Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

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AusAnzani
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by AusAnzani »

Thanks Boyd, not hp but all input is good input as it may set us in the right direction. FYI,

Boatman = 2.5hp
Fisherman & Fisherman Deluxe = 4hp
Sportsman = 7.5hp

Keep the ideas coming.

Regards,
S
www.vintageoutboardsaustralia.blogspot.com
Ozzmotorz
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by Ozzmotorz »

Here are a couple of my riptides.
I have one early fisherman F337 / 3. It has the steel tank mount, and RIPTIDE on the rope sheath
My latter one 59 / 6023 has the alloy tank mounts, and a smooth rope sheath.
I have another later one, but too hard to get to , to picture. It also has alloy tank brackets, and smooth rope sheath.
Cheers
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Collector Inspector
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by Collector Inspector »

Ozzmotorz wrote:Here are a couple of my riptides.
I have one early fisherman F337 / 3. It has the steel tank mount, and RIPTIDE on the rope sheath
My latter one 59 / 6023 has the alloy tank mounts, and a smooth rope sheath.
I have another later one, but too hard to get to , to picture. It also has alloy tank brackets, and smooth rope sheath.
Cheers


Another hopeless Riptide owner with another slant of what is what!

Welcome aboard Bro.

BnC
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by Collector Inspector »

S

Did we not talk on the phone about Sea Scouts? Probably a life time ago..............I have two complete and the individual power head below...... remember?

The engine numbers begin with "SS" like

DSC04981.JPG
BnC[/color][/b]
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Ozzmotorz
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by Ozzmotorz »

Another hopeless Riptide owner with another slant of what is what!

Welcome aboard Bro.

BnC

LOL. Yes, I have been called numerous different names, but hopeless riptide owner, seems to fit. LOL
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Hugz
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by Hugz »

That's interesting. My Riptide sheaf has only 2 screws. Going to be a bitch getting centre nut off. Somebody has attacked it. What does the original look like? Will need to get a replacement after l weld a bar onto it. :shock:
Riptide sheaf.JPG
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AusAnzani
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by AusAnzani »

G’day B,

No, I haven’t forgotten about your Sea Scout mate. In fact, it (and your Sportsman) have had me rethink what I thought I knew about the manufacture of Riptide Outboards ….. more on this below.

My post of the other day was to try to understand the NEW style serial number format. Your Sea Scout follows the OLD and hence was not mentioned.

Some examples of OLD and NEW style serial numbers I have on record:

Boatman: OLD: B205, NEW: 59 5083
Fisherman: OLD: F5624, NEW: 59 6022
Fisherman De Luxe: OLD: F670/9, NEW – No Records
Sportsman: OLD: S 125-9, NEW: 59 8021
Sea Scout: OLD: SS 136, NEW – No Records

A couple of observations from the above:

#1 The OLD Serial Number format is pre-fixed with the first letter of the Riptide Model it is applied to eg B =Boatman, F = Fisherman or Fisherman De Luxe, S = Sportsman, SS = Sea Scout

#2 The NEW Serial Number format is prefixed with 2 digits presumably representing the year of manufacture eg 59 = 1959, 60 = 1960, 61 = 1961 etc

#3 The earliest Riptide Outboards I have on record that feature the NEW serial number format are prefixed 59, presumably 1959. I wanted to try to understand what the following for digits represented.

#4 From other documents we know manufacturing rights transferred from Sheltrums Riptide Outboard Motor Company to Westcott Hazell in 1959

It is therefore not unreasonable to conclude that the change in serial number format was introduced by Westcott Hazell. The reasons are not clear, but a possible explanation for that is to assist with identification for warranty purposes etc etc.

Summary: The serial number format provides some clarity as to who the manufacturer was ie Sheltrums Riptide Outboard Company or Westcott Hazell. The serial number can also help us to understand when and by whom certain features were introduced. For example, there are two Riptide Fisherman outboards mentioned in this thread that have aluminium tank brackets and plain rope sheave. Both of these are prefixed 1959 so presumably WH manufactured. This also explains why the rope sheave does not comprise the Riptide Outboard Motor Company name.

OK, now this is where it gets a little interesting and possibly a bit controversial. Let’s consider first your Sea Scout SS 136

The fact that your Sea Scout has its serial number presented in the OLD format, suggests it was made by the Riptide Outboard Motor Company. This is interesting because it was previously assumed that the Sea Scout was a WH development. Based on what we know now, I would suggest that the Sea Scout developed by Sheltrum’s ROMC and released late 58 or early 59 prior to the transfer of manufacturing rights to WH.

Now on to your Sportsman S 125-9. What we know of the Sportsman is that the earlier models featured a deeper lower cowl and a narrower wrap around section as pictured below.

