Types of Small Boats | A Guide | DIVEIN (2024)

From fishing boats to personal watercraft and canoes, the small boat is the work horse of the water.

“Go simple, go small, go now,” was the creed Lin and Larry Pardey made famous. The sailing couple wrote about their adventures, circumnavigating the globe (several times!) on a 24-foot wooden sailboat with no engine.

By keeping it small and simple, the Pardeys could travel and sail while others spent years saving the cash to afford much larger boats.

But this mantra isn’t just for sailboats. Small boats have incredible benefits, whether you want to exercise, go fishing, cruise to far-off places, or enjoy a day on the water at your local lake.

What Is a Small Boat?

The term small boat is open to interpretation. After all, when standing on the deck of your 200-foot megayacht, your 40-foot quad-outboard center console tender is the “small boat.” When strolling past the quay in Monaco, the only small boats in sight are the kayaks from the resort.

Some belong to the James Bond world, like in the video above, but the principle is always the same.

For most boaters, a small boat is less than about 25 feet long. Boats below this length have a few things in common, regardless of their engines or designs. They’re easy to transport because they fit on a standard boat trailer.

This means that most people can tow one with a small truck or SUV and that they can take it home instead of keeping it at a marina, making boat storage cheap and easy.

This includes even smaller boats that can be car topped or packed away in small spaces.

Pros of Smaller Vessels

• Easy to store at home — no marina fees
• Take it anywhere on the car top or trailer
• Allowed where larger boats are not
• Can be launched nearly anywhere, from any beach or ramp
• Less expensive to purchase and own
• Easier to maintain
• No haulout fees—work on your boat on its trailer
• Human-powered vessels generally do not need to be registered (state laws vary, check with your local authorities)

Cons of Small Boats

• Limited space for storage and passengers
• Generally, fair-weather use only and unable to handle big winds and seas
• Limited systems, small engines, and small batteries mean limited accessory options
• Small fuel tanks mean a limited range

Which Small Boat Is Right for You?

Your goal might be to get out on the water, but how exactly do you want to use your boat? There’s a small boat out there that’s perfect for everyone. The only trick is finding it!

Some hobbies automatically lend themselves to one type of boat over another.

Love paddling in cold water? You probably want a kayak. Want to fish on a shallow lake or river in the mountains? A jon boat may be what you seek. Want to sail? You’ll need a trailerable sailboat or a sailing dinghy.

These boats are stable and roomy, so they’re great for carrying passengers or going on a fishing trip. Add a powerful outboard motor, and they make fun speed boats that can tow the kids on a tube or take a long sightseeing trip through the harbor.

All boat purchases invariable come down to planning and budgeting. A general rule of thumb with boat purchases is to always spend less on your initial purchase than you have budgeted. There are always some unexpected costs associated with owning a boat, whether repairs and maintenance or simply outfitting it to get it the way you want.

The size of the boat you choose is also an important consideration. Of course, you are looking at small boats. But even in this, there is plenty of variation. Still considering inflatable boats with the advantage in terms of storage, there are big differences between size, utility and price.

Types of Small Boats

Paddlecraft — Kayaks, Canoes, Rowboats, and SUPs

You don’t have to blow your budget on a fancy outboard motor just to get out on the water. Paddlecraft are the original small boats, from dugout canoes to skin-on-frame kayaks built for hunting. Of course, these days, there are quite a few other options.

Kayaks

Kayaks are designed to be paddled with a double-ended paddle while sitting down. Traditional designs are “sit-in,” where the co*ckpit is enclosed around your legs, allowing you to sit low to the water. They’re great for long touring trips or cold climates where you’d rather stay dry.

Sit-on-top kayaks are a very popular, more modern option. The boat’s deck has molded-in seats and footwells, so you sit on the boat’s top. They’re easy to hop on and off of for swimming, so they’re very popular for temperate and tropical climates. Fishing kayaks are built wide and stable, so you can easily move around, stand up, and cast your line.

Canoes

Canoes are less common these days, but they’re still wonderful for families with small children or groups who want to carry a lot of gear. Canoes are paddled with a single-bladed oar from a seated or kneeling position. They have an open deck design that holds a lot of gear.

Rowboats

A rowboat is a small, open boat with two oars mounted in oarlocks on each side of the vessel. The operator usually sits facing aft, giving the best leverage on the oars. Rowboats may be wood, fiberglass, or aluminum. They’re commonly used as yacht tenders or fishing boats. They are wider and faster than canoes, allowing more power in windy conditions while carrying more gear.

SUPs

SUPs, or standup paddleboards, are a very popular paddle craft in warm waters. Boards range from wide and flat to narrow and thick, with designs differentiating beginner, racing, and touring boards.

They’re powered by a long, single-bladed paddle held while standing up. They keep you dry and provide great exercise, but the standing position and single blade provide poor leverage for efficient propulsion. They can be difficult to handle in a breeze.

Inflatable Boats

If there’s a boat you desire, there’s probably an inflatable version of it available. Inflatable kayaks, SUPs, rowboats, rafts, sailboats, and catamarans are all widely available. Nearly all of them are made of very strong and durable PVC fabric resistant to punctures and tears. Plus, it’s easy to repair.

