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fourdfish posted 10-13-2011 03:50 PM ET (US)
I just got back from 2 weeks in Alaska! Really great trip.
Besides Denali we visited six different ports. We fished out of 2 of them and caught a lot of fish. One observation which stands out above all others was the complete lack of market for Mercury outboards. We only saw Mercury engines on 4 boats the whole trip in all 6 ports. Yamaha and Honda led the pack with many E-TECs & Suzukies sighted. I asked several Captains about it and what they had to say was not something I should state here. Alaska ports are the life blood of the
state and a large market boats and engines.
contender posted 10-13-2011 04:33 PM ET (US)
Fourdfish: I was in Homer Alaska 2 years ago and there was a Mercury dealer in town, Just like you said everyone was running either a Yamaha, Honda or an Evinrude (did not see many Suzuki's). Saw only 3-4 Mercury's in port.
We also head over to the Bahamas every year (try to do different islands all the time) 3-4 years ago while we were in Great Guana Cay, the island had a grave yard with just mercury outboards in it, Again everyone was running a Yamaha or a Evinrude...PS I have never seen so many whalers in one place...
martyn1075 posted 10-13-2011 05:07 PM ET (US)
Yes thats true and the trend is exactly the same all up and down the coast of Vancouver Island. Yamaha in the lead with Honda's very close especially for the smaller engines and Suzuki now starting to make headway on Yamaha as the fish camps are turning over their engines. I suspect Suzuki will be there in the next 5 years but we will see. There are some Mercury engines but very few that was once dominated by Merc in the 70's 80's and mid 90's.
I remember quite fondly the big smoke cloud of exhaust on a hot summers evening with over 50 boats mainly 17 Whalers fishing within arms reach it seemed of each other. Kind of miss those days actually however my lungs are much happier I am sure.
Martyn
fourdfish posted 10-13-2011 05:44 PM ET (US)
Contender-- Fished out of Homer and caught enough Halbut to last for six months. Also caught Ling Cod which we had for dinner. WOW! was that great! Never even heard of Ling Cod much less eaten it. The Coho were in but and we caught them but I was not impressed since we do well here in Lake Mich. I saw the Merc dealer in Homer but heard he was not doing that much! I think there was a Merc dealer in Skagway also but did not see a Merc. They have virtually
no real presence in Alaska compared to the others.
L H G posted 10-13-2011 05:53 PM ET (US)
I guess this also implies there are literally no Post Classic Whaler sales in Alaska. It's a long way to Edgewater FL. Is Japan actually closer? Four strokes must rule the water up there. Any Tohatsus?
contender posted 10-13-2011 06:08 PM ET (US)
Fourdfish: That was the reason I went to Homer Alaska, Halibut fishing best place in the world, 1st day with my son we caught so many our arms got tired (mostly 25-35 lbs) every time the reel hit the bottom fish on,However it was very rough that day could not get out were we wanted to go. When out again couple days later, flat glass calm our boat had one of the best trips ever, every fish was over 50lbs. I caught a 87 and a 67 pounder, my son caught two right at 60 lbs as well. Can not wait to go back.
fourdfish posted 10-13-2011 08:41 PM ET (US)
Larry- I don't know what you are talking about? Who said anything about post classic Whalers? WHAT ??????
NO Mercs Larry! They completely lost the entire market
there! SAD!
Contender- It was really great there but we all decided
that other places are calling and it might be a long time before we get back, if ever. But that Halibut really tastes
great and so was the Ling Cod. However, I did learn one new Salmon technique.
jimp posted 10-13-2011 10:13 PM ET (US)
Here in Juneau, AK a lot of Yamahas. Mercury, Honda & Suzuki about tied, Evinrude rare.
I have two Mercs on my 1990 Revenge 22 - WT. A 2003 225 Optimax and 9.9 4-stroke Big Foot Sail. As I've posted before, I went with the dealer with the best deal and service. I'm very happy with the 225 Optimax - performance, price, and service. I was not happy at all with the Yamaha offer and the Suzuki dealer only had 225 EFIs.
As for the fishing up here (I was stationed on Coast Guard cutters in Seward, Cordova, and Kodiak). Homer is good for halibut. But in many places you fish very deep and with current. Also, it is very exposed in bad weather. But on clear days there is a string of active volcanoes on the west side of Cook Inlet - very impressive.
