Air Boats
Airboats offer an exciting opportunity
to see and fish locations no other boat
can reach and are most frequently used
in marshes of the southeast, bogs of
the upper Midwest and shallow river
areas.
All-Purpose Fishing Boats
Built for many activities, such as
freshwater and salt-water fishing, these
family fishing boats are capable of
pursuing many species, including bass.
They tend to have higher freeboard than
bass boats because they spend more time
in rough water.
Bass Boats
Bass boats have low, sleek profiles
and are built to fish with two or three
anglers on board. The minimum length
of bass boats starts with 16 feet and
can go up to 26 feet.
Bowriders
These family boats are the most popular
in the runabout/spotboat category and
are equipped with extra seats and forward
access to the bow, a convenient spot
to relax and sun.
Center Console
These open fishing boats are built
to take rough offshore waters in pursuit
of ocean fish. Rod holders, outriggers
and other gear are common fittings onboard.
Closed Bow Runabouts
Closed Bow Runabouts are fast and ideal
for smaller crews who enjoy the sleek
sports car look. These boats are great
for watersports activities.
Cruising Sailboats
Cruisers provide the fun of living
on the water with the convenience of
sleeping, cooking and plumbing facilities.
Large enough to serve as a second home
at sea, they are popular choices for
weekend vacationers.
Cuddy Cabins
These are great day cruisers and overnighters
for small groups and family boating.
Ideal for skiing, tubing and wakeboarding,
they are most often powered with sterndrive
engines, but outboard power is becoming
popular, too
Day Sailers
Smaller in size they are designed for
short trips on the water to nearby destinations.
Many sail them just for the fun of using
the wind’s power for propulsion. At
about 20 ft., day sailers often include
a small cabin or "below decks" area
for dry storage.
Deck Boats
Deck boats have wide deck to carry
8 to 12 or more passengers (like pontoons)
but look and perform more like runabouts.
They are powerful, too, making them
excellent boats for skiing, tubing and
wakeboarding.
Dinghies
These small crafts are usually less
than 10 feet in length, easy to carry
on a car top or light enough to carry
on board a cruiser. Great for use off
the beach, or around the harbor.
Dinghy Sailboats
Built to carry one to two boaters,
dinghies can offer wet rides and are
fun for learning to sail on smaller,
less turbulent waters. Some allow the
sail and mast to be stowed so they can
be rowed as well.
Electric Boats
Electric boats are becoming more popular
for easy cruising on smaller lakes.
While some boats are built primarily
for electric power, fishing boats and
pontoon boats are increasingly propelled
by electric motors.
Fish and Ski
This craft allows boaters to enjoy
the two most popular on-water activities;
fishing and skiing. This family fishing
and recreational boat has enough power
to pull a skier or two, and to get to
the fishing spot in short order.
Flat Boats
These boats are popular in costal areas
where sea trout and redfish live. They
can float and run in water less than
two feet deep and are ideal for fishing
with two to three people on board.
Folding Boats
These boats make ideal craft for strapping
to a motor home, or sometimes, checking
as airline luggage. They are nimble,
inexpensive and built to provide a long
life of boating fun in fishing and touring.
Heavy Welded Boats
Emerging as a new and more durable
metal boat, it’s a good alternative
for fishing boats, runabouts and even
some cruisers. These lighter boats perform
well with smaller engines, saving fuel.
Houseboats
Houseboats are designed to offer lake
house living on the water complete with
spacious floor plans and modern amenities
for entertaining, dining and sleeping.
Inboard Cruisers
Inboard cruisers tend to be 30-feet
long or longer and are great for sleeping,
cooking and plumbing facilities. They
feature a simpler drive mechanism that
is often considered easier to maintain
in salt water.
Inboard Ski Boats
Inboard ski boats accelerate rapidly
to "pop" skiers from the water and turn
very crisply recovering a downed skier
easily. These boats are great for skiing,
racing and other watersports activities.
