Marine Engines and Power Systems: The Basics Behind What Powers Your Powerboat

Boat engines take many shapes, sizes, and forms, ranging from the common outboard to rarely seen surface drive systems—which is why you’ll find plenty of current information on the latest and the greatest in our powerboat Reviews, Engines, and Parts library. But sorting through all of the different options can be quite difficult. Which is best for the type of boating you enjoy? Is newer technology necessarily better? And which engine and drive systems are evolving the fastest? Let’s take an in-depth look at motorboat engines and power systems.

Strictly speaking, the engine is what creates power and the drive system is what transfers that power into thrust. So logically, you want to distinguish between the two. There’s just one problem: many power and drive systems are integrated. The term “outboard engine,” for example, commonly describes both the powerhead and the lower-unit drive system that's attached to it. On the other hand, a “jet engine” comes in both outboard and inboard varieties. So let’s start off by dividing engines and power systems into their most basic forms: outboards and inboards.

Outboard Engine

All outboard engines, including this Yamaha F115, share the same basic design. Image credit: Boats.com

• The Outboard Expert: New Evinrude E-TEC 15 HO


• The Outboard Expert: 2009 Models from Evinrude (covering the introduction of 25, 30, 115, and 130 HP models of the first-generation E-TEC engines introduced in 2008 and 2009)


• The Outboard Expert: Evinrude Adds High-Perf 250 Outboard (first generation E-TEC)


• E-TEC G2 250 HP Outboard Test Run (second generation E-TEC introduced in 2014)


• The Outboard Expert: BRP Goes Big with Evinrude E-TEC 300 (first generation E-TEC)


• E-TEC G2 300 HP Outboard: On Water Test Run (second generation E-TEC)

• The Outboard Expert: Frisky New 40 from Honda


• The Outboard Expert: Deep Inside Honda’s New BF90


• The Outboard Expert: New Honda BF100 Outboard is on the Way

• The Outboard Expert: Mercury Marine EFI 25/30 Outboard Under the Microscope


• Mercury Debuts All-New 75 HP, 90 HP, and 115 HP FourStroke Outboards


• Mercury Sea Pro Outboards: The Outboard Expert (commercial-grade 2.1 and 3.0 liter models)


• New Mercury 150 FourStroke Outboard Debuts


• Mercury 150 Four Stroke Outboard Video: First Look


• Verado 5.0 On the Way from Mercury Marine (Verado technical update, 2015)


• The Outboard Expert: Mercury Unveils Two New Verado Models (200 HP, 300 HP models)


• Mercury Verado 350 Video: First Look at a New Outboard


• Mercury Marine Reveals Verado 350, Mercury Racing Verado 400R at Miami Boat Show


• Mercury Racing Verado 400R: Test Run

• Seven Marine 557 HP Outboards Ready for Production


• Seven Marine 557: Biggest Outboard Engines Sea Trial


• Seven Marine 627 Outboard Debuts at the 2015 Miami Boat Show

• Suzuki DF15A: Long Term Outboard Engine Test


• New Suzuki DF15A and DF20A Offer Easy Starting


• Video: Suzuki 25 and Suzuki 30 Outboards for 2014


• 2015 Suzuki Outboards: News from the Outboard Expert (EFI DF 25A, DF30A, and DF200A technical update)


• Suzuki Beefs Up Mid-Range Outboard Models for 2009 (70, 80, and 90 HP models)


• Suzuki 115 SS Outboard: First Look Video


• The Outboard Expert: Up Close with the New Suzuki DF250 SS Engine

• The Outboard Expert: More Miami Heat (25 and 30 HP models)


• Hot News from Tohatsu: New 250, 50 HP Outboards

• Yamaha Gets Tough with its F15C and F20 Outboards


• 2010 Yamaha 70, Portable 4-Strokes, and More


• The Outboard Expert: Yamaha Reveals Second-Generation F115 Outboard


• Yamaha F115: First Look Video (second generation 2014 model)


