Powerboat | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Powerboat

The powerboat is defined as any kind of boat powered by any engine except a steam engine. While steam-powered boats date from as early as the late 1790s, boats with other power sources did not come into existence until nearly a century later. Perhaps the first powerboat designed for pleasure was developed by F. W. Ofeldt of the United States in 1885. His 21-foot (6.4 m) launch used a two-horsepower engine that was fueled by naphtha gas, a type of liquid fuel related to gasoline.

German inventor Gottlieb Daimler is usually credited with building the first boat powered by a gasoline engine--a project that he soon abandoned in favor of his work on the automobile. A boat powered by an electric motor and battery was exhibited at the Paris Exposition in 1889. Despite these early developments, boating did not become popular until certain improvements to the gasoline engine made powerboating practical in the 1900s.

All of these early powerboats were inboards; that is, the motor was located within the hull. These engines were most often automobile engines that had been adapted to power a boat. The invention of the first outboard motor--a motor that was specifically designed for a boat--is credited to Ole Evinrude, who built his first outboard engine in 1906. The invention of the outboard engine, which made powerboating more economical and easier, greatly advanced the popularity of pleasure boating. After 1940, engines made of lightweight alloys were developed, allowing for outboard engines of greatly increased horsepower. This too gave rise to a surge in boating popularity in the 1940s.

These early boats were generally built of wood, but later powerboats were built of metals or of fiberglass. The design was altered to allow for greater speed, and the power sources varied as well--ranging from multi-cylinder gasoline engines to jet engines to diesels.

Racing boats such as hydroplanes and unlimited hydroplanes are considered to be powerboats, as are yachts. Looking ahead, the powerboat engine industry will soon enter a new age. By 1997, the United States Environmental Protection Agency had already mandated that by the year 2006, all two-stroke outboard engines must reduce their hydrocarbon emission levels by 75 percent. To achieve such a large reduction in emission levels and smoke, the industry will create a new generation of computer-controlled engines. These new engines will not only improve fuel economy by 30 to 40 percent, but will result in smoother running and easier starting engines that also have increased reliability and more power. Just as automakers were able to give drivers generally trouble-free, reliable cars that could go much longer between service intervals, so makers of powerboat engines will soon do the same. While all of the major engine producers are racing to meet both government requirements and consumer expectations, it should be noted that all of the planned two-stroke engines are based on fuel-injection systems. Also, they all will require sophisticated electronic systems to control engine operation. These systems' sensors will tell a small computer how long to activate the fuel injector based on such variables as altitude, temperature, and engine load. They will also automatically adjust the ignition timing to the best setting relative to any working conditions. Like modern car engines, they will be both highly reliable and highly efficient.