Inboard Wakeboard Boats
Powered by inboard engine, these boats
"throw" a perfect wake for very serious
wake boarders. With the engine set back
against the transom, seating is more
comfortable and open like a bowrider.
Inflatable Boats
Inflatable boats range in size from
8-foot dinghies for tenders to 30-foot
high performance boats. These boats
are suitable for saltwater and freshwater
fishing, watersports and more.
Jet Boats
Like bowriders and deckboats, they
offer comfortable seating and sunning
areas, plus a speedy and exciting ride.
They are distinguished from runabouts
by their propulsion system, which is
enclosed inside the hull.
Jon Boats
A Jon Boat is a multi-purpose camping,
freshwater fishing and hunting craft,
typically aluminum and powered by a
small to moderate outboard. They may
be customized with added fishing features
like trolling motors and driver consoles.
Motor Yachts
Motor yachts are ideal for ocean cruising
or navigating large rivers or the Great
Lakes, as well as entertaining at the
dock. Two engines, usually fueled with
diesel and a generator for electricity
make them self-sufficient in terms of
living accommodations.
Multi-Hull Cruisers
Also known as catamarans, a wide, airy
main cabin is the trademark of these
cruisers along with lots of deck space
for sunning. They are fuel-efficient
and are excellent for long-range cruising
and island hopping.
Multi-Hull Cruising Sailboats
Like cruising sailboats, these are
designed for long-range travel and offer
spacious accommodations. Their stability
and easy sailing characteristics make
them popular as rental or charter boats.
Multi-Hull Day Sailers
Called "catamarans" when they have
two hulls and "trimarans" if they have
three, these boats come in a variety
of sizes. They are light and fast, and
some styles have popular racing circuits.
Multi-Hull Power Boats
Catamarans are the most popular multi-hull
boats and are usually offered as an
alternative to center consoles. Most
catamarans are designed for hardcore
angling, but some models offer recreational
and cruising amenities.
Performance Boats
Performance boats are the sleek sports
cars of the boating world, offering
high speeds and precise handling to
boaters who prefer their thrills full
throttle. Marrying big horsepower with
sleek hulls results in boats that are
equally at home slicing through ocean
swells or tearing up inland lakes. Cranking
offshore or simply relaxing in a cove,
performance boats deliver lots of smiles
per hour.
Pontoon Boats
Pontoon boats give families with younger
boaters a secure place to enjoy the
ride or toddle about when at anchor,
thanks to wide decks and "lay pen-like"
side rails and gates. When equipped
with larger engines they can be as quick
as runabouts.
Racing Sailboats
Racing Sailboats are usually 20- feet
in length with sleek hulls, an open
cockpit with sparse seating. They usually
lack living quarters because they are
built as light as possible for maximum
speed and offer an exciting sailing
experience.
Sedan Bridge
Sedan Bridge has all the style of a
sportfishing yacht, but exchanges a
tuna lookout tower and fishing amenities
for more deck space and swim platform.
They have ample living accommodations
including an electrical generator, AC
and plumbing.
Sportfishing Boats
These boats are great for pursuing
large fish. Often equipped with sleeping
berths, a galley for cooking and plumbing
for convenience, they have the capacity
to stay on the water for days.
Stern Drive Cruisers
Great for freshwater fishing, watersports,
cruising and much more, these boats
have all the comforts expected from
recreational cruising boats including
sleeping, cooking and plumbing equipment.
Trawlers
Facilities for sleeping, cooking and
plumbing provide boating fun for weekends
on the water with family and friends.
They can handle big rivers, lakes and
oceans on moderate days.
Walkaround
These boats may be the ultimate family
fishing boats and are most popular in
coastal waters, large bays and the Great
Lakes where anglers pursue salmon or offshore
ocean species. They are equipped with
rod holders, livewells and steps to the
forward deck to make it easy to follow
a big fish around the boat.
If
you would like to learn more about any boat type listed below, view the list of 