Image

Image

Your Sportsman was said to be one of 10 proto-type 12.5hp models manufactured, yours being the 9th according to the suffix. We later found thought that the bore size and carburetion were same as those on standard Sportsman outboards, and thus concluded from that, that yours must also be 7.5 or 8hp. BUT, there are things about your Sportsman that lead me to believe it is a proto-type ie of a more recently developed Sportsman (a refined model) manufactured by Sheltrum’s Riptide Outboard Company. Why?

#1 The serial number format suggests it was made during the Sheltrum years

#2 It is the first example we know of with the shallower lower cowl and wider wrap around.

#3 It features Riptide Sportsman badges on both sides of the upper cowl, in lieu of decals. (A feature that does not appear to have been adopted by WH in the more recent production models)

#4 It features an additional plate inside the lower cowl and below the carburetor. (A feature that does not appear to have been adopted by WH in the more recent production models)

Based on all of the above, I am now all but convinced that Sheltrum had introduced the Sea Scout as a successor to the Fisherman and Fisherman Deluxe and had refined the Sportsman, in the month prior to him selling to Westcott Hazell.

The question that remains is, did he also develop a light weight and low cost version of the Sportsman (Sportsman powerhead mounted atop a Fisherman mid and lower) that we often refer to as the unadvertised model, or - as rumour has it that the factory workers produced these for themselves from parts left over after the sale or closure of the business?

Image

Image

Image

Well, one of these just happens to be owned by a member of these forums. Lets see if we can get him to provide a serial number.


PS: Ozzmotorz, thanks for popping up those photos. I will add your serial numbers to my list. See also above special request. if you could help with that it would be great. Hugz, don't have a photo of a nut available but will try to organise that for you over the coming weekend.


Regards,
S
www.vintageoutboardsaustralia.blogspot.com
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AusAnzani
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by AusAnzani »

BTW, at least some of the Riptide Sportsman outboards manufactured during the Westcott Hazell years, had a WESCO decal affixed to the upper rear section of the top cowl. Below image of an original (top left) and my not quite 100% copy (bottom right).

Image

Regards,
S
www.vintageoutboardsaustralia.blogspot.com
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AusAnzani
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by AusAnzani »

Ozzmotorz wrote:Here are a couple of my riptides.
I have one early fisherman F337 / 3. It has the steel tank mount, and RIPTIDE on the rope sheath
My latter one 59 / 6023 has the alloy tank mounts, and a smooth rope sheath.
I have another later one, but too hard to get to , to picture. It also has alloy tank brackets, and smooth rope sheath.
Cheers
Thanks Ozzmotorz, I have your other Fisherman logged as 61/6022. You must have given me the serial for that earlier. It also makes sense that that one would have alloy tank brackets and smooth rope sheave ie as these appear to have been introduced during the very early stages of WH ownership during 1959.

Regards,
S
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Ozzmotorz
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by Ozzmotorz »

Wow, fantastic info. Thanks on behalf of us hopeless riptide owners. Lol
Excellent research, and important details.
I look forward to the next instalment.
Cheers
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Collector Inspector
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by Collector Inspector »

Love your work S!

Thank you

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AusAnzani
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by AusAnzani »

Ok, looking back at what we have of Riptide Outboard Motors with the newer serial number format, I suspect there has been a misread (highlighted YELLOW below).

Boatman: 59 5083, 59 6048, 60 5014, 60 5040
Fisherman: 59 6022, 59 6039, 60 6085, 61 6022
Fisherman Deluxe: None with the WH serial number format.
Sportsman: 59 8056, 59 8021, 60 8020

I suspect the 6048 should be 5048. This then gives some consistency in that the first 2 of the last 4 digits in the serial number are;

Boatman: 50
Fisherman: 60
Fisherman Deluxe: None with the WH serial number format.
Sportsman: 80

Earlier today I received the serial number of another known Sportsman Outboard ie 59 8034. The 80 component of that serial number is consistent with that of other Sportsman outboards on record.

So, if we assume:

first two digits represent year
second set of two digits represent model
last set two digits, the build number for the year

the production numbers are very small.

Still all theoretical of course, but at least there is some logic there.

Regards,
S
www.vintageoutboardsaustralia.blogspot.com
AdamJones
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by AdamJones »

Hi guys I recently purchased a riptide fisherman twin cylinder. The serial number is F7204
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AusAnzani
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by AusAnzani »

Good on you mate, already have you on the register.

Regards
Spiro
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Re: Owners of Australian Riptide Outboards - Call to Action

Post by AusAnzani »

G'day Mr B,

For anyone that may have doubts about the existence of the Sea Scout even after seeing your pics, the following may help
Riptide Sea Scout for Sale.JPG
Regards,
S
www.vintageoutboardsaustralia.blogspot.com
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