2015 New York Safe Boating - 8

BOATING AND MOTORS

Common Types of Watercraft

draft and are suitable for inland waters, lakes, and rivers.
They are considered a "fair-weather boat." Newer styles may
have cabins and inboard engines.

Utility boats are small watercraft that were traditionally
used as work boats. This category includes:

Personal Watercraft are fast, highly maneuverable

	Rowboats.

These are small typically humanpowered boats that sometimes have an outboard
motor. Rowers sit backward, looking opposite the
direction the boat is travelling, so it is important for
the rower to be alert when rowing. Rowers should
look around often to avoid oncoming traffic or other
hazards.

boats that accommodate one
or more people. They can be
thought of as the motorcycle of the
waterways. A personal watercraft
uses water jet propulsion and the
operator sits, stands or kneels on the craft instead of in it.

	Prams and dinghies.

Sailboats use the wind
as the primary means of
propulsion. Usually there is a
single mast to carry the sails.
The term sailboat applies to
many different looking (and
performing) boats. Sailboats
can have a single hull (monohull), two hulls (catamaran),
or three hulls (trimaran). The keel can have different shapes,
depending on whether the sailboat is built for sport, racing,
or just cruising.

These boats are designed to
work as tenders for larger boats. There are various
styles of prams and dinghies. They may have rigid
fiberglass	hulls,	or	at	the	other	extreme,	they	may	
have inflatable hulls.

	Skiffs and jon boats.

These flat-bottomed boats
are long and narrow with straight sides and a blunt
bow. Jon boats are the boat of choice for hunters
and fishermen because they are quite stable and
easy to maintain.

None of these small boats are safe boats for larger bodies
of water. Their gunwales are low to the water, so they are
susceptible to taking on
water in a choppy sea.

The size of sailboats ranges widely. At the smaller end there
are sailboats meant for one person (solo craft):

	sailboards,
	windsurfers, and
	dinghies.

Runabouts are small,
sporty versatile watercraft
that may be used for day
cruising, fishing, and waterskiing. They are generally more seaworthy and more stable
than utility boats. Popular styles of this craft are:

When any sailboat uses a motor-whether gas, diesel or
battery- it is considered a motorboat.

Canoes are
relatively small boats,
typically humanpowered, but they
also may carry an
outboard motor or sail. Canoes are pointed at both ends
and usually open on top. The canoe is propelled by the use
of paddles, and the size of the canoe determines the number
of paddlers. Canoe paddlers either sit on seats in the hull,
or kneel on the hull. Either way, they face in the direction
of travel while paddling. This differs from rowing, because
rowers face away from the direction of travel.

	bowriders, which are fun and useful for waterskiing.

	center console boats, which fisherman like because
they offer a good platform all around the helm
from which to fish.
	cuddy cabins, which are runabouts with an
enclosed cabin area that is suitable for sleeping.

Cruisers are a generally larger and more comfortable
craft. They have a galley, head (toilet), sink and shower. It
is more suitable than a
cuddy	cabin	for	extended	
voyages or for living
aboard. More seaworthy
than runabouts, some
cruisers are suitable for
open waters. A houseboat
is a variation on a cruiser. A houseboat is large and stable,
with	most	of	the	comforts	of	home.		Houseboats	sacrifice	
seaworthiness for comfort, but they are suitable for sailing on
sheltered waters.

Pontoon Boats resemble
a floating porch or deck
powered by an outboard
motor. They have a shallow

Kayaks are small, sleek
human-powered boats.
A kayak typically has a
covered deck, and a skirt
covered cockpit. Usually
kayaks accommodate
one or two paddlers. Paddlers sit in the cockpit facing
forward, and use a double-bladed paddle to propel the boat
forward. Modern kayaks come in a wide variety of designs
and materials for specialized purposes. Kayak varieties
include cockpit style or a sit-on-top style. The sit-on-top style
accommodates a paddler who doesn't want to be confined
in an enclosed cockpit.
8
2015 New York Safe Boating

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2015 New York Safe Boating
