Inboard Ski Boats

Inboard Ski Boats
By Lisa Renee Sherman

The water looks like glass, the heat of the sun is starting to rise, and there isn’t a breeze in sight. This is the dream of every skier. There are many qualities that make up a great ski boat, but smooth water is the ultimate desired result. For this reason, inboard ski boats are typically preferred over most other forms.

The inboard engine is the oldest of all the marine engines. The simplest explanation of an inboard engine is that it is a converted automotive engine. Just like an automotive engine, it is connected to a transmission and uses a drive shaft. The drive shaft is attached to a propeller. The V-Drive engines have a slight variation in how it hooks up to the gearbox. Once the shaft is connected to the gearbox, it runs to the propeller is much of the same way.

An inboard engine operates off of a “raw water cooling” system (also known as an “Open Circuit Cooling” system), just like that of any automotive engine. Basically this means that the engine is cooled internally. In an automotive vehicle, the engine needs a water source to use for cooling, but with marine engines they merely use the outside water source. Basically the water is pumped throughout the engine for cooling and then enters the exhaust system. The water exits through the exhaust system which rapidly cools down the exhaust and thus allows the engine to run quieter.

One of the most significant factors regarding this method of cooling is that the source of water is cool, thus there is no need for a radiator. Another huge importance is that there is an extremely low wake, ultimately making the perfect skiing environment. There are some drawl backs with an inboard ski boat though. Since the cooling water temperature depends on the outside source temperature the ski boat will have variations in performance ability. An automotive engine is able to maintain the desired temperature for ideal performance. This is not how an inboard engine is designed to operate.

The most typical type of engine used today in boats is that of the V-6. Some of the more high-end ski boats have advanced on to a V-8 engine. Inboard engines are large, and the more cylinders used the larger the engine. This also adds to the overall weight of the water craft.

Consumers voice several features about inboard ski boats that are preferred over outboard ski boats. The obvious is the low wake that is left. Inboard ski boats can very rapidly accelerate speed, thus the skier or wake boarder is able to get up quicker. The one area that separates it greatly from an outboard ski boat is how smoothly it can handle tight turns. This is due to the internal gearbox for steering, verses needing to turn the entire engine.

When purchasing ski boats it is important to know the purpose and intended use of the water craft. Once that is clear, it is much easier to narrow the selection to find the perfect boat for the money. A majority of all the major ski boat manufactures make inboard ski boats.

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