Outboard Motors News

SCHOTTEL founder Josef Becker invented the fully steerable rudder propeller, an innovation that continues to shape the maritime industry today.Since its introduction, more than 17,000 SCHOTTEL RudderPropellers have been sold, powering a wide variety of vessels on nearly every major body of water around the globe. This year marks the 75th anniversary of this development.With the invention of the SCHOTTEL RudderPropeller (SRP) in 1950, ships could, for the first time, use the full power of their propulsion system for maneuvering.

ProZero International, a workboat supplier in the Danish Tuco Marine Group, has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of the innovative American “Swamp Shark Drives propulsion systems” across Europe, West Africa, Kenya, and additional regions. This partnership brings a revolutionary solution to the maritime industry, particularly for operators in challenging environments such as mangrove areas, shallow waters, and debris-filled rivers.The Swamp Shark Drive is an advanced surface drive system engineered for seemless performance in demanding conditions.

Theodore, Ala. aluminum boatbuilder Silver Ships recently delivered an Explorer 40 workboat to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Pittsburgh District for use on the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers.The second of three Explorer 40 series workboats ordered by USACE Pittsburgh District, the 40-foot workboat will support the Corps’ mission of improving navigable waterways and water infrastructure.The custom-built 40-foot vessel is powered by Twin 350HP Suzuki outboard motors that give the vessel enhanced maneuvering capabilities for working in tight spaces.

The state of Texas is putting into service a fleet of new, highly capable patrol boats as it works to detect, disrupt and deter criminal activity along the Rio Grande."Now, more than ever, it is imperative that our law enforcement officers and Texas National Guard soldiers adopt innovative solutions," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said during a recent visit tour the state’s enhanced assets along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to Abbott’s official website, the Governor has secured $4 billion in funding for Texas' border security efforts.

Mobile, Ala. boatbuilder Silver Ships recently delivered a multi-mission Explorer 40 Landing Craft vessel to the Suffolk County Public Works Department located on New York's Long Island.Suffolk County Public Works Department oversees all county properties and projects while maintaining safe public navigations including waterways, bridges, docks, marinas, sewerage systems and more. The custom-built Explorer workboat’s primary purpose is to transport heavy machinery and equipment to further support the department's efforts in the waters located in and surrounding Suffolk County…

OXE Marine AB announced it is joining forces with U.S. distributor Diesel Outboards and Outdoor Network Manufacturing to strengthen the focus on commercial and distribution development.The diesel outboard engine manufacturer said it agreed to acquire 100% of Diesel Outboards and Outdoor Network Manufacturing’s U.S. distribution and manufacturing business. Through the transaction, OXE strengthens its position in the U.S. market, creating a direct to market model, gaining access to end-user…

Annapolis, Md. boatbuilder Ocean Craft Marine (OCM) said it is preparing to deliver a custom-designed high-performance boat to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), Pacific Islands Division headquartered in Hawaii.The boat is a 9.5-meter rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) that was custom designed for the extreme offshore environs of the open Pacific Ocean waters and the various mission-profiles that are unique to NOAA OLE.OCM…

Palatka, Fla. based St. Johns Ship Building is constructing a self-propelled, 10,000 gallon, USCG Inspected, double-hull tankship for Intracoastal Marine Fuel (IMF) of Jupiter, Fla. Designed by JMS Naval Architects, the 53- by 18-foot tankship design is unique for its compact size and diesel outboard propulsion.The innovative design is the smallest vessel to receive U.S. Coast Guard plan approval as a Subchapter D tankship.IMF will use the vessel to deliver marine diesel to mega-yachts, commercial, and recreational vessels in the Palm Beach, Fla. area.

Dublin-based Irish Commercial Charter Boats (ICCB) has ordered a bespoke 12-meter landing craft to support a wave of offshore energy projects on the horizon. The Chartwell Marine-designed vessel will be built at the Arklow Marine shipyard starting this month for schedule delivery in summer 2021.With a number of large-scale energy projects coming to Irish waters, the aluminum vessel has been developed to meet ICCB’s expanding operational requirements, including surveying, assisting with cable landing and transporting supplies and personnel to near-shore offshore installations.

However readers might define “normal”, 2020 was anything but. But the business of rigid inflatable boats (RIB) has been going at full throttle.Matthew Velluto, Director of Business Development and Marketing at RIBCRAFT USA, based in Marblehead, Mass., described a business moving steadily ahead, though it’s had to weave and bob at times during 2020. “We’ve been able to stay open throughout 2020, with no disruptions on our side,” though he acknowledged hiccups further down in the company’s supply chain. He explains that the business was deemed to be “essential”.

Theodore, Ala. boat builder Silver Ships said it has recently delivered an Ambar 1100 oceangoing rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) for the Eglin Air Force Base in western Florida.Built to assist in ocean rescue and firefighting missions, the 36-foot-long vessel includes an enhanced center console model that features Silver Ships’ specially designed console with a front windscreen and additional bolster seating. Twin Mercury Verado 300-horsepower outboard motors enable the vessel…

Cox Powertrain's production line has been in full flow over the last few weeks with the company’s team of engineers working around the clock to meet their next big milestone. This week Cox watched the first ever production CXO300 diesel outboards come off the assembly line, ready to leave the factory to the company's global network of distributors.Cox’s distributors have been awaiting the delivery of their first CXO300 outboard engines so that they can begin their on-the-water customer demonstrations.

