boat
a small vessel for travel on water
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise a boat, assess its readiness for a proposed water journey, and identify actions supported by its capabilities, condition and operating limits.
A boat is a relatively small watercraft whose hull is designed to float and be steered on water, conventionally set apart from a ship by limited size and crewing, by recreational or small-craft rather than SOLAS-scale regulation (typically under about 24 m hull length), and by the historical test that a boat can be carried aboard a larger vessel.
It can be Assess a proposed journey against the boat's configuration, condition and documented operating limits.; Plan loading, seating and securing within supported capacity and distribution constraints.; Identify prerequisites for launching, recovering, lifting or transporting the boat.; Determine available methods of propulsion, steering, anchoring and mooring.; Select inspections or maintenance needed to resolve a readiness uncertainty.; Flag a proposed operation as unsupported when a relevant defect, limit or evidence gap remains..
Distinguishing features
Establish whether it is designed to carry people or loads through water as a vessel; floating debris, buoys and fixed pontoons do not qualify solely because they float.
Record the evidence for calling it a small vessel rather than a ship, without assuming a universal length cutoff.
Distinguish a boat from a raft or board using its hull arrangement, occupant support and recognised type; ambiguous cases need an explicit classification decision.
Establish whether water travel is its defining function or an additional capability of an amphibious vehicle.
Recognise a boat stored ashore or undergoing repair by its design and identity, while recording its present inability to operate separately.
Scope
+ Boat identity, intended use and evidence for classification as a small vessel
+ Hull arrangement, flotation, stability and water ingress
+ Installed propulsion, steering and onboard systems
+ Carrying capacity, load distribution and occupied configuration
+ Readiness for launching, navigation, mooring, recovery and maintenance
- Waterways, weather, tides and navigational hazards as independently modelled environmental conditions
- Ports, marinas, docks, ramps and shore facilities
- People, qualifications and crew organisations
- Voyages, routes and transport services as activities
- Cargo, trailers and removable equipment as separate objects
- Ownership contracts, insurance policies and regulatory regimes
Characteristics
- Boat type
- Recorded type designation, with classification source and uncertainty Supports recognition and selects relevant questions about operation, construction and capacity.
- Hull arrangement and construction
- Number and form of hulls; rigid, inflatable or mixed construction; recorded materials Determines which damage, flotation and maintenance checks apply.
- Length and beam
- Metres, with measurement convention Constrains berthing, storage, handling and passage through restricted spaces.
- Draft and air draft
- Metres at a stated load and appendage configuration Supports assessment of underwater and overhead clearance.
- Freeboard
- Metres at identified locations and a stated load Helps assess exposure of openings and vulnerability to taking water aboard.
- Carrying limits
- Persons and kilograms, with source, conditions and interpretation of included loads Allows the proposed occupants, equipment and cargo to be checked against applicable limits.
- Current loading
- Occupants, load masses, distribution, securing, trim and heel for a dated configuration Capacity and stability judgments depend on the actual arrangement aboard.
- Propulsion and steering configuration
- Human, sail, motor, tow-dependent or combined propulsion; installed steering arrangement Defines how movement is produced and controlled, including available alternatives.
- Available propulsion endurance
- Fuel in litres, battery energy in kilowatt-hours, or estimated operating hours with assumptions Supports journey feasibility while making consumption and reserve assumptions explicit.
- Hull and system readiness
- Observed defects, inspection dates, functional checks, restrictions and unresolved uncertainties Separates an apparently intact boat from one with demonstrated readiness.
- Supported operating envelope
- Links to documented limits for loading, exposure, propulsion and configuration Provides evidence against which a proposed use can be assessed.
Analytical facets
- substance
- material
- origin
- manufactured
- agency
- inert
- mobility
- self-moving
- scale
- vehicle
- affordances
- observable
Also called
+55
Where this came from
oewn:2024 · CC BY 4.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 28 questions.
Vessel identity and form Establishes which boat is being modelled and the physical arrangement that makes boat-specific assessment possible.
Type names alone do not establish the identity, dimensions or configuration of the vessel an agent will act on.
