Types of Recreational Powerboats

This is a comprehensive guide to the various types of recreational powerboats and their construction, design, and propulsion type. While there is a dedicated following for timber construction, most production boats are aluminium or fibreglass/synthetic, with a growing trend toward inflatables, RIBS, plastics, and all manner of personal watercraft. This guide focuses on types of powerboats rather than sailboats.

Fibreglass, aluminium tinnies, and plate alloy boats are by far the most popular construction types, and outboard motors are the favourites by sheer numbers alone. The larger the craft, the more the engine and drive style change to the various forms of an inboard diesel, petrol, gas, and electric.

Boat Types

Bow Rider 

A bow rider is a a powerboat with a seating area set in its bow. Bowrider boats were once the realm of smaller sports craft up to approx. 8 metres; however, the latest offerings are trending to much larger, luxury craft for moorings and stack storage.

Cabin Cruiser 

Cabin cruisers are generally any power boat that is fitted with live aboard facilities such as cabin/s, galley, bathroom and head. They mostly start from around 6 metres and can be as large and general as you like.

Catamaran 

Catamarans are a type of power or sail vessel with two hulls.

Centre Console Boats 

A centre console is a power boat with its helm console centrally mounted in a walk around deck.

Crossover Boat

Whilst there are many combinations of items that make "crossover" boats (ie boats that supply multiple purposes), the definition is mostly attributed to water sports and tow boats that can be converted from ski, to wake and wave surfing with the use of gates, plates, ballast and other fittings.

Cruiser

Cruisers are generally larger craft, often moored or stack stored, intended primarly for accommodation and entertainment. They may be either planing, semi-displacement, or displacement hulls, mostly over approximately 8 metres LOA.

Cuddy Cabin Boats 

A powerboat, mostly of trailerable size with a short cabin or elevated helm, but without full-length bunks are called cuddy cabins. Cuddy cabin boats supply terrific protection with maximised deck space.

Day Boats 

A day boat is a vessel of any size or style that is intended for daytime use only. Most day boats have very little cabin, galley or stateroom facilities but may feature an enclosed head and deck shower, perhaps on-board grill/barbeque and fridge.

Deck Boats 

A deck boat is very similar to a bow rider with the seating area in the bow. However, the bow itself is formed wider with more volume through the stem, creating more internal room and the hull buoyancy to compensate for the added loads.

Dinghy Boats

A dinghy is a small boat, usually of lightweight construction, such as an inflatable, RIB, plastic, or tinnie, used primarily for accessing or as a commuter for moored craft. Other applications for dinghy boats include fishing, rowing, and access.

Displacement Hull  

A displacement hull uses buoyancy to support its weight. It displaces the same water weight as the combined/aggregate hull weight at rest.  A displacement hull moves through the water by pushing water aside, not riding on top (planing). 

Dual Console 

A dual console is an open, runabout-style craft with a full walkthrough centre opening windscreen, helm and passenger seating/console/dashboard, and usually a bowrider or casting platform in the bow. Usually, it has a more fishing-oriented layout than a similar bowrider, and with a deep-V hull.

Express Cruiser 

An express cruiser is generally a larger craft over approximately 8 meters that features the helm on deck or slightly elevated deck level but no moulded hard top or flybridge.

Flybridge Cruiser

Flybridges have an upper helm station on a separate deck level. When fitted to a cruiser, it becomes a flybridge cruiser. They are very popular with game fishermen because they extend the visual range by elevating above the waterline, allowing an excellent view around the boat to fight big fish. They are also very handy for maximising visibility whilst docking larger craft. Flybridge cruisers usually start on vessels around 8 metres LOA.

Half Cabin

The name half cabin is very descriptive of this style of boat. Half cabin boats are generally trailerable boats under around 8 metres with approximately half of the hull dedicated to cabin space.

Hard-top

A hard-top is a vessel with a solid roof over the wheelhouse, console, or helm. Hardtops may be left open, have clear removable panels to the front, sides and rear, or they may be fully enclosed or open-backed.

House Boat 

A houseboat is exactly that, a house built usually on a pontoon barge or similar large flat hull giving ultimate stability. Houseboats may have small cabins, or even temporary structures, right up to multi-story luxury houses.

Inboard

A vessel with an inboard motor, usually sub-defined by its fuel type i.e. petrol, diesel, gas, electric etc. The hull may be virtually any style. The power is generally transmitted through either a shaft, pod, jet, or stern drive.

Inflatable Boat 

Inflatable boats are those soft-sided, usually synthetic constructions that inflate to shape. They mostly have several airtight compartments for added safety, and a soft bottom. Some have a rigid transom for outboard motors; others are merely paddle boats and tenders. A boat with inflatable sides and a solid hull is called a rigid inflatable or RIB.

Jet Boats

Any hull powered by a jet drive.

Motor Yacht

Generic term for mostly large motor-driven boat equipped for cruising.

Multihull Boats

As the name suggests, the term multihull applies to any craft with multiple sponsons or extended chine designs, including twin hulls (often referred to as Cats after the popular brand Shark Cat).

Outboard

Outboard is actually the power unit generally attached outside the craft on the transom or other mount. However, in generic terms, it may also refer to any boat with outboard engines.

