Here are 12 types of powerboats and within each category a plethora of models. Shipyards are churning out new variants in a steady stream that modify and expand the traditional classifications in which we categorize boats. In this feature we outline what the boating scene has to offer and how to choose the right boat for you.
Types of boats: which ones do you know?
Pure Open
Designed, once exclusively for day trips and with dimensions around 10 m, this type of boat offers great comfort. Larger models often have a bar/kitchenette and a compartment with a toilet, concealed under the driving console. Indispensable in these boats are awnings for shelter from the sun. There are all kinds of them.
AFT SOFA
Among the many types of power boats, the open is a great classic. also powered by outboard motors so it can reach the shore more easily-it has a stern settee with a small table and a forward sunbathing area.
Motorboat
Equipped with a forward pontoon, the speedboat offers a “mini cabin” that is useful both for shelter from sudden rain, a siesta in the shade, and for children’s naps. Many, however, use it more as a storage compartment where bulky equipment and personal belongings can be stored.
AMERICAN-STYLE.
American powerboats often have an aft dinette, which can also be converted into a sundeck.
AT THE MEDITERRANEAN Following the Mediterranean tradition, the speedboat features a full-width aft sundeck located above the engine compartment. This solution provides maximum comfort for sunbathers but, on the other hand, forces you to step on the cushioning to reach the cockpit.
CLASSIC
Beyond all fashions, the charming retro style continues to gain wide acceptance, without generational limits. In addition to the historic shipyards, there are many others feeding this “sought-after” market segment with design proposals and interpretations, supported by the latest technology. Yards that have made their mark on history are also reintroducing today, with great success, unforgettable models, obviously reinterpreted in a modern key for maximum functionality.
Med Boat
Med Boat, that’s what we called them. It is the ideal boat for those who also want to spend the night on board and have a first approach to cruising. It is indeed able to offer good comfort and a minimum of privacy for up to 4 people; its size is about 10 meters with marked marine qualities, comfort and performance that can entertain. From the Wally Tender to the Pardo 50 is what Med Boats are all about.
CENTER CONSOLLE Sleek lines that more closely evoke those of speedboats, the open center console can offer a functional and well-maintained cabin as well as a deck with aft sundeck and plenty of room for a tender.
THE CABIN IS THERE BUT CANNOT BE SEEN
While keeping the deck layout unchanged, it manages to offer a cabin inside equipped like a day cruiser.
THE LIVING ROOM IS A POPPA According to a more overseas philosophy, some Mediterranean shipyards prefer to equip the boat with a large aft dinette that can be converted into a sundeck.
Fast commuter
Racing-inspired and thus born to race and deliver breathtaking performance, these boats feature a very small maximum beam and a hull characterized by a very pronounced V. Propelled by powerful engines, they nimbly exceed 50-60 knots. The interior has small volumes.
You don’t go unnoticed. The fast commuter in the absolute sense is designed specifically for racing and offers a small cockpit size and an interior with low height and essential, yet refined furnishings.
Coupe
Larger than 10 meters in size, it is a vessel designed for medium- and long-range cruising and equipped with all comforts even for extended stays on board. Bathrooms, even in smaller models, are now generally two, and cabins are becoming more spacious and numerous. They do not give up performance and achieve adrenaline-fueled speeds. Equipped with hard-tops, they have an outdoor living area in the cockpit, well sheltered from sun and weather.
Lobster
Slightly retro lines, that understated elegance that evokes classic seafaring style, and the extensive use of mahogany and teak have marked the success of these boats inspired by the traditional lobster fishing boats of the American East Coast, revised and corrected for modern, recreational use. From the more traditional models we move on to those that are less faithful to their origins and much more sophisticated in design. Stylish “modern” classics with soft lines and a superstructure with rounded shapes.
Gozzo
Quintessentially the most traditional fishing boat in the Mediterranean, the gozzo, once built of wood and with a strictly displacement hull, has now evolved to conquer the world of pleasure boating. While reminiscent of the original lines, they also have planing fairings and offer very comfortable interiors. In addition, the lengths have increased to sizes up to 20 meters. Due to the round shapes with large maximum width these boats are very habitable.
INCREDIBLY FAST
A round stern and extensive use of mahogany evoke the traditional gozzo, but this is a fast boat, designed for cruising and with a deckhouse curved so as to offer more interior volume.
Trawler
Inspired by traditional overseas workboats, the trawler is a boat designed for relaxed cruising. Boasting a displacement or semi-displacement hull that can handle challenging sea conditions with ease, it offers great on-board comfort and a high cruising range.
For those who just don’t want to give up performance, trawlers with planing hulls are also produced.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE SPECIES
Here is an example of how, without betraying the footprint of the classic boat designed for long sailing, the trawler has evolved. It can sail in constant trim in both displacement and glide.
A TERRACE WITH A SEA VIEW
This is the quintessential classic trawler but offered in a European version, that is, with a cockpit on the main deck, rather than raised to provide space for a large aft cabin, and protected walkways.
Flybridge
It was born as a cruising boat in the absolute sense, with enclosed main wheelhouse and open-air secondary wheelhouse on the upper deck. The latter, called the fly, is very well equipped to make living on the “terrace” dinette, sundeck and bar/kitchenette pleasant. Often the full-beam master stateroom with large windows on the port side.
Fisherman
The open fisherman is one of the classic types of motor boats. It has a center console and strictly outboard engines coupled with affivfdable, high-performance hulls are the hallmarks of open fishermen, almost all of which are “made in the USA.” There is also no shortage of capacious live and catch tanks on board, but also dedicated areas for those who prefer to relax to fishing. Plus they are very fast.
Motoryacht
Types of boats with flying bridges from 18 meters and up are defined by this name. Generally these are boats, planing or displacement, made custom or semi-custom to better suit the needs of each individual owner and to allow him to have a unique yacht, created to his taste. There are also “Explorers,” which mainly affects the superyacht sphere. They too are inspired by historic workboats designed for long ocean voyages. The trendy ones prefer to restore original specimens of the period. However, the supply of the new is quite extensive.
Multispace
The first motor boat in the “multispace” category is Cetera, about 19 meters long overall with a 5.5-meter beam. Inspiration came from a villa developed on a single floor, characterized by great harmony between interior and exterior. Large windows increase the brightness and ventilation of the environment, enhancing the interaction between indoor and outdoor areas, which is one of the characteristics of residential architecture.