Are you looking to rent a boat? Maybe even buy one? You want to choose the right one. After all, as pleasurable and beneficial as boating is, the wrong kind of boat might spoil that pleasure a bit. While you can sleep in a fishing boat and fish off a cabin cruiser, it won’t be as great as fishing off a fishing boat and sleeping in a cabin cruiser. Choose the boat for the primary activity you plan to do on the boat. Read on to learn about different types of boats and how to choose the best one for you.
Types of fishing boats
As the name suggests, fishing boats are great for fishing. There can be different types of fishing boats. The main ones are:
All-purpose fishing boats. They are usually made from aluminum and have higher sides. These fishing boats have maximum versatility, allowing you to fish whatever you want wherever you want comfortably.
Bass boats are for fishing bass and similar fish. They are lower to the water, so you can bend and pick up the bass by hand. They usually have a fiberglass hull and high horsepower.
Bay boats or flats boats are great in shallow water, such as coastal bays and marshy areas. However, they are not so good in rough waters. They technically have a center console but do not confuse them with center console boats. These are fishing boats that you can use as day boats. Center console boats are better offshore, large lakes and oceans.
A fish and ski boat is half a fishing boat, half a day boat. It is perfect for watersports. They have sections to sit and relax but also such features as fish finders. You can wholesomely enjoy family time, watersports, and fishing on such boats.
Different types of day and family boats
Bowriders are super versatile. You can fish, relax, basically do it all. They are great for rough waters and come in different sizes: from 17 to 40 ft.
Deck boats are similar to bowriders but have more board space, are larger and heavier. They are also easier to get on and off.
Pontoons are superb for relaxation. A lot of people, as well as gear, fit on pontoon boats. They are very comfortable, so choose them if you want to spend time on the water relaxing.
High-performance boats, as the name suggests, are about fun and speed. They are great in rough waters and very speedy. They are also quite loud, just like high-performance cars.
Watersports boats, also known as wake boats or ski boats, are all about watersports. So they are the best boats to enjoy wakeboarding, wake surfing, tubing, and water skiing.
Boats you can sleep on
Cuddy cabins. They are a mix between a day boat and an overnight boat. They have a small cabin, where you can sleep. Cuddy cabins are both agile and versatile. However, nowadays few cuddy cabins are made new. You can find used ones, though.
Cabin cruisers. They are like a cottage on the water and can sleep from 2 to 6 people. Cabin cruisers are usually between 24 and 40 ft in length. Similar to cabin cruisers are salon-style boats. They have an open concept salon and sleeping quarters on a lower level.
Flybridge boats have a unique design: the steering area is on a flybridge above the main cabin. It means that it provides very high visibility. It also has a lot of space for living onboard or entertaining.
Finally, there are trawlers, the largest boats. They are meant for long journeys and are not very speedy but very comfortable: they are steady, have living quarters and small kitchens. They are great for seas and rough waters.
Keep in mind that some of the boats, such as flybridges and trawlers, can also classify as yachts. Yachts are luxury vessels, which are usually at least 30 ft long. Learn more about yacht types here.
Also, all of the boats mentioned above have motors. But there are also sailboats, which use the wind as a propeller. Bigger sailboats are also considered to be yachts. There are also some other types of boats, like personal watercraft.
How do you choose the right boat?
When choosing the boat, ask yourself several questions: how do you plan to use the boat? Where will you use it? What would you like to do on the boat? How many people are you going to bring? It will help you decide which boat type is best for you.
We hope you enjoyed this article about different types of boats. Are you interested in renting one? Read our tips for renting a boat.