Keep these concerns in mind when buying a new pontoon boat, or repowering your current boat.
- Preventing prop ventilation with crew seated forward
- Minimizing vibration
- Delivering low-speed thrust
- Determining optimum mounting height
- Providing directional control
- Selecting the right propeller
Specialty Motors
Do you need a “pontoon motor”? Not exactly. As long as the engine provides the characteristics required for the particular boat and intended owner applications, all will be well.
That said, outboards with electronic controls, like Suzuki’s DF200A fly-by-wire version outboards, mate well with luxury pontoon boats. These offer a more refined experience, and the engine becomes another node on the boat’s network, integrated with other devices, such as MFD touchscreens, and even your mobile phone or tablet. Power steering is a nice feature for a luxury pontoon, and the lower gear ratio of engines like Suzukis, allow swinging a bigger propeller, which can offer more control around the dock and more authority at speed and cruising.
At the other end of the power spectrum, some pontoon owners are more interested in simplicity than convenience; desire positive control and motive power over speed. Yamaha’s High Thrust series of outboards deliver on these counts. These engines are fitted with a lower gear ratio than the standard engines to swing a larger propeller, exactly what’s needed to move a full crew on a pontoon at a reasonable speed. And, mechanical control makes them less expensive to purchase and, often, a better candidate for repower.
Finally, Rotax S outboards are now available aboard Manitou pontoon boats. These engines leave the aft deckwide open, and also feature many convenient deferred maintenance features. We awarded the Rotax Outboard a Marine Power Innovation Award for 2022.