• The Outboard Expert: Yamaha Expands V MAX SHO Outboard Line for 2015 (115, 150, 175 HP models)


• Yamaha F200/VF150: Four Cylinders is Enough


• The New Yamaha Four-Stroke V MAX (200, 225, and 250 HP models)


• The New 4.2-Liter Yamaha Offshore V-6 (225, 250, 300 HP models)


• The Outboard Expert: Exclusive First Drive of Yamaha’s F350


• The Outboard Expert: Yamaha F350 - Meet the New Boss

Electric and Alternative Fuel Outboards

• Alternative Power: Outboards that are Gasoline Free (covers multiple electric and gasoline models, from 1.5 to 80 HP)


• Lehr Propane-Powered 9.9 HP Outboard Motor


• Torqeedo Electric Outboards (4.0R model, approx. 15 HP)


• The Outboard Expert: Mercury Marine and Lehr Outboards Headline the Miami Show (15 HP propane model)


• Lehr 25 Propane Outboard: Don’t Buy Gas – or Propane!


• Evinrude 55 MFE Outboard: Wrong Fuel? Submerged in Water? No Problem.


• Mercury Racing Optimax… Diesel? Yes, Diesel.


• Torqeedo Deep Blue Outboard and Hybrid: Electrifying Power (approx. 80 HP)

Inboard Engines

When the engines reside inside of the boat, regardless of which drive system is utilized, the boat is considered an inboard.

• Small Wonder: Inside the Ilmor MV8 570 Engine


• The Big Picture: Ilmor Marches On


• Ilmor Marine and Mercury Racing Make Power Moves for 2012 (covers Ilmor 570 HP MV8 and Mercury Racing 565)

• New Mercruiser 4.5L V6 Promises V8 Performance


• Mercruiser MX 6.2 Black Scorpion Ski Inboard


• MerCruiser Debuts an All New 6.2L V8 Inboard and Sterndrive Marine Engine


• Mercury Racing 540 Replacing 525 EFI

• Volvo Penta V8-380 Engine Debuts at Fort Lauderdale


• Volvo Penta Introduces Next Generation V8 and V6 Gasoline Engines


• Volvo Penta to Offer 431 HP Gasoline V8 Engine

Propulsion Systems

Straight shaft inboards are the norm on large sportfishing boats, like this Bertram 64. Image credit: Bertram

• The shafts come out through the hull-bottom of a motorboat, and steering is accomplished by directing thrust over rudders. That means handling is commonly poor as compared to boats with articulating drives. This deficit is more noticeable at low speed, but can be mitigated if you have twin engines whose fore and aft thrust can be opposed to spin the boat, or with the addition of bow thrusters and/or joystick systems.


• Both gasoline and diesel straight shafts are available, but aside from dedicated water ski and wakeboarding boats (where wake-shaping and locating the propellers as far as possible from people in the water are significant concerns) and a few mid-sized cabin cruisers (where price is a big factor—diesels cost significantly more than gasoline engines), there are relatively few gasoline inboard straight shafts on the market today.


• Straight-shaft boats have relatively deep drafts, and if any of the underwater running gear gets damaged, the boat must be hauled out for repairs.


• The engines in straight-shaft boats are fairly far forward, which can be advantageous when it comes to weight distribution. However, this does tend to eat into cabin space.

Runabouts often have stern drive propulsion. On this Cruisers bowrider, the engine is located under the aft seat, just forward of the swim platform and transom.

• The engine is mounted near the transom of the boat and is attached to a drive system that goes through the transom.


• Stern drives offer comparatively good fuel efficiency and good handling, especially at high speeds. At low speed, single-engine stern drives with single propellers (as opposed to DuoProp or Bravo III drives, which have multiple, counter-rotating propellers,) tend to wander and may be difficult to steer.


• Since the drive unit on a stern drive can be trimmed, running angle can be adjusted. At slow speeds, draft can be reduced, and you can bring the prop all the way out of the water when beaching or mooring your boat.


