Engines Afloat: From Early Days to D-Day, Vol. 1 : The Gasoline Era [Paperback]

Stan Grayson (Author), Danny Marcus (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

Chronicling the development of the American marine engine industry from 1884 to 1944, this book focuses on gasoline engines and recreational boats, and discusses both four-cycle and two-cycle engines. It details the work of the pioneers in this field and discusses the impact they had on pleasure boating, racing, and technology. Included is a glossary of engine terms as used during the pioneer period of development and an annotated listing of Gold Cup racers from the event’s inception in 1904 until World War II.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Devereux Books (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964007053
• ISBN-13: 978-0964007055
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,716,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engines Afloat, From Early Days to D-Day, Volume 1, January 6, 2001

By 

Scott M. Peters (Flint, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Engines Afloat: From Early Days to D-Day, Vol. 1 : The Gasoline Era (Paperback)

Engines Afloat: From Early Days to D-Day, Volume 1: The Gasoline Era by Stan Grayson (Marblehead, MA: Devereux Books, 1999.)

Reviewed by Scott M. Peters, Collections Historian, Michigan Historical Museum, Lansing, Michigan

Stan Grayson's book Engines Afloat, Volume 1, is a great example of industrial history at its finest. The story of the marine engine manufacturers has usually been treated somewhat as a sidelight to the automobile industry, and now they get their due in fine form. Grayson presents wonderfully complete stories of the early pioneers of the engines such as Clark Sintz, the ingenious inventor with unfortunately minimal business sense, for what they really were.

Capturing quotations from retrospective views from industry giants adds immeasurably to the starting dates, model introductions and other data. One from C. B. McCuaig of the Buffalo Gasolene Motor Company written in 1917 about the maturation of the industry could easily be adapted to the computer industry today. "He likened the industry in 1910 to a `noisy, bumptious, self-opinionated' youngster who, by 1917, had become `mature, quiet, self-reliant and inclined to take both the present and future seriously.'"

What Grayson excels at is establishing the context for the manufacturers, one example being the importance of standardization of parts. Joe van Blerck, one of the important builders with a gift for mechanical excellence, virtually built each of his early engines different from the previous one. The result became a service nightmare for repairing and replacing parts.

Among the engine manufacturers is a great geographic diversity that Grayson captures. While most manufacturers were located in the Midwest and East Coast, he covers in detail manufacturers such as Hall-Scott of California, which was perhaps best known for their aviation work but certainly had a large impact on motorboating.

Grayson devotes an entire chapter to Gray Motor Company of Detroit, led in its early years by the marketing genius Ora J. Mulford. Mulford, with his passion for motor boats, carried on the business of building excellent marine engines during the roughest years for the industry. Mulford made each race won with a Gray motor an opportunity for the boating press to mention the firm, and advertised the company so intensively to the point that it was recognized as one of the factors in establishing the pleasure boat market. Coverage reflective of the later years of the era emphasizes the constant improvement in speeds achieved and engine durability. The designs become virtually totally enclosed, and the power-to-weight ratios improve dramatically.

Grayson's book might be a disappointment to people looking for specific information on how to restore a particular engine, but the importance of the contextual stories he records about the formation and maturing of this most significant industry far outweigh the negatives. The book has a large number of illustrations derived from catalog cuts and charts that can help with identification of the age and possibly the manufacturer of engines.

Engines Afloat should find a place on any marine historian's bookshelf.

Scott M. Peters January 6, 2001