How to choose the right size boat motor?

A good rule is to get the horsepower as possible to the maximum your boat is rated for. And added penalty for too little horsepower is excessive fuel consumption. It seems like a smaller engine should burn less, but typically, it has to work harder to give the performance you expect and it burns more gas doing it. Which horse will have an easier time of carrying a 200-lb rider? A smaller, slimmer horse or a stronger, more powerful horse?

A boat that may give a satisfactory test run with you and the dealer and 10 gallons of fuel may be completely unacceptable with a maximum passenger load, a cooler of drinks and a full tank of gas.

Ensure that the motor you choose is the ideal horsepower for your vessel.

Surveys show the most likely reason a boater becomes disenchanted with his new boat is for lack of horsepower. Ensure that the motor you choose is the ideal horsepower for your vessel and the activities you want to pursue. Often the choice of power is over-simplified by the question “How fast will it go?” More horsepower gives far more than speed. It gives better handling at midrange speeds, a better “hole shot” for pulling skiers from the water and often better sea keeping capabilities in rough water.