So is Kodiak - in a 2-year period with my 1982 17' Montauk we landed: 160-pounder, 115, 88, 2 86s, 2 60s and not much else (the freezer was full!). We'd often drive home on the Coast Guard Base knocking on doors and giving away 20-30 pound fillets. In Kodiak, if you traveled more than 12 miles to fish, fished in water over 100-ft, or stayed longer than 60 minutes to catch something, you were a fool.
Prince William Sound was good for a variety of fish - salmon, halibut, ling cod, cod, and rock fish.
Southeast does well with salmon and Sitka (on the Gulf of Alaska) is very good for halibut. Southeast halibut is usually deep also (often over 300-ft).
But out west - Alaska Peninsula and Aleutians, there aren't many stories and there isn't much sportfisherman pressure - not many live out there. Miles and miles of ocean waiting for somebody to fish.
JimP
Juneau since 1992
L H G posted 10-14-2011 12:34 AM ET (US)
Fourdy - Post classic Whalers means Mercury engines. So if no Mercurys, there must not be any White Whalers either?
Just wondering.
ericflys posted 10-14-2011 01:30 AM ET (US)
fourdfish, you went to the smaller ports in AK with much less commercial activity than in Sitka or Juneau. Sitka has the largest harbor system in the world. I'll have to second jimp with saying Evenrude's are rare. In terms of the charter guys and locals who's livelihoods depend on their motors, who put hundreds of hours on their outboards a year, under harsh conditions where your life depends on it, Yami's are the most popular, followed by Suzuki, Merc, and Honda. Among older engines the same trend applies. Contrary to the opening statements on this tread, there are still plenty of Merc's in this neck of the woods.
ericflys posted 10-14-2011 01:33 AM ET (US)
LHG, the dealer, Southeast Marine (no longer in business) that sold most of the whalers in SE Alaska, stopped carrying them when Merc's became mandaory, so white whalers are very rare....
Perry posted 10-14-2011 03:12 AM ET (US)
We go to Alaska every other year and spend a week on the Kenai River fishing for sockeye then a week fishing for halibut out of Homer or Whittier.
The outboards I see most often in Homer and Whittier are Yamaha followed by Honda then Suzuki and Mercury.
I took a picture of a Classic Whaler at Homer last year. You can see that there is an Evinrude on the boat next to it:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/perrycl/Picture214.jpg
jimh posted 10-14-2011 08:18 AM ET (US)
The distribution of engine brands in a particular area is likely highly influenced by the local dealers for the brands. One good, strong, dominant dealer and whatever brand he's selling will be plentiful.
boatdryver posted 10-14-2011 10:39 AM ET (US)
On our Grand Banks 42 charter this June we anchored near Yes Bay Resort, a fly in fishing resort about 80 miles by water (no roads) East of Ketchikan, AK.
On their dock were at least 15 identical well seasoned 20 ft skiffs, each with a new looking Yamaha 150 HP four stroke motor.
I can imagine that for the very many fish camps this far and farther from a skilled outboard technician, Mercury has not been an option for some time when repowering their fleet with motors in this horsepower range. The Verado and Optimax may be too complicated to make the A list in such remote places.
Now that Mercury is offering a 150 HP normally aspirated four stroke motor with more conventional technology " they will have a chance at entering this market.
It won't be necessary for a dealer selling these motors to be "Verado Certified" so their dealer network can expand.
JimL
fourdfish posted 10-14-2011 11:15 AM ET (US)
There were six of us on our Alaska Trip. We were in the following Places and ports, Ankorage, Denali, Soldotna in the Kenai, Homer, Seward, Sitka, Jeneau, Ketechan, and Skagway along with other towns. We fished out of Homer, Soldotna and
Sitka. Of all those places between all of us we saw only 4 boats with Merc engines on them. It would seem that Honda and Yamaha were fairly matched in the rest. We saw most of the ETECs in Soldotna and Homer. I saw an ETEC dealer in Soldotna. Saw Hondas on a Coast Guard boat! Just an observation so take it for what you will! Whatever!