Identity and classification
Connects the observed vessel to identifying evidence and the registry boundary.
Boat identification
Record identifying marks, maker or builder information, type designation and unresolved classification ambiguity.
- Which markings, documents or observed features identify this particular boat? provenance
- What supports classifying it as a small vessel rather than a ship, raft, board or amphibious vehicle? boundary
Hull and appendage geometry
Describes the dimensions and movable features that determine fit and clearance.
Configuration-dependent dimensions
Record hull arrangement, principal dimensions and changes caused by movable appendages or rig.
- What are the length, beam, draft and air draft, and under which loading and measurement conventions were they established? measurement
- Which rudders, drives, centreboards, masts or other features change the boat's clearance or handling configuration? definition
Flotation and water exclusion Records how the boat remains afloat and how water entry is prevented, detected and managed.
A boat's ability to float and exclude water is central to judging whether it can be launched or remain in service.
Hull and buoyancy integrity
Captures condition evidence for the hull and any dedicated buoyancy provisions.
Flotation condition
Record construction-specific defects and the verified condition of compartments, inflatable chambers or other buoyancy provisions where present.
- What hull construction and buoyancy provisions are present, and what evidence describes their intended function? provenance
- What inspection or test evidence establishes their current condition, including leaks, damage or loss of inflation? measurement
Openings and drainage
Identifies potential water-entry paths and available means of removing water.
Water ingress control
Record relevant openings, closures, drains and water-removal equipment, including configuration-dependent vulnerabilities.
- Which plugs, hatches, valves, fittings or low openings can admit water in the proposed operating configuration? definition
- Which closures and drainage or pumping arrangements must be checked before launch or continued operation? action
Loading and stability Relates documented carrying limits to the boat's actual occupants, loads and balance.
A boat can satisfy a total mass limit yet have an unsuitable load distribution or configuration.
Capacity evidence
Makes carrying limits traceable and distinguishes them from estimates.
Applicable load limits
Record supported limits, their sources and the conditions under which they apply.
- What person-count and load-mass limits are documented, and where were they obtained? provenance
- Do those limits include propulsion equipment, fuel, batteries and carried gear, and which configuration do they cover? boundary
Load distribution and balance
Captures the current arrangement and evidence needed to judge its suitability.
Loaded configuration
Record where people and loads are placed, how movable loads are secured, and observed trim, heel and freeboard.
- What masses and occupant positions make up the proposed load, and what trim, heel or freeboard observations are available? measurement
- What documented guidance supports this distribution, and what must change or be assessed before using it? action
Movement and control Describes how the boat produces motion, controls direction and maintains position.
Readiness depends on usable control methods and their dependencies, not merely on the presence of propulsion equipment.
Propulsion and endurance
Records propulsion options, their condition and the resources needed to use them.
Available propulsion
Record primary and alternative propulsion, functional evidence and endurance assumptions relevant to the proposed journey.
- Which motors, sails, oars, paddles or towing arrangements are available, and which have been checked as usable? measurement
- What fuel, energy, human effort or external conditions does the proposed journey require, and how is adequate provision established? action
Steering and position holding
Captures directional control, slowing and securing arrangements.
Manoeuvring and securing capability
Record usable steering methods, propulsion-dependent control and suitable attachment arrangements for anchoring or mooring.
- How is the boat steered and slowed, and which controls depend on propulsion, electrical power or movement through water? definition
- What checked equipment and attachment points support the intended anchoring or mooring operation? action
Operating readiness and handling Connects evidence about the boat to a specific proposed use and to transitions between storage and water.
Readiness is specific to an operation; storage condition, launch preparation and journey suitability require different evidence.
Use-specific readiness
Compares the proposed use with documented limits, current defects and necessary onboard provisions.
Operation supported by evidence
Record the basis for accepting, restricting or withholding a readiness judgment for the proposed use.
- Which documented operating limits apply to the proposed waters, exposure, loading and boat configuration? boundary
- Which defects, overdue checks or missing safety and navigation provisions must be resolved before this use is supported? action
Launch, recovery and support
Records how the boat may be moved into or out of water and supported ashore.