Passagemaker

A vessel designed for, or capable of, long range cruising, generally oceanic voyage.

Personal Watercraft 

Personal watercraft or “PWC” can refer to any small craft, whilst generally designed for one person (hence the title “personal”) the title has been extended to jet ski’s and the like with seating up to 3 passengers. Kayaks, canoes and a wide range of floating options can also be referred to as PWC.

Picklefork

Picklefork is actually more of a style of the boat's bow and stem shape than an actual hull type. They are very square at the bow, allowing maximum deck space and supported by added hull volume created by extended chines all the way forward, sometimes extending into a jagged-shaped peak resembling a fork.

Planing Hull

A planing hull supports its weight mainly by hydrodynamic lift created by its hull shape and speed combined with thrust from horsepower. For example, a surfboard is a planing hull, utilising the planing surface for lift and the wave power for thrust.

Plastic Hull

Plastic hulls are made from various grades of synthetic material, mainly polyethene. They can either be cut, formed and welded sheets, or rotomolded.

Plate Alloy

Plate alloy boats are hulls that are created from rolled and formed sheets of aluminium and welded together. They usually refer to hull thicknesses of 4mm and over.

Pontoon Boats 

A pontoon boat usually features a flat deck combined with multiple buoyancy tubes (pontoons). The fit-outs for pontoons can vary from basic barbeque barges to high-power luxury vessels.

Race Boat

The term race boat is very generic to all vessels designed to compete in race events. These vary from very small to massive offshore race boats, depending on the class. This also includes “Ski Race” boats that are obviously designed for racing whilst towing water skiers.

Rigid Inflatable Boat 

Rigid inflatables (RIBs) have a solid hull lined with inflatable sponsons, allowing exceptional ride, stability and safety.

Runabout Boats 

While runabout is often used as a generic term, runabout boats are a specific type of open boat with a bow covering leading to the windscreen and dashboard with forward controls and driver and passenger seats forward.

Sailing Boats 

Any boat with sails is defined as a sail boat. Note power must always give way to sail. There are many types and terms given to sailboats that are not included in this guide.

Semi-Displacement Hull

A semi-displacement hull is similar to a displacement hull at rest, generally allowing tremendous stability but adding limited planing features and horsepower to create lift at cruising speeds.

Sportsfisher

Sportsfisher is another generic term for a range of boats with layouts dedicated primarily to sport and game fishing. Sportsfishers may include flybridge, express cruisers, dedicated centre consoles, walkaround, and other fishing craft.  Sportsfishers are mainly saltwater dedicated vessels.

Sports Cruiser

A combination of a high-speed planing hull, usually with a limited rear deck and a large amount of accommodation. The term is quite generic and often applied to flybridge cruisers and a large range of luxury vessels.

Tender

A tender is a small boat, usually of lightweight construction, such as an inflatable, RIB, plastic, or tinnie, used for accessing or as a commuter for moored craft.

Timber Boats

Timber was once the primary medium for boatbuilding and is still popular among enthusiasts. Timber boats can be any shape, type, or size. The main construction methods are strip-planked, carvel, diagonally planked, cold molded and marine plywood.

Tinny

Tinny is a colloquial name generally given to small, pressed aluminium hulls. Tinnies may be V-bottom, punt (flat), pointy-nosed or a combination of each. They can be all shapes and sizes, however, the term has now expanded to many aluminium boats, including plate, and pressed aluminium.

Tournament/Bass Boats 

A type of fishing boat that generally has a flat deck, low freeboard, high horsepower and a shallow draft similar to a ski boat hull. They are used primarily for fishing lakes and rivers. Mostly utilising a side or dual console configuration with casting decks front and rear, plumbed live bait and holding tanks, and concealed rod and tackle storage.

Tow Boats 

Tow boats are vessels primarily designed and dedicated to a range of activities including wakeboarding, wake surfing, or water skiing. They are often called ski, surf or wakeboard boats.

Trawler Boats 

Once a traditional fishing vessel usually with an upright helm or cabin, the recreational boating community has adapted the designs to enhance the internal volume.

Trimaran 

Any boat with three hulls. There are a number of variations to the tri-hull including Gull Wing, Hydrofield and many “cathedral” style vessels.

Walkaround 

Walkaround boats are a type of cabin style boat with side decks allowing walkways right around the cabin. Very similar to a “centrecab”.

Buying Your First Boat?

As you can see there are many different types of boats to choose from. Added to the mix are a number of different power sources such as outboard, petrol and diesel engines, and varying drive types. Many boats fit into multiple classifications. If you're getting lost in the jargon, check out my dictionary of boat terms next.

Just remember that the best boat is the one that is keeping you safely afloat and giving you plenty of aquatic pleasure.

Australian boating legend John Haines Snr used to say, "I don't make great boats to take you to sea, I make great boats to bring you home safely again!"

Only Boats has a variety of great deals and many types of boats for sale. I've also written a used boat buying guide and a guide to buying a new boat to help you get started! You can also check out our boat finance calculator to get a better idea of what you can buy if you're considering finance.

For a great deal on financing your new purchase, contact Australia's best reviewed finance broker on 1300 Credit (1300 273 348) today or visit CreditOne.com.au