I spent 2 weeks cruising the waters of Greenland and the northern Canadian Territory of Nunavut and was shocked by the singular dominance of a single brand of outboard motors in the 6 harbors we visited above the Arctic Circle. These are areas of very low personal income and their boats are important vehicles for transportation, hunting and fishing, both commercial for sale and personal consumption. The gas prices up there are insane so for people in both countries to depend on a single outboard speaks volumes of the dependability, value and performance of a favorite brand. Having a local dealer is NOT a factor, as these motors come in the yearly container shipments of orders they make for an entire year's worth of everything that's delivered to the community in a single, large container ship. Never saw a Chevy Silverado pop out of a container like that one that was delivered to Pond Inlet, CA while visiting.
I'm not exaggerating when there were more than 99% Yamahas, with a scattering of Suzukis making up the remaining 1% with the sole exception of a single "Welfare Motor", as we used to call them. There wasn't a single Honda nor Tohatsu. When I asked one of the locals Why Yammies?, his response was "They're the only ones that can take the punishment we give them!!"
I'm not exaggerating when there were more than 99% Yamahas, with a scattering of Suzukis making up the remaining 1% with the sole exception of a single "Welfare Motor", as we used to call them. There wasn't a single Honda nor Tohatsu. When I asked one of the locals Why Yammies?, his response was "They're the only ones that can take the punishment we give them!!"
