Captain, Is That Your Boat?

Listen to Inboard Powerboat Engines Audio

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When you are determining what features you want on the powerboat you are considering buying, one of the first decisions is what kind of engine the boat will have. There are three basic types; inboard, outboard and inboard/outboard. The inboard/outboard is usually referred to as I/O.

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.

Audio Version Consider All Powerboat Costs

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Wait, my friend! Before you sign on the dotted line and commit yourself to several years of monthly payments for a powerboat, you do need to think about more that just the initial cost. You need to consider the other costs associated with owning a powerboat….and there are other costs.

Have you considered the cost of insuring your powerboat? Boat insurance doesn’t come cheap. It is tied directly to the value of the boat that is to be insured. If you have financed your boat through a bank or other lending institution, they are going to require that you carry sufficient insurance to cover their loss if the boat is involved in an accident or damaged by weather like a hurricane. You’d best check out what the annual premium will be for the insurance that you will be required to carry.

Boating season doesn’t last all year in very many places on earth. Winter will happen. Also, you most likely will not be using your boat every single day. This means that when it is not in use, the powerboat will have to be stored. Maybe you have a garage where you can store your powerboat when you aren’t using it. That’s great! If you don’t have a garage, however, you may have to rent boat storage facilities and they don’t come cheap.

Your powerboat will have to be registered and licensed before it can be operated on public waterways. Registration and licensing fees and regulations vary from state to state. You might need to check on how much annual registration and licensing will cost you.

Two other costs that you may not have considered are costs to launch your powerboat and the fuel costs of operating your powerboat. Most marinas charge a fee to use their launch facilities and the price of fuel keeps going up.

Now, Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to talk you out of your dream boat. Just make sure your dream boat doesn’t turn into a financial nightmare.