I need to know the basics of working a speedboat...?

Question

Could any1 please tell me:

a) what it runs on

b) how soon will it run out of whatever it runs on

c) how you steer

d) how many people an average one can accomodate

e) any other important information I might need to get it running, please

Thank you!

Answer 1

No one in their right mind would even attempt to give you all that you need to know in a brief answer,  Please do all of us informed boaters a huge favor and stay off of the water until you have had hours of experience and instruction with someone who has the skills you want.

Answer 2

Go to the library and check out a book on boat handling & seamenship>

Answer 3

Motor boats generally run on gasoline. If its a 2-stroke engine then it will run on a mixture of gasoline and motor oil. The motor oil is mixed in to lubricate the motor. A 4-stroke engine (less common in outboards but becoming more popular) runs on gasoline same as your car. Some boats have diesel engines ... but those are generally the larger ... not personal water craft sized.

Fuel consumption of boat motors is generally referred to in "gallons per hour". A good rule of thumb is gallons per hour of a 2-stroke is horsepower/12 or for a 4-stroke is horsepower/15. So, a 200hp 2-stroke outboard would burn about 17 gph at full throttle. There is a wide range of fuel tank sizes however. My 20' boat has a 90 gallon ... some boats of the same size might only have half that.

Steering is accomplished by turning the "lower unit" which has the propeller attached to it. You turn this by turning the entire outboard ... which is accomplished by either a tiller (a handle attached to smaller outboards) or by steering wheel. You turn the direction the propeller is pointed and that changes the direction that thrust is applied and will then turn the boat. Its easier to practice then explain because there is also a speed on boats below "steerage way" where the boat isn't moving fast enough to be steered by the hull and the outboard. Instead, the boat is pushed around by the propeller thrust only. In some boats ... dropping below this speed can even reverse the direction that the boat steers.

I'd say an "average boat" can fit 3-6 people depending on size... ranging from 13' to 23'.

As I said before ... boats behave very differently when moved slow ... such as when negotiating around boat docks and when trailering the boats. Steering a boat when moving at a decent speed is reasonably simple. Controlling a boat at slow speeds, below "steerage way", requires a bit more practice.