Boat Motor Accessories: A Newbie’s Guide to Get Started
Boat motor accessories can break or rust away easily if you don’t maintain the motor regularly.
So it’s important to know the crucial boat motor components and keep some spare boat engine parts handy for replacement.
In this simple guide, you will learn the major boat motor accessories in a diagram, so that you can find the right parts for your outboard in seconds.
Also, you will find some brilliant boat motor accessory ideas to improve your boating experience, as well as the best places to buy those accessories.
Whether you are new to boating and eager to learn about boat motor accessories or looking for used parts to repower your boat, you will find all the necessary information you need quickly.
Now let’s get started!
Table of contents:
Boat Motor Parts Diagram: Find the Right Accessories You Need Quickly
What are the parts of a boat motor called? What is a boat engine component called?
The boat motor parts names can be confusing if you are new to boating.
Luckily, we got a simple diagram to show you all the necessary boat motor accessories (the engine, the mounting bracket/clamp, the body parts, the gearbox, and the propeller).
Now check the outboard motor parts diagram below to get familiar with the boat motor parts names quickly:
Please note that this diagram shows the primary parts for combustion outboard motors.
All recognized fuel outboard motors (including Mercury, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Johnson, etc) share a similar design with all the labeled boat motor parts.
How about the electric boat motors?
Compared with the combustion outboards, the electric boat motor features a much more simplified diagram with significantly fewer moving parts and accessories inside (and thus greatly reducing the risk of breaking down).
Take ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo as an example, there is no gearbox or complex components in its lower units.
Extra tip: If you are looking for specific boat motor parts by serial number or brand, you can always find that information on the product manual (usually available for download on its official website).
Boat Motor Accessories FAQs
For your quick reference, here we list some answers to the most frequently asked questions about boat motor accessories. Click to reveal the answers.
Q1: What is the boat engine compartment called?
A1: Usually the engine room is where the boat motors are located.
Q2: What does a boat motor attach to?
A2: A boat motor is attached to the boat’s transom.
Q3: What’s a transom mount?
A3: A transom mount is a type of trolling motor that mounts to the transom (back) of a boat with a clamp-on bracket. Besides the transom mount, you can also choose a bow mount.
Q4: What is a boat motor mount?
A4: A boat motor mount is a type of boat motor accessory (part) that attaches the boat engine to the mount brackets. The boat motor mount can effectively isolate the vibration and absorb shocks in cruising.
Q5: What is a boat pump called?
A5: The boat pump is usually referred to as a bilge pump which is used to remove water from the bottom of a boat’s hull.
Q6: What’s the top of a boat motor called?
A6: The top of a boat motor is called the outboard powerhead (pictured above).
Q7: What’s the bottom of a boat motor called?
A7: The lowest point on a boat motor is named the skeg (pictured above).
Q8: What is a boat plug?
A8: A boat plug (also known as a boat drain plug), is a device that allows water to flow out of a boat while preventing water from getting inside.
Q9: What’s the cover of a boat motor called?
A9: The top cover of a boat motor is called cowling. This boat motor accessory is usually removable and used for protecting the engine.
Q10: What’s the bottom fin on a boat motor called?
A10: The bottom fin on a boat motor is called a skeg, which is located below the propeller (as illustrated above).
Top 4 Boat Accessories Ideas to Improve Your Boating Experience
How can I make my boat motor more powerful? What makes a boat motor go faster?
Some boat accessories can indeed make a significant improvement to your boating experience, and here are the top 3 outboard boat motor accessories you may consider adding to your boat.
#1. Carry Bags
The most useful boat motor accessories are things having to do with keeping things organized and storage. That’s especially true for small motor boats.
And carrying bags can save you a lot of trouble with transportation and storage.
For example, the ePropulsion carry bag is one of the most popular boat motor accessories that provide you with a perfect amount of space and protection.
It’s highly recommended to add a carry bag to your cart if you are looking for some useful motor accessories for your small boat.
#2. Safety Gear
When it comes to boating, safety always comes first. And electric outboard motors come a long way in safety protection with various boat motor accessories available to keep you safe.
For example, all ePropulsion motors come with a magnetic kill switch which can stop the motor in an emergency and keep you safe.
Besides that, the more advanced wireless safety wristband is available to offer additional safety. If you wear this boat motor accessory on your wrist, the motor will be immediately shut down when you are overboard.
