Firing-up the outboard on a boat, breathing the fumes, yelling to be heard over the engine's noise, and spilling the fuel is part of the fishing experience.

Used to be.

Elco outboards, available in 5, 7 and 9.9 horsepower, are electric.

They’re environmentally friendly and eliminate the mess and odor of fuel and oil.

They're also quieter, more compact, lighter and more.

This doesn’t mean the motors are weaker.

They’re more rugged, the company says.

The thrusts, for example, for comparable gas outboards are 7, 11 and 13 horsepower, respectively.

The outboards are big on advanced design, innovative features and performance, Elco says.

Electric boats aren’t new, and the business, incorporated as the Electric Launch Company (Elco) in 1892, introduced electric to boating in 1893 at the Chicago Exposition, it says.

The company has a long, storied past, including making PT boats in World War II, including PT 109 that John F. Kennedy captained in the war, before he became president.

The outboards are pure torque, Elco says, and include no belts, pulleys and other moving parts that fuel engines do.

Elcos are more economical to run in the long term, because of savings on maintenance, the company says, not to mention savings on fuel.

Elcos are easy to install, the complany says, and fit most standard engine mounts.

One of the fishing guides on this website, Capt. Rick Miick from Dreamcatcher Guide Service in upstate New York, obtained an Elco for a kicker motor for trolling on Lake Ontario.

He traveled to Florida this winter to test the engine, and then became an Elco dealer.

Besides advantages like being green, Elcos can be handy for waters that prohibit fuel engines.

Visit the Elco website.