Posts Tagged ‘locator’

Bombardier Outboard Engines

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Then
In Valcourt, Quebec, in 1937, Joseph-Armand Bombardier received the first patent for his B7 snowmobile; in 1942, he founded l’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitee of Canada.  The Ski-Doo first entered into production in 1959 followed by the Sea-Doo personal watercraft in 1968.  Bombardier Recreational Products later purchased the Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) which produced both Johnson Outboard motors and Evinrude outboard engines.

The Facts about Bombardier Outboard EnginesNow
Johnson Outboard engines are no longer produced as Bombardier Recreational Products moved all of its marine engine production over to Evinrude Outboard Motors.  They continue to support the Johnson outboard engine brand by supplying both parts and service.  As a subsidiary of Bombardier Recreational Products, Evinrude is one of the top selling marine engine manufacturers; Evinrude outboard motors are manufactured in Sturtevant, WI, and China.

Makes & Models
The last series of Johnson outboard motors were produced from 2004 to 2007; these engines included a two-stroke series ranging from 3.5 to 175 HP and a four-stroke series ranging up to 225 HP.  Until 2006, Suzuki was the drive manufacturer for Johnson four-stroke outboard motors up to 225 HP.  Evinrude produces an E-Tec line of 2-stroke outboard engines with inline models that range from 25 to 90 HP; E-Tec 1.7L V-4 engines with 115 to 130 HP; V-6 models ranging from 150 to 300 HP; plus E-Tec High Output (H.O.) engines featuring 115 to 250 HP.

Customer Satisfaction
According to J.D. Powers and Associates in February 2009, Evinrude ranks as the number one marine engine manufacturer in new boat owner satisfaction with 907 out of a possible 1,000 points awarded.  Evinrude also ranked number one in the two-stroke direction injection (DI) outboard engine category providing exceptional fuel economy, smoothness when shifting, and overall reliability.

Service, Parts, and Owner’s Manuals
Both Johnson and Evinrude outboard motor parts and manuals can be ordered directly from your local Evinrude dealer.  Vintage Evinrude marine engine parts can be purchased through Vintage Outboard & Marine Supply; the Bombardier Recreational Products/Johnson website also provides access to operator’s manuals online for 2004 to 2007 Johnson outboard engines.  Repair manuals for both engine manufacturers can also be purchased through Amazon.com and through the Ken Cook Co. website.

If you’d like an answer to a Johnson/Evinrude question sooner than waiting for a manual to arrive, try the Just Answer website.  For a fee ranging from $14 to $34, you can ask a Just Answer expert about a Johnson/Evinrude outboard motor and receive an answer within minutes from a certified marine mechanic.  You can also browse previous Johnson/Evinrude questions and answers free of charge.

New for 2010
Purchase an Evinrude E-Tec 200 H.O. outboard engine in conjunction with a Sylvan Revolution Planing Technology (RPT) Tri-Performance pontoon package, and receive a $1,000 rebate until January 31, 2010.

Dealer Locator
Evinrude dealers can easily be located by using the ‘find a dealer’ feature on the Evinrude website; Bombardier Recreational Products dealers can be located by using the ‘find a dealer’ feature under the Sales Network category of their website.

Owner’s Groups & Clubs
There are several websites dedicated to both Johnson and Evinrude outboard motor owners.  These include E-Tec Owners Group; Evinrude Fleetwin and Johnson-Outboardmotors group on Yahoo; and Johnson/Evinrude Outboard forums on Marine Engine, iboats.com, and the Johnson Outboard Forum.  The Antique Outboard Motor Club is dedicated to preserving and restoring antique outboards including many Johnson outboard engines.

Sources:
Flickr.com Photo Credit: Fly By by WKeown
Wikipedia
Bombardier Recreational Products USA
Bombardier Recreational Products Corporate
Bombardier Recreational Products – Johnson
Evinrude
J.D. Powers and Associates
Just Answer
Vintage Outboard Marine Supply

Marine Engine
Iboats.com
Johnson Outboard Forum
Yahoo Groups
E-Tec Owners Group
The Antique Outboard Motor Club, Inc.





Not All Marina Directories Are Equal

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Compare Marina Directories

A marina directory can be useful for finding marinas when you visit or move to a new area. If you are a marina owner, you may also want to list your marina with one or all of these online services.   Not all marina listing services are complete or provide the same information, so it’s important to take the time to ensure you are using the best resource for your needs.  Read on to learn about some of the major directory services currenlty available on-line, with comparisons of how many marinas they have listed…

E-Marina: MarineFuel.com’s online marina directory not only provides the locations and phone numbers for many marinas, but shows their current marine fuel rates and payment options. The marina locator also supplies information on amenities and services offered by different marinas, as well as the radio channels they use and their position on a map. It allows users to rate or review each marina and even shows current weather conditions in the area. More information is available about some marinas than others. It has 30 listings for Jacksonville, 13 for Boothbay Harbor, and 41 for San Diego. E-Marina covers the U.S., Canada, and the Bahamas.  Marinefuel.com offers current and comprehensive information for 8700+ marinas, and 2400+ fuel docks, in the U.S. and Caribbean.  It is known as the best resource for marina information, and the only resource for real-time marine fuel prices.

Marinas.com: Another one of the major directory services, Marinas.com offers international listings with maps, longitude/latitude positions, addresses, web links, telephone/fax numbers, weather forecasts, and a user review feature. They list 30 in Jacksonville, twelve in Boothbay Harbor, and 31 in San Diego. The web site is somewhat difficult to use if you don’t have a high-speed Internet connection or the latest web browser and plug-ins. It also features a directory of lighthouses, among other directory services and marine related information pages on the site.

MarinasDirectory.org: This marina finder provides fairly detailed information about each marina, including descriptions, distances to nearby airports, phone/fax numbers, addresses, and driving directions. The directory is fast and easy to use. However, results aren’t quite as comprehensive as those provided by some directory services. For comparison, it lists about six establishments in Jacksonville, FL, one in Boothbay Harbor, ME, and nine in San Diego, CA. The site provides listings for Canada, the United States, and fourteen European countries, including Italy, Greece, Portugal, and others.

MarinaMate.com: MarinaMate offers worldwide marina listings, featuring results in Malaysia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Dominica, the U.S., and numerous other countries. Each listing only includes a mailing address, telephone/fax numbers, a web site link, and/or an e-mail address. The database is fairly comprehensive; it lists seventeen marinas in Jacksonville, two in Boothbay Harbor, and fourteen in San Diego. All marinas in a state, country, or large portion of a state appear on the same long page. The web site also provides other marine related content, including articles and weather links.

Other Sources: There are some additional options for marina locators both on and off the Internet. You may be able to find marinas in the yellow pages of a telephone directory, although this will only cover the specific area you live in. Some town and county web sites list marinas and other local businesses. Books like “The Burgee Premier Marina Guidebook” provide a convenient and easily portable way to look up marinas, but they aren’t free and will eventually become outdated.

Sources:       E-Marina     Marinas Directory      Marinas.com      Marina Mate