In 1954 a tiny outboard motor company sued Chris Craft, the largest builder of mahogany boats in the world, for industrial espionage. The suit was settled and the plaintiff took his revenge.

This tale of industrial espionage began in 1874 when Chris Smith, at the age of 13, starting building skiffs in Michigan. In 1910 he founded a boatbuilding company which grew into the largest builder of mahogany boats in the world. In 1930 the name of the company became Chris Craft and after World War II, Chris Craft was the largest boat builder in the United States. When Jay Smith, Chris Smith’s son, decided to get into the outboard motor business he hired four engineers away from a small company called Mercury Outboards. This infuriated Mercury’s owner Carl Kiekhaefer, who sued Chris Craft.

Larry Stevenson tells the full story in “Outboard Motors and Industrial Espionage” on Wednesday, July 12 at 7 p.m. at Boothbay Railway Village.  Admission is free, a suggested donation of $5 is appreciated.

After the talk outboard motor collector and historian Larry Stevenson will conduct a tour of the newly opened Stevenson Outboard Collection, focusing on the outboard motors discussed in the presentation.  Larry is a Navy and Coast Guard Auxiliary veteran and a retired UPS International Industrial Engineering Manager in the international operation. 

This talk is hosted by Boothbay Railway Village, 586 Wiscasset Rd, Boothbay. Visit the website www.railwayvillage.org or call 207-633-4727 for more information.