Why Live On A Houseboat
Houseboats are ideal vessels for people who want to keep the luxuries afforded from standard living, while also living on the water.
Houseboats can be cheaper than waterfront property and can make them ideal for all year living while still being on the waterfront. However, this is not true everywhere, so you will want to make sure you look at all your options.
These boats offer a variety of amenities that you would find in any standard house.
They are much more likely to have the basic needs and utilities that most people are used to and are comfortable with than the other styles of onboard living vessels.
Houseboats that are moored in a marina or other areas where houseboats are common can also allow you to be a part of a strong community of similarly minded people.
You can also do away with pesky land chores like lawn care.
Motor Yacht & Fishing Boats
These types of boats are very similar to the other types of powerboats or yachts that you can encounter, with a few minor changes.
These boats are generally closed bow boats with a high cockpit. They include gunnels that are designed for wiring fish.
They often have oversized windshields that are designed with visibility in mind.
Trawlers People Live On
Trawlers are pleasure boats that have a resemblance to fishing trawlers. They often have a semi-displacement hull instead of a full displacement hull used by most fishing trawlers.
These boats have wide hulls, less draft, and hard chines. A hard chine means that there is little rounding in the front of the hull and is often a harder angle. These boats can have single or twin engines depending on need.
Types of Trawlers Include:
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What Is The Best Gas For Outboard Motors
The best gas for outboard motors will depend on the specific make and model that you purchase. Identify your manufacturers specific instructions in the owners manual before you make a final decision about what to put in your boat.
For the most part, outboard motors will run on E10 gasoline .; Older outboard motors, however, were not designed for E10 and may have problems.
Keep in mind that there are some risks to using ethanol-blended fuels. They can sometimes cause corrosion in the tank and eat through fiberglass finishes on the boat. You must be careful to ensure that you do not have too much water in the tank with your ethanol.
Ethanol-free fuel is the best way to go for most outboard motors. In many cases, you can use the same fuel in your boat as you do in your personal vehicle. Be sure to check with the local marina or wherever you typically fill up your boat to see what type of ethanol-blended fuels they offer.
However, some boats do run on diesel engines. These engines tend to be more powerful and use less diesel compared to how quickly you may burn through E10 gasoline. A diesel engine is a more efficient choice for many boaters, particularly if you have a bigger boat.
The best gas for your outboard motor truly depends. Consult your owners manual to see what they recommend for maintaining your boat and engine long-term.
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An Introductory Guide To The Different Types Of Boat Propellers
According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, an average of;100 million people;go boating each year. With that many boats on the water, propellers are making big waves in the boating industry.
Knowing which propeller is right for your boat can make a substantial difference in the efficiency and quality of your boating experience.
Keep reading for an introductory guide to the different types of;boat propellers.
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Blurring The Design Lines
These are just some of the major types of boats on the water today. Although weve categorized them neatly, today theres a convergence in boat uses and designs are asked to do double and triple duty. Fishing boats now have more seating and outdoor galleys for entertaining while pontoon boats have rod holders to go fishing. Dinghies must be tenders but also entertain kids in an anchorage and sailboats have to be light enough to race but comfortable enough to cruise.
Boats have multiple demands on them from various family members and since few families can afford more than one boat, designs are morphing one into another and blurring the lines in between.
Take A Deeper Dive Into The World Ofcutwater Boats
DO IT ALL
FISH, CRUISE, EXPLORE, & MORE
When we say Do It All we mean it. Cutwater Boats are designed to ensure you have every feature you need to approach your adventure with confidence. Youll be just as comfortable cruising off-grid for weeks at a time as you will fishing with friends or spending a fun-filled day on the water with your family.
FACTORY DELIVERY
COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING;
Learn how you can receive comprehensive training and the cruising experience of a lifetime with our Factory Delivery Experience. We want every Cutwater Owner to be comfortable and familiar with all the systems on their boat. We include two full days of systems training, coaching and practice as part of the package. ;
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Our Innovation = Your Enjoyment
At Grady-White, continuous improvement is a constant. Our designers and engineers are relentless at finding opportunities to enhance your boating experience. Many of these amazing features come standard on your Grady-White boat. From patented seating designs, to our exclusive SeaV²® hull, were always working to deliver the ultimate in customer satisfaction.
What Kind Of Gas Do Pontoon Boats Use
Pontoon boats can be manufactured in a variety of ways, so it helps to know exactly what your make and model recommends. Most of the boats that fall into this category have an outboard motor to propel them through the water. The larger the pontoon is, the more powerful this outboard motor is required to be.
