Motorboat

A motorboat or powerboat is a boat whose propulsion is exclusively provided by a motor, not by wind power (e.g. sail or power kite) or human power. A motorboat capable of cruising at a much faster speed is also called a speedboat. Some larger motorboats (such as motor yachts) are fitted with inboard motors, while most other motorboats have one or more outboard motors installed at the stern. Most boat motors are internal combustion engine driving a single propeller, with the gearbox, drivetrain and sometimes also the rudder and even the steering handle (i.e. "tie bar") all assembled into one portable unit, although in recent times there are also some that use electric motors (i.e. electric boats). An inboard-outboard contains a hybrid of an inboard and an outboard, where the internal combustion engine is installed inside the boat, and the gearbox and propeller are outside. There are also motorboats utilizing a pump-jet propulsion instead of propellers, although those are rare. There are two configurations of an inboard, V-drive and direct drive. A direct drive has the powerplant mounted near the middle of the boat with the propeller shaft straight out the back, where a V-drive has the powerplant mounted in the back of the boat facing backwards having the shaft go towards the front of the boat then making a V towards the rear.