Type of Boat
The main factor to consider when buying a boat is probably the style or type of boating that you intend to do.
Points to consider:
- What size is needed?
- How many persons at anyone time?
- How and when will your boat be used?
- Where will you keep her?
- How much can you afford to spend?
- Take into consideration not only the original price of buying your boat, but the upkeep; to run and maintain her.
- Will she be small enough to trail behind your car or will you need to consider paying the Marina to store her, when and where needed?
Whatever their size, sea-going motor boats fall into two basic types: Displacement and Planing.
Displacement boats have hulls which are pushed through the water by relatively low powered (inexpensive) engines: they are roomy but slow and, in general terms, are more seaworthy.
Planing boats (like sports boats) have hulls shaped so that they skim over the surface once a certain speed is reached, requiring powerful and costly machinery; generally providing less accommodation but a faster styling.
There is an intermediate type, called semi-displacement, which provides a seaworthy boat, of moderate speed.
Most boats found on the UK’s inland waterway system fall into four distinct categories.
- Sea going boats (displacement and planing) kept on a river berth and, for convenience, taken occasionally down to tidal waters
- Steel or aluminium narrowboats (canal longboats) kept mainly on the canal system covering the old industrial areas of Central and Northern England, and lately popular on rivers throughout the UK
- Glass fibre river boats (narrow beam and low air draft) suitable for all the UK’s inland non-tidal waterway system, both canals and rivers. Beam and height restricted by the size of canal locks and tunnels
- Glass fibre river boats (wide beam) suitable for all rivers and a limited number of wide beam canals in the south, but not suitable for the majority of canals, which will only accommodate narrow beam and low air draught boats.
Marlex Marine Technology Ltd, Mill Road, Buckden, Cambridgshire, PE19 5QS. Tel : 01480 812225