Boats

Boats are watercraft designed for travel on water. They vary widely in size, shape, and purpose, but are typically smaller and more maneuverable than ships. Boats may be powered by oars, sails, engines, or a combination of these.

Boat hulls employ displacement, planing, or hybrid principles. Common materials include wood, steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and other composites. Designs range from monohulls to multihulls such as catamarans and trimarans, with features like keels, rudders, and ballast shaping stability and performance.

Propulsion and operation: Boats can be powered by human effort with oars, by sails using wind, or by engines ranging from small outboards to large diesel-inboard systems. Some boats use electric propulsion or hybrid configurations. Navigation and control depend on rudders, propellers, and, in larger vessels, complex steering gear.

Uses and examples: Boats serve transportation, fishing, recreation, sport, rescue, and military roles. Common types include rowboats, canoes, dinghies, sailboats, motorboats, yachts, fishing boats, lifeboats, and ferries. Safety and regulation: Registration, licensing where required, life jackets, fire safety, and compliance with navigational rules are standard considerations in many jurisdictions.