This may look rather forlorn, unprepossessing and decidedly unglamorous, I grant you, but I couldn’t resist taking a sentimental snapshot of a true survivor today (Thursday 24/07) in Cannes.
Naturally, when one thinks of Cannes, top of mind is the Film Festival followed by visions of a marina brimmed full of exotica and superyachts (although Antibes is in fact a better location for the latter) but, paradoxically, Cannes is home to a lot more “grassroots” and down-to-earth-type boats. I always love rambles around boating meccas like this, because it indicates the true egalitarian nature of the hobby and the right of everyone, of any status, to get out on the water in any type or age of boat.
Anyway, I saw this old girl bobbing proudly pierside today – one of the very last iterations of the venerable, redoubtable Suzuki DT85 (2-stroke). I know this particular series of motors the way a dog knows to sit under the table during Christmas dinner, as I actually wrote the service manual for the 1993/1994 model when I worked at Suzuki Motor Corp’s HQ in Japan.
This old darling is a bit newer than that – maybe 1995-1998, but hard to tell because the motor has been re-decaled, and with little or no flair, style or imagination. The owner maybe deemed it necessary to give only a cursory nod to what brand it was and no more. However, it is definitely post-1994 because it has the power trim motor mounted internally between the clamp brackets rather than the external starboard bracket-mounted Shinko motor fitted to the pre ’95s.
These were magnificent, durable, strong and reliable engines – right up there with the benchmark Yamaha 85A/90A in my opinion, but they never sold anywhere near as well. One thing, though: I bet the guy who owns this still loves the unique, throaty, businesslike and urgent sound that these old 3-cylinder 2-strokes emit every time they’re used in anger. Sometimes one would have to wonder if boating will ever be as evocative again.
Danny Casey is highly experienced, undoubtedly idiosyncratic, and immensely knowledgeable about things mechanical, new or old. His knowledge and passion are as a result of spending his whole life in or around anything power-driven – especially marine engines. His passion for boating is second to none, with his life a montage of fabulous memories from decades spent in or around water and boats, both here and in Europe. Danny has spent myriad years in the recreational marine industry in a varied career in which he has bamboozled colleagues and competitors alike with his well-honed insight.
His mellifluous Irish accent, however, has at times been known to become somewhat less intelligible in occasional attempts at deliberate vagueness or when trying to prevent others from proffering a counter-argument or even getting a word in. Frank and to-the-point, but with a heart of gold, it can be hard to convince Danny to put pen to paper to share his knowledge. Marine Business News is grateful for his contributions. Connect with Danny through LinkedIn.