Multiple safety wristbands are allowed to be connected. That way, you, your families, friends, and even your dogs can all be protected all the time.
#3. Locks
Have you ever been in a situation where you are afraid that your boat motor will “find a new owner” while you are away?
So how do you secure a boat motor from being stolen? Is there a possibility to lock the battery and the motor?
If that’s your concern, you may use a padlock on the clamp handles. If you search for the “outboard motor lock” on Google, you will also find a lot of viable boat motor accessories to get the job done. Just be sure to check whether the size will work on your particular model.
#3. Extra Batteries
If you are looking for outboard motor spare parts to improve the performance of your electric outboards, extra batteries are great additions to your boat.
Some more advanced boat motor models support solar charging to extend the range and reduce your range anxiety. For example, the ePropulsion Spirit Evo allows you to even run off solar power all day on a sunny day and at low speeds.
#4. Motor Cowling
The motor and tiller cover is also a nice-to-have boat motor accessory if you wish to keep the motor on the boat.
A simple motor cowling can effectively protect your engine from rain, wind, snow, fog, dust, and scratches. A lot of experienced boaters find it useful for boat off-season outdoor storage.
If you don’t find a suitable motor cowling from the manufacturer, you can also easily make this boat motor accessory by yourself.
The list of boat motor accessories can go on and on. For example, the controls are also very popular among boaters, which help you remotely operate on the outboard motor.
If you have any brilliant boat motor accessories ideas, you are welcome to share them with us in the comment below.
Where to Buy Boat Motor Accessories & Parts
Nowadays, there are a lot of ways to buy quality boat motor accessories online and offline.
Whether you are looking for quality marine parts from big brands or cheap used motor accessories, you find useful tips below to get the best pick.
Buy Locally
A lot of boaters prefer privately owned marine chandlery. This is the best place to go if you want to find outboard boat motor accessories near you quickly.
There you can find the best selection of boat motor accessories from all renowned brands (Yamaha, Mercury, etc), with great prices and services.
There are also small marine stores located steps away from the marina, but they usually sell boat motor parts at higher prices.
Just check Google for “marinas and parts stores” and you will find the boat motor accessory stores nearest to you.
Sometimes you can also check on “RV stores” if you don’t find a local marine shop nearby. They can have similar accessories that can be used in boats.
Boat shows are another great place to learn and purchase the new gizmos on boating accessories. If you are looking for fun gear and accessories onboard, don’t miss out on the boat shows around your area.
However, if you live in a land locked area where marine stores are tough to come by, it would be more convenient to order boat motor accessories online.
Shop Online
For online shoppers, Amazon is a great place to buy boat motor parts and accessories. There you can find almost everything you need for your boat.
If you go this way, be sure to pay attention to the availability and how fast they can get it to you during your shopping.
Also, beware of stores with low ratings and negative reviews, since a lot of boat and marine products are built incredibly cheap and can break quickly.
If you don’t want your boat motor accessories breaking and rusting away all the time, don’t forget to check the reviews from real customers. Always stay away from new sellers and low-feedback sellers.
West Marine is also a reliable source to shop for boat motor accessories, according to customer reviews. Although the price can be a little higher, you will get high-quality boat parts.
Some reputable manufacturers (including ePropulsion) will display the boat motor accessory catalog on their official website and provide their dealer information worldwide so you can easily find the nearest dealer to order any boat motor accessories you want.
That way, you can enjoy the convenience of both worlds.
Looking for used motor parts?
Buying new boat motor accessories is nice but costly. If budget is a concern, buying used motor parts is a great idea to save money.
Craigslist and Facebook Market Place are the most popular places to find quality used boat motor accessories. Just pay attention to the brands and always buy from the recognized brands.
Another good way to find used boat parts or accessories buy from the broke sailors who are willing to negotiate and sell their used boat motor accessories for cheap.
Also check your Facebook groups and outboard motor parts forums to find old used boating accessories for sale. If you can be patient, you can land a deal. If you must have it now, go to your local marine store, pay the man, and get it over.
If you are interested in learning about some secret tips to save money on buying boat motor accessories, be sure to check out our previous post to get the best deal for your boat.
Further Reading: How Can I Find a Reliable Outboard for Cheap