Boat

A boat, like a ship, is a vehicle designed for the purpose of ship transport, i.e. effecting passage or transportation across water. It is usually smaller than a ship, and in fact sometimes carried by a ship.

A boat consists of one or more primary structures called hulls and some system of propulsion: oars or paddles, a sail or a motor.

see Norfolk wherry, Yachting, Cruising, Sailboat, Lifeboat, Dinghy, Canoe, Kayak, Motorboat[?], Powerboat[?] Jetboat, Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat[?] (RIB), Whaleboat[?], Pinnace[?], Raft, Ferry, Dhow, Go-fast boat.

See also: Sport, Offshore powerboat racing, Jet sprint boat racing

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In rowing, a boat refers to the collection of people rowing a particular shell, which is the term applied to the actual vehicle. So a university might refer to its first boat, meaning the rowers who make up their best team, rather than their best piece of equipment.

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• A submarine is generally referred to as a boat rather than a ship. like in "U-boat",
• A ship is informally known as a boat, especially by its crew.