
Photo Jarrett Bay/Luke Pearson
By Christopher Swanhart
It used to be there was only one choice for marine propulsion—wind. Steam power was next, then it was the internal combustion engine. Typically, this power has been delivered to the water via submerged propellers on inclined shafts. And even with the multitude of propulsion types available today, and the significant advances in systems efficiency, inclined shafts remain a constant on mid- to large-sized sportfishing vessels. Let’s take a look at why.