I can't help but think about my first boat. Had a 35hp merc on it with a pull rope. The electric start never worked. I would absolutely wear myself out on that first start of the day, especially in winter. You had to know just how to choke that thing and when and how much gas to give it. Had to mix the oil/gas a certain way and adjust the trim by manually moving a peg. Nobody could start that thing but me. It had it's own personality. This thread and the one on "first boat" reminded me of that old rig. Oddly, I think quite fondly of it.

I also remember my dad's first motorized boat (before that we skulled, which I do NOT think fondly of). Some of the few times I heard him cuss had to do with pulling that rope.