A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
A runabout is any small motorboat holding between four and eight people, well suited to moving about on the water. Characteristically between 20' to 35' in length, runabouts are used for pleasure activities like boating, fishing, and water skiing, as a ship's tender for larger vessels, or in racing. Some common runabout types are bow rider, center console, cuddy boat and walkaround. The world's largest runabout, Pardon Me, is 48 feet long and owned by the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, New York.
Patrol Boat, Riverine, or PBR, is the United States Navy designation for a small rigid-hulled patrol boat used in the Vietnam War from March 1966 until 1975. They were deployed in a force that grew to 250 boats, the most common craft in the River Patrol Force, Task Force 116, and were used to stop and search river traffic in areas such as the Mekong Delta, the Rung Sat Special Zone, the Saigon River and in I Corps, in the area assigned to Task Force Clearwater, in an attempt to disrupt weapons shipments. In this role they frequently became involved in firefights with enemy soldiers on boats and on the shore, were used to insert and extract Navy SEAL teams, and were employed by the United States Army's 458th Transportation Company, known as the 458th Sea Tigers. The PBR was replaced by the Special Operations Craft – Riverine (SOC-R)
The term brown-water navy or riverine navy refers in its broadest sense to any naval force capable of military operations in littoral zone waters. The term originated in the United States Navy during the American Civil War, when it referred to Union forces patrolling the muddy Mississippi River, and has since been used to describe the small gunboats and patrol boats commonly used in rivers, along with the larger "mother ships" that supported them. These mother ships include converted World War II-era Landing Crafts and Tank Landing Ships, among other vessels.
Chris-Craft Boats was an American manufacturer of boats that was founded by Christopher Columbus Smith (1861–1939). The company was sold by the Smith family in 1960 to NAFI Corporation, which changed its name to Chris-Craft Industries in 1962. The current successor is Chris-Craft Corporation, which produces motorboats under the Chris-Craft name.
The Defoe Shipbuilding Company was a small ship builder established in 1905 in Bay City, Michigan, United States. It ceased to operate in 1976 after failing to renew its contracts with the United States Navy. The site of the former company is now being developed for business and housing on the bank of the Saginaw River.
The Glastex Company, founded in Tinley Park, Illinois, produced a range of fiberglass products including fiberglass fibers for industrial use. Beginning in 1953, Glastex began to manufacture fiberglass boats, making it one of the earliest builders of molded fiberglass boats in the United States. From 1953 to 1962, Glastex built "Speed Queen" boats.
Chris-Craft Commander is the name of a range of cruisers built by Chris-Craft Industries. The first Commander was built in 1963 and debuted at the 1964 New York Boat Show. At the time, none of the large main line motor yacht builders were building in fiberglass. Hatteras Yachts, which had started as a partnership between two North Carolina furniture makers, and Pearson, generally noted for their fiberglass auxiliary sailboat cruisers, were the only companies making fiberglass boats over 30' in length.
Cape Dory Yachts was a Massachusetts-based builder of fiberglass sailboats, powerboats, and pleasure trawlers which operated from 1963 to 1992. It also produced a small number of commercial craft.
Chris-Craft Corporation is an American manufacturer of recreational powerboats that is based in Sarasota, Florida. Since June 4, 2018, the company has been owned by Winnebago Industries, an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles.
From its inception in the late 1940s through about 1984, Wacanda Marine, Inc. was owned and operated by Forrest Collins, Colville, Washington. From 1984 to 1988, the company was owned by the Yakima Indian Nation, Wapato, Washington, although Mr. Collins managed the production
Stephens Brothers Boat Builders and Designers company, an American boat designer, began in the back yard of brothers Theodore and Robert Stephens. Their boatbuilding firm in Stockton, California operated from 1902 to 1987. Over the years the company became famous for its elegantly designed pleasure craft, including sailboats, speedboats, cruisers and private yachts. Stephens Bros. also built many vessels for the U.S. military, especially during World War II. The company's first vessel was the sloop Dorothy, in 1902.
The Thompson Brothers Boat Manufacturing Company of Peshtigo, Wisconsin was a manufacturer of pleasure boats and canoes. Founded by brothers Peter and Christ Thompson in 1904, the company became prominent in the field and built boats for nearly one hundred years. The Thompson Antique & Classic Boat Rally celebrates the company's history with a boat show every other year and in 2013 the Thompson Brothers canoe was celebrated at the Annual Assembly of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association.
Hacker-Craft is the name given to boats built by The Hacker Boat Co. It is an American company, founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1908 by John Ludwig Hacker and is the oldest constructor of wooden motor boats in the world. The company moved operations to New York State in the 1970s and continues to produce hand-built boats.
Hodgdon Yachts is a builder of yachts and specialized military vessels, based in East Boothbay, Maine. It is a family-run business that was founded in 1816—reputedly the oldest continuously operating family boatbuilder in the United States. Hodgdon Yachts is noted for building superyachts, both sail and power, using advanced composite materials and construction techniques. It's also noted for its ability to incorporate those advanced materials into traditional designs that employ modern electronic and mechanical marine systems. The company has several divisions—yachts, custom tenders, yacht interiors, yacht services and military composites with offices in Boothbay, Maine, Newport, Rhode Island and Monaco.
The Marsh Hen is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Reuben Trane as a pocket cruiser and first built in 1981.
The Bay Hen 21 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Reuben Trane as a pocket cruiser and first built in 1984.
The Kittiwake 23, also called the Kittiwake 24 and the Kenner Kittiwake, is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Carl Alberg as a cruiser and first built in 1966. It is named for the species of gull.
The S2 7.0 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Arthur Edmunds as a cruiser and first built in 1975. The designation indicates the approximate length overall in meters.
Cape Cod Shipbuilding is an American boat builder based in Wareham, Massachusetts. The company specializes in the manufacture of fiberglass sailboats.