The draw of the inflatable boat is not that it inflates—it’s that it deflates. That means you can fit it in the trunk of your car or the corner of your garage when it’s not in use, solving the transportation and storage issues that keep many people off the water.

Inflatables have long been popular as tenders.

Once deflated, they can be stored on even the smallest “yachts.” In areas where boats are stored on moorings, they make an economical way to get to and from the boat.

Regarding inflatables, there are two technologies to be aware of—low and high pressure. Standard inflatable boats and many kayaks are low-pressure and are inflated to about 3 PSI. When properly inflated, these are firm but still a little bouncy.

High-pressure boats are inflated to as much as 15 PSI. That takes a lot more work on the part of the pump, but it makes a more rigid boat. This makes inflatable SUPs (iSUPs) firm enough to stand up on, and it’s used as the floor panel in many rowboat-style inflatables.

For all the benefits of inflatable boats, there are downsides, however. For one, the fabric does not last forever. UV damage can wreck a PVC boat in a few years, and the seams often fail before that. Hypalon is a better fabric choice for boats that see a lot of sun exposure, but it’s expensive.

Dinghies

The term “dinghy” has two meanings, depending on the audience.

In the sailboat racing world, a dinghy is a small sailboat, less than about 12 feet, with a crew of one or two. This type of boat is often used for sailing clubs and schools but is also raced at the Olympic level.

Dinghy is also a generic term for any small boat used as a yacht tender. These dinghies may be sailed, rowed, or powered, often wood, fiberglass, or inflatable. Dinghies are carried on deck, lifted on davits, or towed by the yacht. They provide transportation to and from shore when the yacht is on a mooring or at anchor.

The right size tender depends entirely on the size of the yacht and what the crew needs. Charter boats that need to carry many people will favor larger tenders with high-horsepower engines. Small sailboats (28-36 feet) often favor inflatables between 8 and 10 feet long.

The most popular tender type is the RIB, or Rigid Inflatable Boat. This vessel has a fiberglass or aluminum hull and inflatable air chambers built on the sides. They are extremely stable, fast, and can carry a big load safely. They combine some pros of inflatable boats (they pack down smaller and are very stable) while eliminating many negatives (they handle nearly as well as a rigid boat).

PWCs

Personal Watercraft, or PWCs, are commonly known as jet skis or wave runners or Sea Doos (after the brand). It’s a small boat you sit on rather than in. In practice, they are the motorcycles of the boating world.

PWCs are powered by powerful water jet engines and are built for one to three people.

They’re fast and fun on the water. Some are built for more people and long-distance cruising, while smaller boats are made for tricks and speed. They’re made of fiberglass.

Before investing in a PWC, it’s important to look up the rules that apply to them in your area. PWCs are banned in some parts of the world, especially near marine sanctuaries and preserves.

Many states also have extra licensing requirements for these vessels.

The big motors, fiberglass hulls, and powerful engines make PWCs some of the most expensive small boats you can own.

Aluminum Fishing Boats and Jon Boats

Aluminum is a popular material for building a nearly indestructible boat. The most common type of aluminum vessel is the jon boat. It’s a small, open fishing boat with enough space for a few people and lots of fishing gear. You can move around, stand up, and bring a big cooler—all much more comfortably than you could with a canoe or kayak.

Jon boats are generally under 16 feet long and rowed or powered with a portable outboard motor. Bigger boats can take bigger motors, but jon boats typically have tiller controls and a simple layout. Design-wise, jon boats look much like row boats with built-in seats and a squared-off bow. Bottoms are usually flat for shallow waters, but some have a shallow-vee hull.

Trailerable Boats

When compared to other options in the boating world, small boats are often described as trailerable. A trailerable boat has many advantages—it doesn’t need a marina slip because it can be stored in your driveway. It doesn’t need a travel lift or crane to be hauled out of the water for maintenance because you can use any boat ramp. And you can move it anywhere you want to go boating, so long as you own an appropriate tow vehicle.

All of these benefits appeal to many people. As a result, many companies make trailerable versions of nearly every type of boat you can imagine. Here are just a few examples to get you started.

• Dreaming of sailing away on a seaworthy sailboat but want to trailer it too? Check out the Hake Seaward 25 or the Pacific Seacraft Flika cruising sailboats.
• Want to feel the exhilaration of sailing faster than everyone else? Check out the Farrier F-22 or Corsair F-24 trailerable trimarans.
• How about a sailboat with enough outboard power to get on plane and zip home in time for dinner? The one and only MacGregor 26 motorsailer is what you seek.
• Want to cruise America’s Great Loop on a comfortable liveaboard trawler but maybe also see the Western Lakes? Check out Ranger Tugs, Cutwater Boats, or the Rosborough 246 pocket cruisers.
• Looking for a rugged, fast, all-weather pilothouse fishing boat? Try the C-Dory 25.
• Catching the sun on an inland lake? Pontoon boats are comfortable and have tons of space for lounging.
• Chasing tuna and billfish offshore? Yellowfin Boats are worth checking out, but there are ton of brands in this category.

You might also like these boating guides:

• Boat Loan Calculator
• Boating Right of Way Rules
• What to Look for When Buying a Jon Boat
• Jon Boat Essentials
• Learn to Sail
• Nautical Flags and What They Mean

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