#BEST INBOARD BOAT ENGINE FULL#

Because the entire engine is located outside the boat, there’s more room in the boat for seating or gear storage.It’s lighter, faster, more efficient, and easier to service.Repowering an inboard boat is also an option, but a more-challenging project.īoat Motor Maintenance & Engine Care GuideĪn outboard has many advantages over a sterndrive: When an outboard is damaged or simply worn out, it is relatively easy to re-power the boat with a new outboard. Servicing the inboard requires working under an engine hatch, often in pretty cramped confines. With the boat on a trailer you can simply stand next to the outboard.

#BEST INBOARD BOAT ENGINE FULL#

This is an advantage for the outboard if the boat is docked or moored full time in saltwater, as it prevents marine growth and corrosion from occurring on the drive.īecause the entire engine is outside the boat, an outboard is easier to service than an inboard. However, most sterndrives can not be tilted completely out of the water, while most outboards can clear the water when tilted all the way up.

Sterndrives once had a reputation for being more prone to corrosion-related issues in salt water, but corrosion resistance is much improved on modern engines and outdrives, and many can be equipped with a closed cooling system that keeps most saltwater out of the engine.

An outboard is self-draining and many owners can accomplish their own off-season service.

Both will require similar annual maintenance, except that in cold climates the cooling system of most sterndrive engines needs to be flushed with antifreeze solution, usually by a marine service center. Outboard Maintenance Costs & Ownershipīecause it will usually weigh less and be a more-efficient design, an outboard motor will typically deliver better fuel economy than a sterndrive. However, even with less horsepower the outboard-powered boat will often cost a little more-2 to 4 percent-than a similar boat with a sterndrive. This rule of thumb holds true as you move up and down the horsepower scale. In this example, a 200-horsepower outboard will usually match the performance of a 250-horsepower sterndrive, simply because the outboard weighs less, and because that weight is more efficiently positioned behind, rather than inside, the boat. It seems natural to make a cost comparison based on horsepower-a 250-horsepower outboard to a 250-horsepower sterndrive in the same boat-but it’s smarter to make that comparison based on performance. These may be rigged with three or four outboards that combined make more power than the biggest pair of sterndrive engines available, resulting in performance that was once unimaginable. As outboard motors have become more powerful, they are gaining popularity on larger cabin cruiser and day boats that once were always equipped with inboard engines. Outboards are available from tiny 2-horsepower kickers to 600 horsepower, but for family boating the range is typically 90 to 300 horsepower. An outboard motor is a dedicated marine engine that is attached directly to the stern of a boat. Sterndrives are currently offered from 200 horsepower to 430 horsepower, but many compact runabouts on the pre-owned market may be powered by a 130-horsepower sterndrive that is no longer in production. The exception would be for a dedicated watersports tow boat, which has an inboard engine turning a propeller under the boat, with steering control provided by a rudder. What are the Key Differences Between Inboard and Outboard Motors?įamily boats with inboard power are almost always equipped with a sterndrive (sometimes called an inboard/outboard or I/O) powertrain, which combines an automotive-type engine mounted inside the boat with a steerable and trimable drive unit mounted on the stern (the back) of the boat.

Best inboard boat engine