Cruisers, Trawlers, and Houseboats. For those who can afford them, these floating houses turn boating into a much more leisurely, even luxurious, affair that those not into salt in the hair and sardines in the swimsuit can appreciate. Cruisers and trawlers differ from houseboats in that they have deeper-draft hulls and are more suited to taking on offshore waters and big inlets. They also usually have more power and more seaworthy fittings. Consequently, they’re expensive, with prices starting at about $1,500 per foot and going into the stratosphere. Cruisers have planing hulls, which means they offer speeds not possible with displacement hulls. They’re often equipped with twin engines and can cruise at better than 20 mph, reaching maximum speeds, with adequate power, of near 40 mph.Types of Powerboat (3)
Cruisers, Trawlers, and Houseboats. For those who can afford them, these floating houses turn boating into a much more leisurely, even luxurious, affair that those not into salt in the hair and sardines in the swimsuit can appreciate. Cruisers and trawlers differ from houseboats in that they have deeper-draft hulls and are more suited to taking on offshore waters and big inlets. They also usually have more power and more seaworthy fittings. Consequently, they’re expensive, with prices starting at about $1,500 per foot and going into the stratosphere. Cruisers have planing hulls, which means they offer speeds not possible with displacement hulls. They’re often equipped with twin engines and can cruise at better than 20 mph, reaching maximum speeds, with adequate power, of near 40 mph.Types of Powerboat (2)
Freshwater Fishing Boats. Bass boats, so called because they’re popular in fishing for bass, are often high-performance hulls designed to travel across big reservoirs at speeds better than a mile a minute. (Fast fish, those bass!) Bass boats tend to be javelin-shaped and powered by big V6 outboards producing 150 to 225 horses. Most run on a narrow “pad” near the transom, which causes them to plane up on top of the water much like a slalom ski, increasing speed and reducing fuel use (but not reducing it much!). They’re usually equipped with a silent electric trolling Types of Powerboat (1)
For most people, their first boat is a powerboat that is 14 to 16 feet long and powered by a two-cycle outboard motor of 50 to 90 horsepower. Powerboating takes less study and needs less physical work than sailing, so it’s an easy way to get started. Powerboat prices range from under $5000 to millions of dollars, and sizes range from slim 8-footers powered by 1 horse electric motors to majestic 150 footers powered by multiple diesels engine with thousand of horsepower. Powerboats can be broken into lots of subclasses. Below and the next posts is a glimpse of information about several types of powerboat that might be taken into consideration for those of you who will start to have a powerboat.
The Runabout. This range includes the ubiquitous runabout, which is what most of us think of when we think of a one-model-fits-all family boat. It has a closed bow, a windshield, back-to-backseats that fold down into a sun lounge, and space to store water skis and life jackets under the sole or main deck. A variation on the runabout is the bow-rider, which has the same hull and aft layout, but with seats replacing the closed bow and a walk-through door in the windshield to allow passage forward. An advantage of the bow-rider is that there’s more seating space—you can carry six or eight passengers, depending on the depth and beam of the boat and your tolerance for close company. The front section of a bow-rider creates a great “kiddie-pen” where you can keep little sailors under your watchful eye with just a bit of separation provided by the windshield. It’s no place for kids once the boat is underway, however—the ride is rough, and they’ll be safer back in the cockpit. Dedicated ski boats are a specialized form of runabout. They’re usually inboard-
The Runabout. This range includes the ubiquitous runabout, which is what most of us think of when we think of a one-model-fits-all family boat. It has a closed bow, a windshield, back-to-backseats that fold down into a sun lounge, and space to store water skis and life jackets under the sole or main deck. A variation on the runabout is the bow-rider, which has the same hull and aft layout, but with seats replacing the closed bow and a walk-through door in the windshield to allow passage forward. An advantage of the bow-rider is that there’s more seating space—you can carry six or eight passengers, depending on the depth and beam of the boat and your tolerance for close company. The front section of a bow-rider creates a great “kiddie-pen” where you can keep little sailors under your watchful eye with just a bit of separation provided by the windshield. It’s no place for kids once the boat is underway, however—the ride is rough, and they’ll be safer back in the cockpit. Dedicated ski boats are a specialized form of runabout. They’re usually inboard-
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