Tom W Clark posted 10-14-2011 12:01 PM ET (US)
The last two times I was in Sitka, Yamahas were far and away more common than any other brand of outboard. However, I am sure that is because there is a big Yamaha dealer there as jimh notes.
ericflys posted 10-14-2011 02:13 PM ET (US)
Prior to last year all major brands were available from the same dealer, with the exception of merc, which was handled by a smaller dealer. Recently, that has changed, but all brands are still available except Evinrude, which you have to go to Juneau for. I know this site is an ETEC lovers haven, but up here nobody is willing to trust their live with one... The Law Enforcement boats around here use Merc's but that is likely influenced more by gov contracts than anything else.
ericflys posted 10-14-2011 02:17 PM ET (US)
Tom- You're observations about Yami's here are correct, still the overwhelming choice of the charter fleet, which is interesting given that up until a few years ago, the dealer here was the largest seller of Suzuki's on the West coast.
ivansfo posted 10-14-2011 07:28 PM ET (US)
Do dealers influence what engine brands are prevalent in the local market? Sure, I think to some degree but it’s not the ultimate determining factor.
More significant is the other way around. Consumer demand for a brand creates the business opportunity for dealers. If enough people want Yamaha or Honda in Alaska, you bet a dealer will step up to cater to those customers.
contender posted 10-14-2011 08:27 PM ET (US)
Jim, not true...Mercury dealer in town in Homer Alaska, most outboards in Homer are Yamaha's, and Honda's followed by Evinrude (What I saw 2 years ago) only saw 3-4 Mercury's
fourdfish posted 10-14-2011 08:37 PM ET (US)
Eric- Evinrude has dealers in Ankorage, Douglas and Soldatna
which I saw when I was there.
AK153 posted 10-16-2011 02:37 PM ET (US)
Fourdy, maybe the time of year you were here has something to do with your findings. Most people have there boats already winterized. In the interior there are quite a few Mercs around. In Valdez there are also many as I know of three with Verados just off the top of my head. Coastal and interior the Yamahas definitely lead the way. I believe Suzuki will do better if they can get more dealers established. And Evinrudes are in the interior but not so much in Valdez. And in LHG's defense, there are plenty of newer Whalers up here. You'll never see them in October. That is a very bad time of year to make outboard motor assessments.

fourdfish posted 10-16-2011 09:14 PM ET (US)
AK153-- We were there from August 18 to Sept 1. Were not in Valdez but as you can see did make a lot of ports. Just reported an observation!
contender posted 10-16-2011 10:00 PM ET (US)
AK153: think about what you are saying...If its to cold out the mercury's can not come out to play?
martyn1075 posted 10-16-2011 10:30 PM ET (US)
They can play with the big boys as well but they are just little more fussy at times then others and only prefer the summer months... Perhaps more go into hibernation in October.
AK153 posted 10-17-2011 10:57 AM ET (US)
Contender,
Fourdy's initial statement was a little deceiving(I'm sure not purposely). I didn't realize "Just got back" meant roughly one and a half months ago. That's kind of why I made the October reference. I also made no suggestions as to Mercury's reliability in cold weather. I know people winterize boats(outboards) early to keep water from freezing in the lower unit regardless of brand. And Homer is a poor assessment. Take a look at the outboard charter fleet in that area(Homer). The majority launch from Deep Creek, Anchor Point, or Ninilchik. Denali!! Are you kidding me? Geographically take a look at that location and tell me how many boats you would expect to see at any time of year.
fourdfish posted 10-17-2011 11:08 AM ET (US)
AK153-- Sorry about the time line as I have been tied up traveling and just got back was back home here! Never intended to deceive anyone. Never said I saw boats in Denali
however I did see some river rigs. Did not visit Fairbanks or north of Denali. Just not enough time.
Stayed on the Homer Spit and the Marina there was huge.
AK153 posted 10-17-2011 03:16 PM ET (US)
Fourdy,
Im glad you enjoyed yourself. You should've came a little further north and caught a ride on the Chena River. That time of year is typically superb for Silvers in Valdez. There's always next time. Have a good one.
logjam posted 10-19-2011 08:40 AM ET (US)
I've been all over Alaska from Portland Canal to the Chuckchi Sea, including Bering Sea, the chain, most of the larger River systems, and many of the smaller ones, both coastal and interior; By far Yamaha has the market in the villages and coastal ports, regardless of dealer support. Mercury has a few pockets where in the past they have had some use, mostly in some of the freshwater jetboat applications out of Fairbanks and the Town of Wrangell. I suppose the dealer support and a long since cancelled 4th of July race (cancelled due to a law suit and city of Wrangell liability concerns) added to their popularity in Wrangell.
When you get to the bigger cities you start to see more boats, often with other power options; of course they get drug all over the road systems and I couldn't say who is running in second place.
To me, the bush endorsement means more than guide use does. Guides are influenced by whoever's guide programs give them the best deals...almost as much as government contracts influence what is hanging on state and federal government transoms.

