As we have been accustomed to saying for the past few months, these are unprecedented times. And in a week that saw auto-rental giant Hertz Rental Car Company file for Chapter 11, it should not have come as big surprise when Canadian BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) announced that it had signed an agreement with market leader Mercury Marine to supply outboard motors to its line of boats, which include brands such as Alumacraft, Manitou, Quintrex, Stacer, and Savage boats.

Surprise or no surprise, the fact that Mercury Marine motors will now be hung on the back of boats that traditionally would be sporting an Evinrude outboard is just plain strange. These two outboard motor giants have been duking it out over the lucrative global boating market since the late 1930s. Although the press release is a little vague as to what the future of Evinrude will look like, it seems (at least for now) that 75 years of fierce competition is over.

What does all of this mean for us boaters? Well, based on the Mercury Marine commitment and dedication to improving the boater experience over the past decade or so, and backed by the most dedicated customer support in the world, we should be okay.

To read the full press release, click here