My answer to How do you drive a motor boat?
Answer by Desmond Last:
A shopping trolley which tends to veer left or right when pushed slowly but straight ahead when you go quite quickly is close to the directional characteristics of a boat.
A boat has to push water away from its bow until it goes fast enough to drive over the bow wave it is creating and begin to drive on the surface of the water.
A motor-boat is normally a ‘planing boat’ It will go fast enough to drive the hull out of the bow wave and plane on the surface of the water.
A boat that does not plane is called a ‘displacement boat’. It displaces the water ahead of it down its hull as it travels forward. It will travel at no more than about 10 knots for say a 30 foot boat.
A recreational production family motor boat can go as fast as 40 plus knots.
Therefore you will need to learn how to drive at speed on a motor boat and will need lessons.
It is nothing like a car. You cannot stop and pull on the handbrake in an emergency.
Get proper lessons it will save lives.
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