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Before GPS, sailors had to measure speed the mechanical way.
This unusual vintage Siska Trim-Eter Model 2-A is a mechanical sailboat speed indicator made by Siska Products in Oak Harbor, Ohio.
The best part may be what is hiding underneath.
Siska appears to have built the Trim-Eter around a Pelouze “Superb” mechanical computing-scale mechanism. The original Pelouze chart is still present and marked “Capacity 2 Pounds by 1/2 Ounces,” along with a May 25, 1915 patent date.
That 1915 date relates to the earlier Pelouze mechanism—not the age of the finished Trim-Eter.
Siska Products is documented in Oak Harbor historical records as a maker of sailboat speedometers, and the Trim-Eter name was later registered for sailboat speedometers in 1965. This example likely dates to the mid-20th century.
The instrument has a large fan-shaped brass/gold-tone housing with a black 0–8 scale, exposed mechanical workings and its original oval Siska label:
SAILBOAT SPEED INDICATOR
TRIM-ETER
MODEL 2-A
SISKA PRODUCTS
OAK HARBOR, OHIO U.S.A.
It is a great piece of American sailing history with the kind of exposed mechanics you rarely see today.
Display it in a lake or beach house, yacht club, home bar, office or alongside other nautical and industrial antiques. It also makes a fantastic conversation piece for someone who loves sailing or old mechanical instruments.
DETAILS
• Siska Products Trim-Eter
• Model 2-A
• Mechanical sailboat speed indicator / speedometer
• Made in Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA
• Mid-century vintage
• Brass/gold-tone metal construction
• Black 0–8 indicator scale
• Original Siska identification label
• Incorporates a Pelouze Superb mechanical scale mechanism
• Pelouze component carries May 25, 1915 patent date
• Original Pelouze computing chart remains present
• Heavy mechanical construction
MEASUREMENTS
• Approx. 14” long
• Approx. 7” high
• Approx. 6” deep
• Weight: 6 lb 6 oz
CONDITION
Good vintage condition with lots of authentic age and character.
There are scratches, finish wear, oxidation, patina, discoloration and wear to the painted scale, labels and printed Pelouze chart. Please see photos for the exact cosmetic condition.
The mechanical components move, but the instrument has not been tested, calibrated or verified for accuracy. It is being sold as a vintage nautical instrument/display piece.
No claim is made that it is currently suitable for navigational use.
A scarce piece with great mechanical detail and an unusual connection between American sailing and an earlier commercial weighing mechanism.