For the most part, pontoon boats can be operated off of the same unleaded fuel that you would use in your car. You also want to keep the ethanol content of the fuel in mind when you are filling up your pontoon boat. E10 is the maximum amount of ethanol that you will want to use in your motor.
Higher ethanol content is available, but it is not approved for use in boat motors. Avoid filling up at pumps marked as E15 because this could damage the motor on your pontoon.
If you have an older pontoon model, you may have a two-stroke outboard motor. This requires a little bit of extra work in the way of adding two-stroke injection oil into a separate tank somewhere near the engine. The specific ratios of oil to gasoline will vary, but most people estimate that you should have them in a 50:1 ratio. A newer motor may require half that ratio at 100:1.
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Can I Switch To Ethanol Gasoline
Many people wonder whether they can make the transition from using ethanol-free fuel to using E10 in their boats. Maybe they are looking for a way to save a few dollars, or perhaps the marina stopped carrying ethanol-free fuel. No matter what the reason, the question remains: can I make the switch to ethanol?
Adding ethanol into the engine of your boat can be the source of some major problems at first. Ethanol is a type of solvent that you are introducing into your boat. As a result, it tends to loosen debris that has built up inside the tank and the fuel system. This can, in turn, clog your fuel line or even the engine.
If you want to make the switch to ethanol gasoline, there are a few things you should do beforehand:
- First, you should check for any water inside your fuel tank and pump it dry if you find it. Examine the contents of what you pumped out to determine if the tank needs to be completely cleaned using a quality product designed for this purpose.
- Once you take care of this, completely fill up your tank with E10 fuel to absorb any remaining water left in the tank.
Ethanol-blended fuels like E10 can absorb a certain amount of water that is found in your tank. However, it can be problematic if there is too much water in your tank for the E10 to absorb.
When the fuel and water begin to separate, this is when the ethanol becomes the most corrosive and damaging to the tank of the boat.
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Are Outboard Or Inboard Engines Better
Engine choice depends entirely on boat design and boating application. Larger yachts and trawlers have inboard engines with a choice of straight shaft or pod drive running gear. Small runabouts dont have room inside the hull for an inboard engine so they have outboards.
That said, outboard propulsion is growing in popularity for a number of reasons: Outboards have gotten larger with up to 600 hp each. These engines have also become lighter, more fuel-efficient, cleaner-running, quieter, faster and aesthetically more pleasing. Finally, its easier to repower a boat that has outboards instead of having to cut out an inboard engine from the depths of the hull.
Editors Note: This article was originally published in March 2020 and was last updated in March 2021.
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What Do You Want To Do
Think hard about how you want to use your boat. Love to fish? Want to go racing? Do you plan to get away by yourself, or does your boat need to accommodate the whole family including a 50-pound dog? Do you dream of sleeping at anchor under stars? Then your boat will need good ventilation and comfortable sleeping quarters. But if you plan to pull into a marina at night, you will probably want air conditioning or maybe youll prefer to check into the marinas hotel. If, after careful reflection, you have conflicting activities that are equally important to you/your family, consider buying more than one boat. Two smaller boats say an open power boat for fishing and traveling quickly from island to island, AND, a small sailing dinghy for the kids to play with might be more fun than a bigger boat that only you can handle.
What Kind Of Boat Are You Weve Got Your Match
The 2020 Progressive Cleveland Boat Show, which runs through Monday at the I-X Center, has more than 450 boats.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — So you want to buy a boat.
You want to capture the blue mind state of being, of peace and relaxation and joy on the water.
But what kind of boat do you want? There are more than 700 models, said Norm Schultz, former president of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, which hosts the Progressive Cleveland Boat Show every January at the I-X Center. This years show has more than 450 boats — plus kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and jet skis.
If youre overwhelmed, dont worry. Plenty of us cant tell the difference between a bowrider and a bay boat, and we dont know which boat brand makes what.
These types of boats can come in many sizes, with different motors and vastly different prices. You can buy a 16-foot bowrider, or a 40-foot one. But this little cheat sheet, which we created with help from the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association and Discover Boating, will at least get you started.
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What Is The Best Boat For A Beginner
Once youve answered how you will use a boat, start small. Size is everything to a novice. Smaller boats are less intimidating, easier to maneuver and cheaper to maintain. Mostly, they make a great learning platform because every action will have a near immediate reaction and cause-and-effect is a great teaching tool. On a small boat, youll learn to steer with a tiller, balance weight, maneuver quickly back to a skier, adjust sails and manage other boat traffic.
Which Boat Hull Design Is Best For You
Different hull shapes will suit different boaters. Heres a quick rundown of which hull types work best for different pursuits.