• On a new type of stern drive, the Volvo Penta Forward Drive, the lower unit and propellers face forward (on all other stern drives they face aft). This makes it an attractive option for water skiing and wakeboarding or wake-surfing boats, which have traditionally been straight-shaft inboards, because it moves the propellers forward by over two feet. With the props this far forward and under the boat it seems very unlikely, if not impossible, for a watersports enthusiast to fall into the spinning propellers. See the Forward Drive in action, by watching our Volvo Penta Forward Drive On-Water Test Run.


• Stern drives have an awful lot of moving parts, are fairly complex, and have a well-deserved reputation for requiring more maintenance than most other drive systems.

Pod drives come straight down through the bottom of a boat.

• The newest drive system around, these articulating drives go through the boat’s bottom.


• Compared to straight shafts they usually allow for more cabin space, and compared to stern drives they usually allow for better weight distribution.


• The articulating drives, mounted forward of the transom, offer the very best handling of any type of inboard drive system. They generally come with joystick controls and can spin in their own length or move the boat sideways.


• Pods aren’t an option on smaller boats; very few under 35’ have them and most pod-equipped boats are 40’ or over.


• The drives can’t be trimmed, so draft is always relatively deep and trim tabs are a necessity on most pod-driven boats.


• Pod drives offer an efficiency gain as compared to straight shafts. Many boats net a 15- to 30-percent fuel economy advantage.

V drives allow a manufacturer to mount the engine far aft, but still utilize shafts that exit the hull bottom.

V Drives

• V drives allow for the engine to be located far aft, yet face forward, and still have shafts that exit the boat's bottom facing aft.


• This is advantageous since, being located all the way back near the boat's transom, they don't take up any cabin space.


• Since the engines aren't located forward as with traditional straight shaft drives, the weight distribution advantages of straight shaft inboards are largely forfeited.


• V drives are mostly seen on either mid-sized cabin cruisers and motoryachts (where an emphasis is placed on maximizing the cabin's interior volume,) or on wake surfing and wakeboarding boats (where locating the weight aft helps create a large wake as well as eliminate the need for a motorbox in the center of the cockpit, yet inboard propulsion is still preferred over a stern drive).

The surface drives on this Magnum 51 Bestia are clearly visible, and they help this boat break 70 MPH.

• Sometimes called surface-piercing drives, these systems come through the transom close to the waterline and swing a propeller that’s only half-submerged when the boat is on plane. This reduces the propeller’s drag, resulting in a speed and efficiency increase. The most common is an Arneson drive.


• Surface drives are usually found on extremely expensive performance-oriented dayboats (like the Magnum 51 Bestia, or the Revolver 42).


• Some, but not all, surface drives are articulating. Some others require a rudder. Handling for either tends to be difficult at low speeds, and handling in reverse is particularly problematic.


• Draft is significantly reduced, as compared to other propeller-driven propulsion systems.


• Surface drives are designed to operate with half the propeller(s) out of the water, but at pre-planing speeds, the propeller(s) are fully submerged. As a result, some boats with surface drives have a very difficult time transitioning from pre-planing speeds to planing speeds.

Propellers? Who needs propellers? This Yamaha jet boat gets by just fine, without them.

• Jet drives utilize a water impeller and nozzle to create thrust, instead of swinging a propeller. Jets are favored by some people on small runabouts since they eliminate all the dangers associated with propellers.


• They may be utilized on larger motorboats where draft is a serious consideration; unlike most other drive systems they require water no deeper than what is required to float the hull.


• Jets aren’t as efficient as propellers through most of the power-band, and although the difference often slims as you get closer and closer to top-end, at most reasonable cruising speeds and certainly at slower speeds, MPG will suffer as compared to propeller-driven boats.


• Handling a jet drive, which steers with thrust directed by the nozzle and (usually) a “bucket” that swings down over it to redirect thrust, takes some getting used to. There will be an adjustment period for boaters who are accustomed to other systems.