Handling prerequisites
Record supported handling methods, attachment or support locations and preparation needed for the boat's current configuration.
- What evidence identifies suitable lifting points, shore supports, towing attachments or trailer compatibility for this boat? provenance
- What must be secured, deployed, retracted, connected or closed before launching, recovering or transporting it? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- open dinghy or rowing boat (including ship's tender)
- small sailboat or sailing dinghy (daysailer, keelboat without ship-scale accommodation)
- open motorboat or runabout (including outboard skiff)
- cabin cruiser (overnight-capable recreational motorboat)
- inflatable boat and rigid-hulled inflatable (RIB/RHIB)
- paddle craft treated as boats in practice (canoe, kayak)
- workboat or fishing skiff (inshore commercial or artisanal)
- pontoon boat (deck on buoyant tubes, mainly North American recreational use)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of boat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q35872 - Item 'boat' in the small-watercraft sense; ships are a separate item (Q11446).
- ISO 10087 Watercraft Identification Number (WIN) - 14-character code: 2-letter country + 3-character manufacturer identification code + serial + date-of-production characters - Required for CE-marked recreational craft in the EU.
- U.S. Hull Identification Number (HIN), 33 CFR 181 - 12-character MIC + hull serial + date code (e.g. ABC12345A020) - Affixed to recreational vessels manufactured or imported for the U.S. market.
- Harmonized System (HS) - 8903 - Heading covering yachts and other vessels for pleasure or sports, including rowing boats and canoes; not a unique 'boat' code.
- MMSI (ITU Radio Regulations / IMO) - 9-digit Maritime Mobile Service Identity - Assigned only when the boat carries DSC radio, AIS, or an EPIRB; not universal for small craft.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of boat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- ISO 8666 Small craft - Principal data (International Organization for Standardization)
- ISO 10087 Small craft - Craft identification - Coding system (ISO)
- ISO 12215 Small craft - Hull construction and scantlings (ISO)
- ISO 12217 Small craft - Stability and buoyancy assessment and categorization (ISO)
- Directive 2013/53/EU on recreational craft and personal watercraft (European Union), with design categories A Ocean, B Offshore, C Inshore, D Sheltered waters
- COLREGs 1972, as a 'vessel' (International Maritime Organization)
- 33 CFR Subchapter S Boating Safety and 33 CFR 83 inland navigation rules (U.S. Coast Guard)
- ABYC recreational-boat standards (American Boat & Yacht Council) - widely used as industry practice in North America, not statute by themselves
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of boat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Recreational day trips, angling, and watersports from ramps, marinas, and beaches
- Ship-to-shore tender and yacht dinghy carried on davits or deck
- Inshore and artisanal fishing, trap and net work, and small-scale cargo in rivers, lakes, and coastal lagoons
- Search-and-rescue, police, and harbour-patrol rigid-hulled inflatables
- Primary passenger and goods transport in archipelagos, deltas, and communities without road access
- Military and expedition use as assault boats, landing craft of boat size, and ship's boats
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of boat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- hull length (length of hull / LOA for small craft) - 2.5-24 (regulatory recreational envelope); most working and leisure boats 3-12 - m
- beam - 1.2-3.5 for common open and cabin recreational boats - m
- draft (light to loaded, excluding deep keels) - 0.2-1.5 for typical motor and open boats; sailing keels may exceed 2 - m
- displacement (mass) - 50-8000 for paddle craft through mid-size cabin cruisers - kg
- maximum persons (builder's capacity plate) - 1-12 for typical recreational boats - persons
- installed propulsion power (outboard or inboard, recreational) - 0-250 - kW
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of boat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Capsize, inversion, or knockdown, especially in open dinghies and small sailboats
- Swamping, foundering, or sinking after flooding, hull puncture, or failed through-hull fittings
- Collision with other vessels, swimmers, or fixed objects; grounding and stranding
- Petrol-vapour fire or explosion in motorboats; onboard electrical fire
- Carbon monoxide poisoning from engines or generators in or near enclosed cockpits and cabins
- Person overboard, cold-water immersion, and drowning (the dominant recreational-boating fatality mechanism)
- Overloading beyond the capacity plate, with loss of freeboard and stability
- Structural failure: hull delamination, transom failure under outboard load, or flotation-foam saturation
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of boat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- English legal and nautical usage often treats 'boat' as the small craft and 'ship' as the large seagoing vessel; naval English still calls submarines 'boats'.
