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Sailing and Powerboat Blog

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Here we will discuss the inboard powerboat engine. First the inboard powerboat engine is usually bigger and much less compact than an outboard engine. It isn’t necessary to make an inboard engine as compact because all of the components don’t have to be housed in a single unit.

An inboard powerboat engine is located near the center of the hull of the powerboat rather than on the back of the hull like an outboard engine. This is one of the main selling points of the inboard engine because it creates a low center of gravity. The transmission is on the back of the engine and it connects to the propeller shaft. The propeller shaft goes down through the bottom of the powerboat where it is supported by at least one strut.  This strut (or struts) is attached to the bottom of the hull. The propeller is attached to the bottom of the shaft and the rudder is just aft of the propeller.

Some of the advantages of an inboard powerboat engine are that it gives the boat a lower center of gravity and thus more stability and, although this continues to be debated, the straight inboard system seems to be the most simple and most efficient way to deliver power from the engine to the propeller.

The only two disadvantages that have been noted are that the inboard engine takes up a lot of space and that it is somewhat less maneuverable at low speed and when it is in reverse.

Bruce Stott is the Chief Instructor of Gulf Islands Cruising School Ltd. in Sidney, BC on Vancouver Island.  He is the author of Boating FAQ’s, 71 Essential Answers for Every Boater.

Take a step back and don’t call your banker yet. You need to think this major purchase over before you commit yourself and a whole lot of future earnings to the ownership of a powerboat. The first thing that you need to decide here is just how much boat you need…not WANT but NEED.

Will you use a powerboat just for one day boating outings or will you need sleeping accommodations? If you do want sleeping accommodations on your powerboat then how many people will you need those sleeping accommodations for? Take notes here…write down your sleeping or non-sleeping requirements.

Do you need to be able to actually cook onboard your powerboat? Do you need a full blown galley or would just a refrigerator serve your needs? Add your answer to your list.

If you are only going to use your powerboat for one day outings, you won’t need sleeping accommodations or a galley and that cuts the overall price down by a great many dollars.

What kind of activities are you planning to use your boat for? Will you only use it for fishing or will you want to use it for water skiing, as well? If you are only going to use it to fish, you don’t need a lot of speed. Remember that the speed capability is going to add a lot of dollars to the price of the powerboat.

The purchase of a powerboat is certainly a major purchase. You need to buy what you NEED and not pay a lot of money for features that you don’t need and will never use.

Bruce Stott is the Chief Instructor of Gulf Islands Cruising School Ltd. in Sidney, BC on Vancouver Island.  He is the author of Boating FAQ’s, 71 Essential Answers for Every Boater.