A True Mercury Man

23.08.2011

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A sprightly 79-year-old, John Sepe has had a love affair with the ocean for more than 40 years. 

And he's loved his Mercury engines for just as long. 

With a 13' dinghy and a new 20hp Mercury FourStroke outboard, John is a constant feature on Warnbro Sound, just south of Perth, fishing for herring, whiting and squid.

"I love it out there. I go out every day if the weather's good," he said.

The dinghy is a relatively recent purchase. A shoulder injury three years ago forced John to sell his larger boat, but it couldn't keep him off the water. 

"The dinghy is very easy to use and that's a good little motor; it works very well," he said.

John's in an excellent position to judge motors. Over the last 40-odd years he and his two sons have bought at least 30 of them - and they've all been Mercury. 

"The boys have always been keen fishermen and they've had speed boats as well," John said.

"Now they go out to Rottnest Island a lot for the diving." 

John bought his first boat, a Caribbean Crestcutter, in the early 70s.

It had a 90hp Mercury 6-cylinder outboard on the back and it must have been a great engine because John and his lads have been Mercury men ever since. They have also stayed very loyal to Jim Rann at Midway Marine in Rockingham, where John has bought many a motor.

"Mercury engines have been very good to me and the boys," he said. "We've never had any trouble and we just wouldn't have any other motor," John said. 

"I think Jim took good care of them all for me as well." 

The Sepe men have bought Mercurys ranging from John's new 20hp up to a 225hp Verado one son mounted on his Caribbean Jaguar. 

At 79 with a sore shoulder some people might think twice about going out onto the water by themselves, but not John. 

"I've got trust in Mercury. I'm very confident about taking the boat out because I've never had a Mercury break down on me - not once."