Or Are We?
Once you determine what type of boat you need, the next obvious step is to figure out how big that boat needs to be. In this article, we are going to specifically look at bowriders. Let’s start with the main factors.
Where will you be boating?
Before you choose the size boat you need, you need to get an idea where you will be boating. Bigger boats don’t always have a direct relation to the amount of passengers you plan to take with you. You might like to spend a day on the water with just your significant other, but if you plan to spend the day out in the open ocean, a 17’ bowrider probably isn’t the best (or safest) choice.
Each inland lake tends to have it’s own personality. Small, private lakes are usually very calm and you typically won’t want a very big boat on these lakes, nor will you need one. The waves are usually just a result of other small boats, and therefore never get to be much of an issue.
Another thing to keep in mind if you plan to boat on a smaller lake is any restrictions. Some lakes have size restrictions or horsepower restrictions. Find this info out right away. You don’t want to purchase a boat that is not allowed on your favorite lake. That would be an expensive mistake!
On larger inland lakes, this isn’t always the case. Lake conditions depend on a multitude of factors such as depth, surroundings, average size of the other boats and shape of the lake. If the lake is very open, shallow and doesn’t have many trees to block the wind, it can tend to get very choppy just as a result of weather conditions. On calm days when the wind isn’t blowing, a small 18’ boat might be fine, but if a storm comes up that small bowrider might risk getting swamped.
Other lakes depend much more on other boaters. Lake of the Ozarks, a large lake in southern Missouri is very deep and has lots of surrounding trees to protect it from wind. The main factor on a lake such as this is the other boaters. This lake is filled with very large cruisers and tends to be relatively narrow and crowded in many areas. This creates large waves beating back and forth against the shoreline and therefore unpredictable swells coming from every direction. Many people feel you need at least a 25’-30’ boat to use this lake comfortably on busy days. And sometimes even that is not even big enough.
Oceans and coastal areas are an entirely different ballgame. Boating in these areas requires much more boating knowledge. If you spend time in a bay, smaller boats can be just fine, but if you venture out into the open ocean you need to have a good idea on conditions ahead of time to be sure it is safe. There are far too many factors to give a size recommendation for this type of boating. Talk to the locals (especially fishermen) and you will learn what size boat will best handle these areas and conditions.
How Many Passengers?
The other major thing to look at when choosing the size boat that’s right for you is just how many people you plan to bring with you on your typical day. Most boats up to 25’ have a maximum passenger and weight capacity. Here are some general guidelines to the capacities you will find on most boats respective to their size.
- 17’: 6-7 Passengers
- 18’-19’: 8-9 Passengers
- 20’-22’: 10-12 Passengers
- 23’-25’: 12-16 Passengers
- 26’ and up: Yacht Certified
These are very general guidelines and you will have to look at each boat to find their exact capacity. Once a boat reaches the size where is is “Yacht Certified,” this means that there is no limit to the number of passengers you can put on the boat. Keep in mind that this means all of those passengers must be able to be within the boat and not sitting on top of the sunpad or swim platform. You will also need the appropriate safety gear for each passenger onboard.
Just because a boat has a passenger capacity of 10 people for example, doesn’t mean you will comfortable be able to bring exactly 10 people on board. In many cases, you can take the maximum capacity and subtract 2-3 people and that’s about the most people you want to bring with you. The best advice is to get inside the boat and imagine a body sitting in each seat or bench and picture how many people can realistically be comfortable on the boat. Don’t forget that more people means more stuff! You will need lifejackets for everyone on board, room for bags, coolers and other boating gear. A boat can fill up quick with a big crowd, to be sure to take all of this into account.
The Next Step
Now that you have a good idea on the size boat you need, it’s time to start looking at more specific details that you like in a boat. Be sure to check out our other articles on boats and also boat features to continue your boat selection process.