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Author	Topic: Outboard Brands in Alaska
fourdfish	posted 10-13-2011 03:50 PM ET (US) I just got back from 2 weeks in Alaska! Really great trip. Besides Denali we visited six different ports. We fished out of 2 of them and caught a lot of fish. One observation which stands out above all others was the complete lack of market for Mercury outboards. We only saw Mercury engines on 4 boats the whole trip in all 6 ports. Yamaha and Honda led the pack with many E-TECs & Suzukies sighted. I asked several Captains about it and what they had to say was not something I should state here. Alaska ports are the life blood of the state and a large market boats and engines.
contender	posted 10-13-2011 04:33 PM ET (US) Fourdfish: I was in Homer Alaska 2 years ago and there was a Mercury dealer in town, Just like you said everyone was running either a Yamaha, Honda or an Evinrude (did not see many Suzuki's). Saw only 3-4 Mercury's in port. We also head over to the Bahamas every year (try to do different islands all the time) 3-4 years ago while we were in Great Guana Cay, the island had a grave yard with just mercury outboards in it, Again everyone was running a Yamaha or a Evinrude...PS I have never seen so many whalers in one place...
martyn1075	posted 10-13-2011 05:07 PM ET (US) Yes thats true and the trend is exactly the same all up and down the coast of Vancouver Island. Yamaha in the lead with Honda's very close especially for the smaller engines and Suzuki now starting to make headway on Yamaha as the fish camps are turning over their engines. I suspect Suzuki will be there in the next 5 years but we will see. There are some Mercury engines but very few that was once dominated by Merc in the 70's 80's and mid 90's. I remember quite fondly the big smoke cloud of exhaust on a hot summers evening with over 50 boats mainly 17 Whalers fishing within arms reach it seemed of each other. Kind of miss those days actually however my lungs are much happier I am sure. Martyn
fourdfish	posted 10-13-2011 05:44 PM ET (US) Contender-- Fished out of Homer and caught enough Halbut to last for six months. Also caught Ling Cod which we had for dinner. WOW! was that great! Never even heard of Ling Cod much less eaten it. The Coho were in but and we caught them but I was not impressed since we do well here in Lake Mich. I saw the Merc dealer in Homer but heard he was not doing that much! I think there was a Merc dealer in Skagway also but did not see a Merc. They have virtually no real presence in Alaska compared to the others.
L H G	posted 10-13-2011 05:53 PM ET (US) I guess this also implies there are literally no Post Classic Whaler sales in Alaska. It's a long way to Edgewater FL. Is Japan actually closer? Four strokes must rule the water up there. Any Tohatsus?
contender	posted 10-13-2011 06:08 PM ET (US) Fourdfish: That was the reason I went to Homer Alaska, Halibut fishing best place in the world, 1st day with my son we caught so many our arms got tired (mostly 25-35 lbs) every time the reel hit the bottom fish on,However it was very rough that day could not get out were we wanted to go. When out again couple days later, flat glass calm our boat had one of the best trips ever, every fish was over 50lbs. I caught a 87 and a 67 pounder, my son caught two right at 60 lbs as well. Can not wait to go back.
fourdfish	posted 10-13-2011 08:41 PM ET (US) Larry- I don't know what you are talking about? Who said anything about post classic Whalers? WHAT ?????? NO Mercs Larry! They completely lost the entire market there! SAD! Contender- It was really great there but we all decided that other places are calling and it might be a long time before we get back, if ever. But that Halibut really tastes great and so was the Ling Cod. However, I did learn one new Salmon technique.
