How Much Power Do I Need?

With gas prices again on the rise, everybody is trying to get the most fuel efficient engine that they can when they look for a new boat.  All boats have a range of power options from a range of manufactures that the boat will be able to handle.  With outboard powered boats, its simple, somewhere inside the boat, usually near the helm will be a plaque that will show how large of an engine the boat is rated for.  With an inboard or I/O, you will have to either check the manufactures website or the spec sheet for the boat.  

For the purpose of this explanation, I am going to use an outboard powered boat since they are the easiest to determine how much power will be needed as well as their RPM range is easier to explain.  

Below are the most important thoughts as to why I believe that you should opt for bigger engines.  

• An engine will be much "happier" being run at 3500 RPM rather than 6000 RPM to achieve the same speed.  
• Though the engine will be bigger and have a larger displacement, it could actually be more fuel efficient.  Of course, the engine that is running at 3500 will be using less fuel than the engine that is running at 6000 while trying to achieve the same speed. 
• Once you buy the boat, you are stuck with it.  Many who buy boats with smaller engines will later wish that they had bought the bigger one.  You can't change the engine without having to bring significant money to the table because you now have a used engine.