Speed Enthusiasts
For real speed enthusiasts, there are two ways you can go. Flat-bottom boats can work very well on flat, calm water such as a lake or river. Unfortunately, flat-bottoms arent so great at speed if the water is a little choppy. Thats when a deep v hull design will help. Out on the ocean, a deep v is the best way to go faster without getting thrown around by rough waves.
Anglers
For fishing, the best choice of boat hull will largely depend on what conditions youre fishing inand what youre fishing for. An angler casting for perch will have different needs to an Ahab harpooning a whale! Freshwater fishermen can get away with a shallow hull bass boat, while deep-v or catamaran vessels will work better on the coast. Even better, some anglers might prefer a pontoon fishing boat, or even an inflatable kayak instead.
Sports Junkies
Wakeboarders and waterski enthusiasts will need a special modified-V boat shape to get the best performance for their sport of choice. There are plenty of different modified shapes to choose from, specially crafted for different sports, different waters, and different equipment needs.
Casual Boaters
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Types Of Cruising Boats
Bowrider Boats:;A type of runabout with a seating area in the bow, a V-hull, and typically used for day cruising. Riders tend to enjoy sitting in the bow because of the nice breeze it offers. With swim platforms off the stern, bowriders also allow for skiing.
Size: 16-35 feet
Pontoon Boats: These multi-hull watercrafts rely on pontoons, which resemble large tubes, to float. Theyre comfortable because of their wide decks and couch-like seating. And while primarily used for leisure trips, pontoons with large and powerful engines can be used to pull skiers.
Size: 16-30 feet
Sailboats:;These vessels are partly or entirely set in motion by the wind. There are many different kinds of;sailboats, which are distinguished by size, hull configuration, keel type, amount of sails and purpose.
Size: 7-70 feet
Trawler Boats: Recreational trawlers are well-suited for longer trips. These boats have a displacement hull, which makes them fuel-efficient as they use less horsepower, and they are spacious enough to accommodate sleeping and cooking.
Size: 26-50 feet
Cabin Cruiser Boats:;These powerboats often have such amenities as a galley, bathroom and a sleeping area. Depending on size and engine configuration inboard or outboard cruisers are typically capable of handling choppy waters. Larger, inboard models require a greater level of skill to pilot.
Size: 24-75 feet
Grapnel And Other Small Craft Anchors
A;Grapnel anchor;is generally used for small boats such as Kayaks, Dinghies, Canoes, etc. Its also popular with fishermen.They fold up very compactly and are easy to stow. A Grapnels holding power comes from hooking onto another object, such as a rock. When it does hook, it can create immense holding power, which can also make retrieving the anchor difficult.
Pros:;Great for use as a;lunch hook. Folds to allow for compact storage.Cons:;Not appropriate for non-temporary anchorage.Bottoms: Rock or other situations when it can hook onto an object.
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Can Boats Run On The Same Gas As Cars
Are you looking for a new way to make gassing up your boat more convenient?
The good news is that many of the smaller personal boats on todays market can run on the same gas as your vehicle. You must make sure that you are paying attention to what is available at the pump if you want to get away with this, though.
Ensure that the pump you use has either ethanol-free gasoline or E10 fuel. This is relatively common, but there may be times when you encounter a gas station that sells only E15.
Due to the damage this can cause your engine and the poor performance it causes, E15 should be avoided at all costs.
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A gas station that sells E15 must have the pump marked so that customers know they are purchasing a higher ethanol content with their gasoline. It is a federal law violation to try to use E15 fuel in your boat.
It may save you a tremendous amount of money at the pump, but putting E15 fuel into your boat simply is not worth it.
Roughly You Can Divide Boat Hulls Into Three Categories:
Everything I’ll be mentioning below is one of those three, or something in between.
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Understanding The Different Types Of Boat Hulls
by Chris RileyUpdated on June 18, 2021.
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Just as there are many different types of boats, there are just as many different types of boat hulls. They come in different sizes, different shapes, and every single one of them is a feat of design and engineering. Despite having so many different types of boat hulls to choose from, theyre only designed to do one of two things: displace water or plane on top of it.
Hulls that displace water are usually reserved for sailing boats, cargo ships, and cruise ships. Theyre mainly used to pull heavier loads at slower speeds, and moving lower and slower in the water. Their hulls need to push a lot of water out of the way.
Planing hulls are built for speed. Theyre most commonly found on smaller boats that dont have tricky weight demands. These planing hulls are designed to rise out of the water as they reach higher speeds. Power boats and smaller watercraft are often equipped with planing hulls for these reasons.
Now that you know the two main styles of boat hulls available, lets look at some of the more specific designs that you might see around the marina.
