On 1 Apr 2007 07:47:49 -0700, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

I was told that "all tournament quality tow boats are inboards". Is
there something about the function or physics of a tow boat that
precludes using an IO, or is it more of a safety and logistics issue
associated with getting the running gear under the boat away from the
skier or wakeboarder and the tow line?

Safety could be one issue but it could also be related to reliability
and maintenance. Conventional wisdom around here is that straight
inboards require a lot less maintenance and are consequently more
reliable in heavy service. That said, I/Os have their advantages for
operating in shallow water, trailering and ease of prop maintenance.
Also, because of their inline prop thrust, I/Os usually offer more top
end speed. Since none of those advantages are likely to be important
to a tournament tow boat, you could also argue that the additional
expense of an I/O is not worthwhile.