- United States recreational practice uses 'boat' for almost any pleasure vessel well into yacht size; federal rules speak of 'recreational vessel'.
- Australia and New Zealand commonly call a small aluminium open motorboat a 'tinny'.
- United Kingdom inland waters retain named types (punt, skiff, narrowboat) that speakers may or may not gloss as 'boat' depending on context; a canal narrowboat is a boat in ordinary speech but a distinct regulatory class.
- East and Southeast Asia preserve vernacular hulls (sampan, junk boat, jukung) whose English label 'boat' collapses types that local languages keep separate.
- EU product law (design categories A-D and CE marking) applies to recreational craft 2.5-24 m; many other jurisdictions use length, propulsion, or use (pleasure vs commercial) instead of those categories.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of boat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- ship - A ship is the larger, more complex seagoing vessel, typically under SOLAS/ISM-scale rules and historically defined by the ability to carry boats; a boat is the small craft that can be carried or that falls in the recreational/small-craft size band (about 2.5-24 m hull length).
- personal watercraft (jet ski / water scooter) - A PWC is a stand-on or straddle craft using an internal-combustion jet pump and is carved out as a separate product class in Directive 2013/53/EU; a boat has a conventional hull you sit or stand in, not on.
- raft - A raft is buoyancy (logs, tubes, pontoons) without a formed displacement hull intended for directed travel; a boat has a hull shaped to float, steer, and usually take a means of propulsion.
- barge - A barge is a boxy cargo or works platform, often unpowered and towed or pushed; a boat is self-directed (or a small tender) with a hull form for its own travel rather than bulk carriage.
- yacht - Overlap: a yacht is a recreational sailing or motor vessel, often with overnight accommodation and higher finish; many yachts are boats in the small-craft sense, but 'yacht' marks use and status, not a size cut that excludes ships.
- ferry - A ferry is defined by scheduled public carriage of passengers or vehicles across a waterway; the same hull might be a boat, but the neighbour is the service, not the hull type.
- canoe or kayak (when classified apart) - Some registries and sports bodies treat paddle craft as their own class (human-powered, typically decked or open displacement hulls without standing rigging or installed engines); they remain boats in ordinary and COLREG 'vessel' terms.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of boat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- Small craft - Principal data (ISO 8666). International Organization for Standardization - Defines how small-craft principal dimensions and data are stated; underpins the 2.5-24 m recreational-craft size band used in the definition and measurements.
- Small craft - Craft identification - Coding system (ISO 10087). International Organization for Standardization - Specifies the Watercraft Identification Number (WIN) coding used as a product identifier for small craft.
- Directive 2013/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on recreational craft and personal watercraft. Official Journal of the European Union - EU product law for recreational craft of 2.5-24 m hull length, design categories A-D, CE marking, and craft identification; also distinguishes personal watercraft from boats.
- Code of Federal Regulations, Title 33, Chapter I, Subchapter S - Boating Safety (including Hull Identification Numbers in Part 181). U.S. Coast Guard / U.S. Government Publishing Office - U.S. recreational-boating safety rules, numbering, and the 12-character Hull Identification Number scheme.
What the second pass must settle
- Which registry or world-model boundaries govern ambiguous cases such as rafts, personal watercraft, houseboats and amphibious craft?
- Which sources establish carrying limits and an operating envelope for an undocumented, modified or owner-built boat?
- What type-specific evidence is sufficient to support a stability judgment when no applicable loading guidance is available?
- Which inspection methods and evidence ages are appropriate for each hull material, propulsion arrangement and intended use?
- How should jurisdiction-specific equipment and operating requirements be linked without making this boat model the source of regulatory rules?