What You Need To Know About Boat Hull Types

There are so many things that you need to know about a boat, before you can pick the right one for you. Does it have the right amount of power? Can you for a marine fuel bladder on deck? How many people can you get on board?

Before you start learning about these things, you need to know the basics. That includes hull types, and which one is the best for you. Here’s everything that you need to know.

The Basics Of Your Hull

So, what is the boat hull, and what is it for? The hull is what determines a lot about how your boat will sail. That includes the speeds you can get, how smooth that ride is, and how wet it is. So you can see that as well as researching a boat gas tank bladder and seating on your new boat, you’ll also need to decide on the right hull for you.

There are three main categories of hull that you can choose from, and these depend on how the boat sits in the water:

Displacement hulls: These lie in the water, and will then push the water away when the boat moves.

Planing hulls: These sit on top of the water and don’t push it away when moving.

Semi-displacement hulls: These lie in the water, and push it away. They can also generate lift, though.

Picking The Right Hull

Now you know the basics, so it’s time to look at how these hulls are used. Here are some of the most common uses, so you can make a decision on what’s right for you.

Displacement Hulls

You’ll most commonly see these on sailboats, trawlers and fishing boats. They operate by displacing the water around them, and are reliant on buoyancy. As such, most of the boat’s weight will be supported by its capacity to float.

These are best for fishing and sailing as they’re highly stable in the water. As you’d imagine, that stable sailing experience makes it easier to enjoy the water or spend a day angling. You’ll typically see boats like this come with large decks. That allows for storage, hosting several people on board, and holding equipment such as a fuel bladder for boats.

However, with that stability comes slower travel speeds. It’s dealing with more resistance as the hull is moving water, so you need to keep this in mind when picking a boat.

Round Bottom Hull

This is another kind of displacement hull, put as it’s rounded it has less resistance when it moves. You’ll get a much smoother ride with it, making it great for canoes and sailboats.

Be aware that these boats are the least stable, though. As they have that rounded bottom, it’s much easier for them to rock and even capsize in the water.

Catamaran Hull

These boats look very similar to pontoons, but they differ in the hull. These have a displacement multihull, rather than a planing one. There are typically two hulls that sit in the water and displace it as the boat moves. As they’re so stable, it’s almost impossible to capsize it.

As you’d imagine, they make excellent sailing boats. Load all your equipment on board, such as your marine fuel bladder and angling gear, and you can make a day of it. As you’d imagine though, they aren’t as agile as other hull types. You’ll also pay more in marina fees, too.

Planing Hulls

A planing hull can be considered a mix of both a flat bottom and displacement hull. They offer water displacement at low speeds, but once you pick up speed it’ll start to create lift. You’ll see them a lot on power boats, where it looks flat bottomed at first glance, but once it picks up speed you’ll see it has a slight v shape which gives it lift.

As they are designed to create that lift, you can get less resistance when you start hitting higher speeds. However, it does make them a rougher ride, especially in choppy water. These hulls are usually on power boats, so if you want space for a boat gas tank bladder or similar you won’t find it here.

Flat Bottom Hull

A flat bottom hull is going to sit on top of the water, rather than in it. As such, it displaces very little water when it moves. It’s something you’ll see on rowboats, small fishing boats, and tug boats.

These can get quite fast as there’s no displacement, but the trade off is that they won’t handle as well when you go to high speeds. As such, you may want a flat bottom for more sedate activities. Add a fuel bladder for boats on board, and you can enjoy your time on the water.

Deep V Hull

As a planing hull, this one will give you most of what you want in offshore conditions. They’re mostly used on modern powerboats, big and small, so you can get all the benefits as well as storage for your marine fuel bladder too.

Kitting Out Your Boat

Whatever hull shape you decide on, you’ll need to find the right equipment to stock it with. There are some standards that every boat needs, such as life jackets, nav equipment, and so on. There will be other kit that will be personal to you, such as fishing gear, or a boat gas tank bladder.

A fuel bladder for boats enables you to keep extra fuel on board, so you can go further on your boat. As such, a marine fuel bladder has become a go to for many sailors, as it offers them a lot of flexibility they may not have otherwise.

This has been a very quick guide to the world of hulls. The hull on your boat will make a lot of difference to the handling and speed you get, so you’ll want to pay attention to this. Picking the right hull should give you the right handling for your needs.