately brought out 23 additional entries.

One of the put-put fans constructed five boats in 1921 in an effort to get the best design. Very little change could be made to the boats after once constructed, so this year saw a frantic effort on the part of these seven to modify the factory engine so as to get speed, speed, and ever more speed.

To the uninitiated it seems absurd to speak of a speed row boat, or a speed put-put. You would have agreed, however, with the representatives of several out board engine companies had you witnessed with them the races at Stop 43,  Toledo Beach, that—much may be done in the construction of a row boat and engine to accelerate speed.

Getting the Most out of the Boats

The following are a few of the attempts to speed up the boat. Pot lead the bottom and sides, some grease it and others bronze the bottom.  The enthusiast takes his boat out to dry for two or three days before each race.  Splash boards preferably of light metal—extending at least five or six inches out from sides and extending from bow about two-thirds of the length.  Some have installed a pump so that it can be handled by the man operating the boat.  One has built in a rudder in the bow to assist in turning stakes effectively.  The fastest boat of the 1922 season was a light eighteen footer.

Many experiments have also been made with fuel. The writer knows personally that Bensol, high test, high speed gas, and coalene, have all been used.  Castor oil has been used instead of the mineral lubricating oil.  Mothballs, ether, and many other so called stimulants to power have been added to the fuel.  Some of the above have helped and some have brought only experience and regret.

Now we come to the engine.  Some of the manufacturers would not recognize their own product.  Many parts have been subtracted and many added.  Changes can be made to most put-puts because they were not originally not designed for speed.  However, the benefit of those who have pioneered , the writer refrains from revealing their pet changes.  You will find them yourself as you put-put through a race or two.  

Games and contests always provoke the best or worst in humans. No resort or regatta should book any put-put races without formulating rules.  Just as the fathers of our Country found it necessary to create a fundamental law of the land at the outset, so likewise you must establish rules for these put-put races at the outset or you will have chaos, confusion, bitterness, individual and, therefore, conflicting interpretations of fair play, fair competition, etc.

Games and contests always provoke the best or worst in humans. No resort or regatta should book any put-put races without formulating rules. Just as the fathers of our Country found it necessary to create a fundamental law of the land at the outset, so likewise you must establish rules for these put-put races at the outset or you will have chaos, confusion, bitterness, individual and, therefore, conflicting interpretations of fair play, fair competition, etc.

Some Practical Suggestions

The Toledo Beach Boat club has passed through all of those stages, and this year the writer submitted the following rules which were adopted and have governed the last two races and are operative for the coming season. They are offered to the field not as the best set of rules, but merely as an effort to help keep the put-put races clean, orderly and fair, and uniform.

I. The races shall be managed and supervised by a Race Committee of three appointed by the president and confirmed by the executive committee (consisting of President, Secretary and Treasurer, etc.. of the club). The race committee shall serve for a period of one year. Ruling of racing committee shall be final. Committee shall appoint its assistants, subcommittees and officers. 

BOATS

2. Flat bottom—with or without skeg—minimum length 14 feet.  N0 restriction as to care of sides, bottom or any part of boat.  No restriction upon application to surface for the purpose of increasing speed. 

ENGINE

3. Any single cylinder out board engine—rated as a standard 2-horsepower. No restrictions as to make or type, or to additions or subtraction of parts. Boring cylinder prohibited. 

CREW

4. No occupant of any boat shall be under 15 years of age or less than 100 pounds in weight. 

5. Competing boats shall contain not less than two occupants, the owner of the boat or engine or member of his family, and one crew, both amateurs. 

6. For the purpose of this race, an amateur is defined as one who is not, or who has not, been within the last year engaged or employed in a mechanical capacity in the business of building, or operating, boats or outboard motors as a means of livelihood. 

COURSE 

7. Triangular equal or unequal sides.  Course to to be less than 4 miles in the aggregate. 

FUEL

8. No restrictions as to fuel or mixtures of fuel. 

STARTING

9. By air bombs or cannon.  Preliminary gun 5 minutes before starting gun.  Starting gun 5 minutes later.  (If air bombs are used—time is computed from explosion in air.)  Starter shall display cards 4, 3, 2, 1, and 1/2 or drop indicators to show the passing of starting line. 

10. The race shall be run in such a direction that the boats shall have turning stakes on their port hand. 

11. The boat that is in the lead has the right of way at stakes and straightaway providing sea room is given to all boats to port at the stakes. 

12. Touching stake with boat or hands or any other device shall disqualify such entrant. 

13. Crossing starting line before final gun shall disqualify unless entrant returns to a fair position and starts anew. 

14. No occupant of any boat shall touch any other boat or person therein with hands, oars, or any other device. Any violation of above shall disqualify such entrant. 

15. The hulls of competing boats must have no breaks in the longitudinal continuity of the immersed surface. 

16. Competing boats must carry a racing number, assigned by the racing committee.  

17. Competing boats must report to the racing committee at starting dock at least 10 minutes previous to start of races and immediately on crossing finishing line, competing boats must again report at a place designated by the race committee. 

18. The race shall start at 2:30 p. m.   No postponements from the advertised time of start of the race shall be allowed, excepting for weather conditions. 

19. These rules shall remain in effect without change through and including the 1922 races. Changes made to these rules shall not become effective earlier than five months subsequent to their passage 

.

20. An entry fee of $5.00 must accompany entry for the season's races or a fee of $2.00 for each race. 

Class “A” and “B” includes only flat bottomed boats. Class “C” includes any type of boat, and is a free-for-all.

What is the future of the put-put?  Judging by the interest created at Stop 43, Toledo Beach, and many other resorts, and by the reception accorded them at several regattas, the writer predicts that put-put races will sweep the country during 1923.  No regatta, or races of any size will be complete without the little fellows - the put-puts.  Commercially the rivalry is intense and this winter will see the greatest activity on the part of every outboard motor company to develop the fastest put-put.  The greatest activity will probably be in the manufacture of a fast light twin.

Another great stride will be made this winter winter in the construction of speed boats - flat bottom, round bottom types.

The big reason for the popularity, the universal appeal of the put-puts is the cost, compared with any other power races.  Most any type of put-put can be bought for $75.00 to $110.00, and a boat can be built or bought for the same price. It's a game for the man of modest means.

1923 with a put-put race on every program will bring out the results of the winter’s intensive effort for speed, and make that season a most memorable one in the history of the put-put.

January 1923, Motor Boating

This extra comment from 1923 is from  Rudder:

"A reader wrote in following the publication of the February Boat Show issue and said: "... It seems as if the 1923 racing season will be what is known to small boys as a "whopper"."