jimp	posted 10-13-2011 10:13 PM ET (US) Here in Juneau, AK a lot of Yamahas. Mercury, Honda & Suzuki about tied, Evinrude rare. I have two Mercs on my 1990 Revenge 22 - WT. A 2003 225 Optimax and 9.9 4-stroke Big Foot Sail. As I've posted before, I went with the dealer with the best deal and service. I'm very happy with the 225 Optimax - performance, price, and service. I was not happy at all with the Yamaha offer and the Suzuki dealer only had 225 EFIs. As for the fishing up here (I was stationed on Coast Guard cutters in Seward, Cordova, and Kodiak). Homer is good for halibut. But in many places you fish very deep and with current. Also, it is very exposed in bad weather. But on clear days there is a string of active volcanoes on the west side of Cook Inlet - very impressive. So is Kodiak - in a 2-year period with my 1982 17' Montauk we landed: 160-pounder, 115, 88, 2 86s, 2 60s and not much else (the freezer was full!). We'd often drive home on the Coast Guard Base knocking on doors and giving away 20-30 pound fillets. In Kodiak, if you traveled more than 12 miles to fish, fished in water over 100-ft, or stayed longer than 60 minutes to catch something, you were a fool. Prince William Sound was good for a variety of fish - salmon, halibut, ling cod, cod, and rock fish. Southeast does well with salmon and Sitka (on the Gulf of Alaska) is very good for halibut. Southeast halibut is usually deep also (often over 300-ft). But out west - Alaska Peninsula and Aleutians, there aren't many stories and there isn't much sportfisherman pressure - not many live out there. Miles and miles of ocean waiting for somebody to fish. JimP Juneau since 1992
L H G	posted 10-14-2011 12:34 AM ET (US) Fourdy - Post classic Whalers means Mercury engines. So if no Mercurys, there must not be any White Whalers either? Just wondering.
ericflys	posted 10-14-2011 01:30 AM ET (US) fourdfish, you went to the smaller ports in AK with much less commercial activity than in Sitka or Juneau. Sitka has the largest harbor system in the world. I'll have to second jimp with saying Evenrude's are rare. In terms of the charter guys and locals who's livelihoods depend on their motors, who put hundreds of hours on their outboards a year, under harsh conditions where your life depends on it, Yami's are the most popular, followed by Suzuki, Merc, and Honda. Among older engines the same trend applies. Contrary to the opening statements on this tread, there are still plenty of Merc's in this neck of the woods.
ericflys	posted 10-14-2011 01:33 AM ET (US) LHG, the dealer, Southeast Marine (no longer in business) that sold most of the whalers in SE Alaska, stopped carrying them when Merc's became mandaory, so white whalers are very rare....
Perry	posted 10-14-2011 03:12 AM ET (US) We go to Alaska every other year and spend a week on the Kenai River fishing for sockeye then a week fishing for halibut out of Homer or Whittier. The outboards I see most often in Homer and Whittier are Yamaha followed by Honda then Suzuki and Mercury. I took a picture of a Classic Whaler at Homer last year. You can see that there is an Evinrude on the boat next to it: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/perrycl/Picture214.jpg
jimh	posted 10-14-2011 08:18 AM ET (US) The distribution of engine brands in a particular area is likely highly influenced by the local dealers for the brands. One good, strong, dominant dealer and whatever brand he's selling will be plentiful.
boatdryver	posted 10-14-2011 10:39 AM ET (US) On our Grand Banks 42 charter this June we anchored near Yes Bay Resort, a fly in fishing resort about 80 miles by water (no roads) East of Ketchikan, AK. On their dock were at least 15 identical well seasoned 20 ft skiffs, each with a new looking Yamaha 150 HP four stroke motor. I can imagine that for the very many fish camps this far and farther from a skilled outboard technician, Mercury has not been an option for some time when repowering their fleet with motors in this horsepower range. The Verado and Optimax may be too complicated to make the A list in such remote places. Now that Mercury is offering a 150 HP normally aspirated four stroke motor with more conventional technology " they will have a chance at entering this market. It won't be necessary for a dealer selling these motors to be "Verado Certified" so their dealer network can expand. JimL
fourdfish	posted 10-14-2011 11:15 AM ET (US) There were six of us on our Alaska Trip. We were in the following Places and ports, Ankorage, Denali, Soldotna in the Kenai, Homer, Seward, Sitka, Jeneau, Ketechan, and Skagway along with other towns. We fished out of Homer, Soldotna and Sitka. Of all those places between all of us we saw only 4 boats with Merc engines on them. It would seem that Honda and Yamaha were fairly matched in the rest. We saw most of the ETECs in Soldotna and Homer. I saw an ETEC dealer in Soldotna. Saw Hondas on a Coast Guard boat! Just an observation so take it for what you will! Whatever!
