OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Small Portable Machines Mermaid Victa powered outboard pics

Folks, I just thought these pinched pics, from a recent completed FleaBay auction [seller claimed 1955 model] should be preserved, of what is undoubtedly a very rare beastie:

Hi Gadge, and many thanks for posting.

For those that are interested, there is a good blog on the Mermaid/Victa HERE

Here is an advert from the period, unfortunately, not dated:

Who stole images of my Mermaid?...lols

Naaaa Mines prettier...

I have an original of that ad in my mess Deejay,its a cool ad.

Was gonna grab this as its an accurate tidy original.

Note the correct X engine coding. Claim of 55 is hard to verify,but the engine did exist in this year for mowers,but im certain industrial and marine came after.
I dont recall if the ebay ad showed if the engine was stamped with Victa"

1956-7 Would be a more accurate date,but 55 may be a possibility especially if the engine was unnamed...

Oh well another goody got away,add that to 2 Rotos I also missed cause of my lame memory...sighs*

Here is another ad
Ian

I have this ad also....What always concerned me was the claimed horsepower rating for both engines. Especially the Victa. It does not state whether the Hurricane is the 125 or not though.

A claimed horsepower rating of 3.6hp for the 3rd generation Victa engine is close. So with tweaks or increased transfer capacity and an adjustable or larger main jet might get it to 5hp...but a first generation Victa 125? I dunno. I dont recall any additional work carried out on the industrial/marine or tigers other than variable jets....Anyone know how they got 5hp? By the time power was transfered to the prop,then water resistance,id reackin it would be luck to make 2hp....Any thoughts?

That was before the Trade Practices Act, blue - you wouldn't believe the nonsense people used to advertise. The US was almost as bad as Australia for creative fiction in advertising, back then.

Hey,I never thought of it like that Grumps...You may well be right:)

Ive just never come across hp variants,with the exception of Go karts,and Victas prototype Dirt bikes.

I must do some more digging on pre Tiger industrial/marine and see if the specs were different,and see how they achieved it...if at all.

Cheers Grumpy:)

For what it's worth records suggests Mermaids were produced from 1956 by Smithurst & Son Pty Ltd Caringbah NSW. As far as I know they were only ever fitted with 125cc Victa or 125cc Hurricane engines ex-factory.

Production ceased in the early to mid 60's. There were a couple of different cowl designs. Most featured a rope start pulley, others a recoil starter.

They come up for sale fairly often and are certainly worth adding to the collection if you're in to antique outboards.

I don't have one in my collection yet, but I'm sure it won't bee too long before I come across one in Melbourne.

Regards,

Perfect...I thought this the case,thanks for that info Aus.That knocks the model 1 Engine ever being used on the mermaid. But Im certain the mermaid was not Victas first marine,as a few uncowled Model 1 engines have been seen to exist...requires some more research on that point to confirm either way.

I own a mermaid and hoped to have 2,but it sailed away.
I also have a Victa Mower to Marine outboard with Elden dogleg. The engine serial places it at 1960...think its in the engine forum if your interested Aus:)

And yes,both 125 only....what made me question the hurricane being an alternative was the claim of 7hp! 5 is stretching it,but 7hp? Cant see it!

Great info Aus,Thanks....

Back in the day, many small start up companies produced outboards using Victa, Hurricane and Villiers engines, bolted to legs produced by Ell-den, Clipper and a number of others. Examples include Mermaid, Waterboy, Searide, King, King Fisher, Atom, Gold Cheetah (lawn patrol engine), Clipper and a whole stack more. I think we had over 30 outboard manufacturers here at one stage!

The few that produced their own engines (sometimes using components sourced from overseas) are the stand outs in my opinion. For example Seasprite outboards were (originally) designed and built by the Australian Marine Engine Company, otherwise known as AMECO. These guys designed and built everything, cylinders, heads, crank cases, gearboxes, even their own carburettors. Every main component on a Seasprite outboard is numbered, so you can easily tell if it's been bastardised or rebuilt in the past etc.

If you pull down a Speed outboard, you'll find the Speed name embossed on the conrod ie part of the casting. How cool is that?

Anyway, back to Mermaid. So there's no confusion, Mermaid outboards were not made by Victa. As stated above, they were produced by Smithurst & Son Pty Ltd using either Victa or hurricane engines.

And as for Hurricane, well they never built a 7hp engine did they? There has been mention of an improved(higher revving) 180 or 185 but that produced 6hp only.

BTW, I'm still looking for parts to complete mine

My appologies,your correct...I meant first outboard to use a Victa engine. There were a handfull made using the gen 1 victa engine,but no info is available to clarify who actually made them. This would have been in 55. Tiger,Victas Marine and industrial supplied engines also for marine use...And agreed,many engineering companies manufacured legs and used these engines. Ive seen at least 10 different style legs over the yearsand never another identical to mine,although a few similar. There is actually a Mermaid listed on Ebay currently. In my opinnion its innacurate as the engine no and style is std Victa Mower,so im assuming its by a manufacturer like the ones youve listed.
Very informative Aus....Thanks for the info,you know your Marine:)
And yes I was going to ask of The Hurricane,ive been keeping my eye open,but have only seen 1 125 engine come up.

G�day Blue, I'm a relative newbie having got in to vintage outboards only by chance earlier this year. Because of that I am learning more from blokes like yourself than I can give back at the moment. I really appreciate you guys sharing.

Please feel free to pm me with a pic of your outboard leg and I�ll do what I can to help identify it. In case you�re not already aware, I�m also trying to help a mate of yours source a replacement gearbox (or gear) for his Kingfisher outboard.

With regards to the Mermaid on ebay, the leg, gearbox, prop, transom brackets and upper exhaust tube are identical to those on other mermaids I�ve seen. The cowl I'm not so sure about, and based on your advice re the engine, I'm starting to think that the whole upper end may have been replaced at some stage.

I generally only research what I get,so im still learning abot marine also,so we are in the same boat,but a few out there know lots more.
No I wasn't aware...I love the Kingfisher,only seen two for sale,and I let one get away:(

I agree,im possitive the top is Std Victa mower engine,and yes cowl assy is not what I know to be Mermaid...

What I would like to see is a correct mermaid with the generation 3 Victa engine,and how its cowl is positioned compared to the early gen 1/2 engines,as you said Mermaid ran into the 60's and ive only ever seen the earlier Models. But im assuming its the second Outboard in the previous Mermaid Ad of the 2 Mermaids and cromer?

I may be getting another Victa marine of a mate,which is not Mermaid nor seems to be A generic brand with gen 3 Victa engine.
Its running an unusual cowl with the gen 2 125 engine, and it doesnt seem to be homemade,ill keep you posted if I aquire it:)