SlashGear has traditionally focused on advancements in terrestrial transportation like cars and motorcycles, but we’ve devoted plenty of space to discussion of marine engines as well. We’ve presented a guide to Yamaha outboard motors, a similar primer on boats powered by electric motors, and a spotlight on General Motors’ partnership with a hybrid marine engine manufacturer. Most marine engines fall into one of three formats. Many recreational boats use outboard motors, which mount to a watercraft’s transom and have a propeller shaft mounted perpendicular to the driveshaft.
Outboard motors are used to steer the boat as well as move it through the water. Inboard motors are mounted near the boat’s center and rely on rudders to steer the craft, and a stern drive motor (also known as an inboard/outboard) has an internally mounted power unit connected to a drive unit that houses the propeller and steers the boat. Outboards have come a long way in recent decades in terms of efficiency and output since the days when carbureted two-stroke engines were the norm. Bombardier Recreational Products bought the venerable outboard brands Johnson and Evinrude in 2002 and developed the