One of the first questions you might consider when you’re looking for outboard boat motors for sale in West Palm Beach is how much horsepower do you need? That’s a good question, and ARG Marine wants you to be informed on what you should be looking for. 

Two factors to consider when looking for the correct horsepower for your outboard engine are how many people you expect to carry on your boat and what you intend to use it for. 

At ARG Marine, our helpful product specialists can point you to what you need when visiting our store. However, if you’re in the research phase, this guide can help you decide.

Manufacturer Limits

The manufacturer’s limits are the first place you could start when considering how much horsepower you need for your boat. You can find this information in the owner’s manual for your boat. It should tell you about the maximum capacity for cargo and passengers as well as the maximum horsepower that your boat can handle. 

Fuel Efficiency

Another factor to consider is fuel efficiency. However, it’s important to understand that more horsepower doesn’t mean less fuel efficiency. For example, if you run a lower horsepower engine at full throttle all the time, you’re going to use more fuel than a higher horsepower engine running at a lower RPM. The ideal range to run your gas outboard engine is between 3,000 and 3,500 RPM. So, if you need your boat to cruise at a certain speed, it’s important to get a motor that can do that comfortably and not at a high RPM. 

Boat Use

How you use your boat is generally a major factor in any boating decision. Are you using your boat to cruise around for fun with friends and family? Are you using your boat primarily for fishing? Are you using your boat to pull skiers or tubers? Suppose you plan to pull watersport equipment of any kind. In that case, you’ll typically want to go for close to the highest horsepower that your boat can handle in order to provide enough power while also maintaining fuel efficiency. At ARG Marine, you can find a wide range of new and used outboard boat motors for sale to fit any kind of boating application. 

Insurance Factors

Now for a factor that you may not have considered–insurance. Just like with car insurance, boat insurance can be affected by horsepower. The type of policy, overall coverage, and your premium cost are the three main areas affected by horsepower.

If you’re currently covered and are considering upgrading your boat engine to something with more horsepower, make sure and check in with your insurance company to see if they have any rules for maximum horsepower. One main item to note is that if you exceed the manufacturer’s limits of horsepower for your boat, you will likely have a very difficult time finding insurance. 

A change in horsepower might also increase your insurance premium. If this could be a concern, you should check with your insurance company before taking the plunge for a higher horsepower motor. 

If you have a small powerboat with less than 25 horsepower, it’s common for your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance to extend coverage. However, if you have a larger boat with over 25 horsepower, then you’ll generally need a separate policy specifically for the boat. 

You can find a huge selection of outboard boat motors for sale at ARG Marine near West Palm Beach. Not only do we have tons of products available for local customers, but we also ship worldwide.