Tom W Clark	posted 10-14-2011 12:01 PM ET (US) The last two times I was in Sitka, Yamahas were far and away more common than any other brand of outboard. However, I am sure that is because there is a big Yamaha dealer there as jimh notes.
ericflys	posted 10-14-2011 02:13 PM ET (US) Prior to last year all major brands were available from the same dealer, with the exception of merc, which was handled by a smaller dealer. Recently, that has changed, but all brands are still available except Evinrude, which you have to go to Juneau for. I know this site is an ETEC lovers haven, but up here nobody is willing to trust their live with one... The Law Enforcement boats around here use Merc's but that is likely influenced more by gov contracts than anything else.
ericflys	posted 10-14-2011 02:17 PM ET (US) Tom- You're observations about Yami's here are correct, still the overwhelming choice of the charter fleet, which is interesting given that up until a few years ago, the dealer here was the largest seller of Suzuki's on the West coast.
ivansfo	posted 10-14-2011 07:28 PM ET (US) Do dealers influence what engine brands are prevalent in the local market? Sure, I think to some degree but it’s not the ultimate determining factor. More significant is the other way around. Consumer demand for a brand creates the business opportunity for dealers. If enough people want Yamaha or Honda in Alaska, you bet a dealer will step up to cater to those customers.
contender	posted 10-14-2011 08:27 PM ET (US) Jim, not true...Mercury dealer in town in Homer Alaska, most outboards in Homer are Yamaha's, and Honda's followed by Evinrude (What I saw 2 years ago) only saw 3-4 Mercury's
fourdfish	posted 10-14-2011 08:37 PM ET (US) Eric- Evinrude has dealers in Ankorage, Douglas and Soldatna which I saw when I was there.
AK153	posted 10-16-2011 02:37 PM ET (US) Fourdy, maybe the time of year you were here has something to do with your findings. Most people have there boats already winterized. In the interior there are quite a few Mercs around. In Valdez there are also many as I know of three with Verados just off the top of my head. Coastal and interior the Yamahas definitely lead the way. I believe Suzuki will do better if they can get more dealers established. And Evinrudes are in the interior but not so much in Valdez. And in LHG's defense, there are plenty of newer Whalers up here. You'll never see them in October. That is a very bad time of year to make outboard motor assessments.
fourdfish	posted 10-16-2011 09:14 PM ET (US) AK153-- We were there from August 18 to Sept 1. Were not in Valdez but as you can see did make a lot of ports. Just reported an observation!
contender	posted 10-16-2011 10:00 PM ET (US) AK153: think about what you are saying...If its to cold out the mercury's can not come out to play?
martyn1075	posted 10-16-2011 10:30 PM ET (US) They can play with the big boys as well but they are just little more fussy at times then others and only prefer the summer months... Perhaps more go into hibernation in October.
AK153	posted 10-17-2011 10:57 AM ET (US) Contender, Fourdy's initial statement was a little deceiving(I'm sure not purposely). I didn't realize "Just got back" meant roughly one and a half months ago. That's kind of why I made the October reference. I also made no suggestions as to Mercury's reliability in cold weather. I know people winterize boats(outboards) early to keep water from freezing in the lower unit regardless of brand. And Homer is a poor assessment. Take a look at the outboard charter fleet in that area(Homer). The majority launch from Deep Creek, Anchor Point, or Ninilchik. Denali!! Are you kidding me? Geographically take a look at that location and tell me how many boats you would expect to see at any time of year.
fourdfish	posted 10-17-2011 11:08 AM ET (US) AK153-- Sorry about the time line as I have been tied up traveling and just got back was back home here! Never intended to deceive anyone. Never said I saw boats in Denali however I did see some river rigs. Did not visit Fairbanks or north of Denali. Just not enough time. Stayed on the Homer Spit and the Marina there was huge.
AK153	posted 10-17-2011 03:16 PM ET (US) Fourdy, Im glad you enjoyed yourself. You should've came a little further north and caught a ride on the Chena River. That time of year is typically superb for Silvers in Valdez. There's always next time. Have a good one.
logjam	posted 10-19-2011 08:40 AM ET (US) I've been all over Alaska from Portland Canal to the Chuckchi Sea, including Bering Sea, the chain, most of the larger River systems, and many of the smaller ones, both coastal and interior; By far Yamaha has the market in the villages and coastal ports, regardless of dealer support. Mercury has a few pockets where in the past they have had some use, mostly in some of the freshwater jetboat applications out of Fairbanks and the Town of Wrangell. I suppose the dealer support and a long since cancelled 4th of July race (cancelled due to a law suit and city of Wrangell liability concerns) added to their popularity in Wrangell. When you get to the bigger cities you start to see more boats, often with other power options; of course they get drug all over the road systems and I couldn't say who is running in second place. To me, the bush endorsement means more than guide use does. Guides are influenced by whoever's guide programs give them the best deals...almost as much as government contracts influence what is hanging on state and federal government transoms.