Smallboat

Smallboat is a generic term for a watercraft designed for use on inland or coastal waters that is small enough to be handled manually or with simple equipment. In most contexts, a smallboat is any craft under roughly 6 meters (20 feet) in length, although definitions vary by jurisdiction. Smallboats serve recreational, utilitarian, and training purposes and are typically distinct from larger commercial or passenger vessels.

Common forms include human-powered craft such as canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and punts; sailing dinghies and small sailing craft; and motorized small boats such as dinghies, runabouts, and skiffs equipped with outboard engines. There are also inflatable boats and rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) used for tenders, rescue, or recreation.

Materials range from wood and traditional clinker constructions to modern fiberglass reinforced plastic, aluminum, and fabric-reinforced inflatable hulls. Hull forms include planing and displacement types, with mono-hull predominating in traditional small craft; multihulls are common in some sailing dinghies.

Used for transport between shores, fishing, training, or leisure on lakes, rivers, and near shores. They are frequently launched from trailers, docks, or ramps, and may be kept on shore or stored on racks.

Because of proximity to shore and other traffic, small boats require personal flotation devices for occupants, and may need lights, sound signals, or other safety gear; motorized small boats may require registration, licensing, and adherence to local boating rules. Operators should be aware of weather, tides, and local navigation channels.