Now more than ever, professional operators are opting to run outboard engines on a various small military craft, patrol boats, multi-mission workboats and other vessels that have traditionally been powered by small to midsized inboard engines.Using engines that can be mounted on the outside of a vessel instead of those requiring placement inside the hull presents a number of advantages, including space savings on board, easier access for maintenance as well as simpler, quicker replacement…

Honda Motor Europe Logistics in Ghent intends to deploy barges for the transport of its parts and final products. Honda began transporting containers from the port of Antwerp to North Sea Port via inland shipping.By doing so, the car manufacturer is investing in ‘green’ transport. North Sea Port encourages businesses to invest in sustainability wherever possible. The modal shift – a focus on less transport by road and more transport via inland shipping, rail or pipelines – is a vital aspect of these efforts.At least 1,420 containers arriving from countries such as Japan, Thailand, the USA, Mexico and China reach their final destination in North Sea Port via inland shipping each year.

Parker Shinn and Morrelli & Melvin introduce the ArgoX90, a unique concept designed to significantly reduce space launch and rocket component recovery costs.Rocket reusability has become the space industry’s focus to reduce cost. While SpaceX has landed boosters on drone ships hundreds of miles out to sea, expensive parts of a rocket have still proven unrecoverable. The ArgoX90 may change that.“A boat like this could lower launch costs by 10% in some cases,” said Shinn, who conceived of the original concept.

South African Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) builder Gemini Marine has announced Berthon as its sole UK & Ireland dealer for its range of military, rescue, commercial and leisure RIBs.Gemini Marine designs and manufactures comprehensive range of cabin and open RIBs for many of the world’s military, rescue and commercial operators, as well as supplying RIBs into the leisure, expedition and adventure sectors. "As one of the UK’s established marine sales and service brands, Berthon will give Gemini customers the highest quality product and the most reliable after-sales care and in-service support. From its Lymington base, Berthon will be promoting sales of Gemini RIBS throughout the UK and Ireland into all market sectors…

British diesel outboard manufacturer Cox Powertrain has signed an agreement with SoungJin Marine Co. Ltd. to act as distributor for its 300hp diesel outboard engine in South Korea.SoungJin Marine Co. Ltd has over 30 years‘ in distributing outboard motors and boat accessories. The South Korean company is the first Asian distributor to be confirmed by Cox Powertrain."We are delighted to have secured the contract and becoming the first Asian distributor for the most innovative diesel outboard engine in the world," said SoungJin Marine Co. Ltd’s CEO, Wooseok Hong, commenting on the new partnership. "A strong partnership with Cox Powertrain will be a huge success in the South Korean market."When speaking about the need for an engine such as CXO300 in the market…

Volvo Penta informs it has signed an agreement to become the major owner of U.S. based outboard motor manufacturer, Seven Marine, enabling the Swedish company to extend its scope of integrated propulsion systems. “With this acquisition, Volvo Penta is entering the outboard motor segment,” said Volvo Penta president, Björn Ingemanson. Volvo Penta said the deal will broaden its technology platform, while Seven Marine will be able to further develop its existing outboard technology to satisfy a wider range of needs for its customer base.

Diversification is the key at Oregon-based North River Boats. Listening closely to the customer’s needs recently won the day on a multi-hull U.S. Navy contract, but that’s not all that’s happening in Oregon. Roseburg, Ore.-based North River Boats has, over time, thrived by delivering one of the most diverse vessel portfolios in North America. Those offerings include both domestic and foreign deliveries, as well as recreational, commercial and military hulls. And, if that formula has taught them just one thing, then that metric would be that different customers need different features. And, for a firm known initially for cranking out a well-known brand of nearly identical recreational craft, it has also learned that flexibility in design and offerings can also win the day.

Lake Assault Boats, a leading manufacturer of purpose-built and mission-specific fire and rescue boats, has been chosen to construct a 34-foot fireboat by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire in Pittsburgh, PA. The fireboat will respond to emergencies and help manage fires on waterways, waterfronts, rail lines, and marinas that lie along the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, which join together in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River. The contract is valued at more than $540,000. The craft will be delivered in summer 2017. “We are thrilled to be appointed by the City of Pittsburgh and its Equipment Leasing Authority to engineer and construct this extremely powerful fireboat to protect resources that lie along the city’s iconic riverfront areas…

Lake Assault Boats, manufacturer of purpose-built and mission-specific fire and rescue boats, recently assisted the Superior, Wis. Fire Department in its response to a fire on an ore boat at Fraser Shipyards. At the time, a team from Lake Assault was in the final stages of testing the 28-foot fireboat destined for the City of Newburgh, N.Y. After its assist – by providing a water supply for the Superior FD – the craft was placed into service with the City of Newburgh Fire Department.

A new high-tech unmanned vessel, launched with the help of Google, will use innovative technologies from the boatbuilding and mapping fields to map shorelines and raise awareness of the impacts of global sea level rise. Originally designed to be worn by backpackers, Google's proprietary Street View Trekker camera system was provided on loan to the San Francisco Baykeeper organization, allowing them to create bay-level maps. It plans to use the imagery collected—nearly 500 miles of coastline ranging from San Jose to Antioch, California—on its website and for educational purposes.

Kvichak’s Rapid Response Skimmers (RRS) are perhaps best known for their use by the U.S. Navy, but the design of these robust and well-designed units has evolved over time and today boasts placement in virtually every major spill organization. When, just this past October, Kvichak Marine won a U.S. Navy contract for 12 30-foot Rapid Response Skimmers (RRS) for delivery over the next 18 months, with options for up to 30 additional skimmers to be delivered through 2019, that wasn’t necessarily earthshaking news. That’s because the aluminum Kvichak RRS is already the Navy’s tier one response asset. The new craft will supplement the Navy’s current fleet of over 85 units in operation in Navy ports worldwide since 1994.