Boats on Land?

Yes, we all imagine boats to be floating in the water, but actually, a lot of boats spend most their lifetime on land.

Let’s start by talking about where a boat is born. On land of course, since it’d be pretty difficult to have laborers assembling parts while trying to tread water. Most speed boats are made in southern states, such as Florida. Manufacturing facilities assemble all the components of the boat such as the drivetrain, hull, appliances, electronics, etc. We acknowledged before that the boating industry is still relatively small compared to the automotive industry, so you can infer that it is not as automated. Boats are built individually and more unique. Very rarely do you find speed boats with the same paint job and interior.

The boat industry can be somewhat similar to the automobile industry, for manufacturers have a collection of models of different sizes, speeds, colors, and features. Additionally, there is a variety of recognizable “makers/brands” of boats. We have Mercedes, Ford, BMW cars. On the water we have Cigarette, Donzi, Fountain, Formula, Outerlimits, Skater, etc.

Since I have been around these boats for a large portion of my life, I am able to notice the differences between each maker. Some you favor more than others in areas such as paint schemes, performance, and interior and exterior design–just like cars.

Boats can be bought and custom ordered through the manufacturer, or also bought used. Either way, the boat is most likely has to travel across the country to the customer. It could take them a while to drive by water there or even might be impossible to, so we come up with the solution to tow the boat on land by putting it on a trailer.

Additionally, not only is the boat on land purely to be transported, but most times it is because it needs to be stored or worked on. Boats are not exactly like fish in the water. Allowing boats to be in the water can actually cause a lot of damage to the boat. In salt water, salt can externally and internally cause corrosion. In fresh water, algae and dirt in the water can cause a permanent discoloration of the paint and/or gel coat. Thus, we can pull the boats out of the water with cranes, forklifts, or trailers and store them in buildings.

A V-bottom speed boat normally has a trailer built by the factory for that specific type and size of boat. The trailer is engineered with resting points and responsible for holding the weight of the vessel. With this heavy boat and trailer, we need a heavy duty truck to tow them. What a lot of people forget or overlook is the basic laws of physics and acting upon them by using straps to tie down the boat to the trailer.

Then to launch the boat, you’ll have to find a marina with a boat ramp, where you can back the boat up into the water. Remember backup, not pull forward.

Catamaran (cat) speed boats are often too wide to be able to tow on the roads so they invented hydraulic tilting trailers. In the video below you can see an example of a cat being tilt on its side for towing position. The boat originally is driven onto the trailer flat and then will undergo this process to legally drive on the road with it.

Overall, a lot of factors go into the purchase and maintenance of a boat. Many forget the relevance of a heavy duty trailer and truck in order to tow the boat around. But why buy a boat that you can’t use where you want it? The towing rig can also be seen as part of the boating sport. In boat shows, the whole rig will be present. The quality of the truck and trailer can add to the value of the boat. So even though it is a water sport, I argue it is a sport on land as well.

  ~The Aquaholic