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Hi all - my teacher loves this pose (boat pose) and I know it's supposed to be great for your abs but it hurts my lowe back. Is there a way that I can only work my stomach in this pose without my back taking over?

Hey Jen - you could try keeping your knees bent as you do this pose (so that you're still balancing up on your sit bones, but your legs are bent and are parallel to the floor). Place your hands gently on your knees for support. This way you'll be working your abs not your back. If this is still too hard then you can place the tips of your fingers on the floor behind you to help you keep your balance and support you whilst you're in the pose.

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You can also keep your legs bent but your toes on the floor.

Isn't that cheating?

It ain't cheatin

From my own experience, I also found the full pose difficult having weak abs and lower back. It took me a long time doing gentle lower back stretches and twists, fitball crunches and stretching and strengthening of the hip muscles to be able to do the boat without it straining into the lower back.
Vicious circle; in order to have great abs from the pose, I had to have great abs!

Also I think the abs and the lower back are intimately connected in terms of 'core' support, so they can't really be isolated from each other.

Modifying your legs and arms in the pose as suggested above would be a great idea.

There is also a Half-Boat that may be up your alley, since you're lower down and the abs are 'crunching.'

If you practice gently but firmly retracting your pubic abdomen on your exhale and moving your belly button to the spine while staying 'tall' in your body, that might help to activate the various abdominal muscles and take some of the load off the muscles of the back.

Here is a link to Yoga Journal describing the full pose; there are several tips below on preparation, variations & modifications etc.:

Yoga Journal : Poses : Seated & Twists