Bow Rider
Encyclopedia
A bow rider is a kind of runabout
boat
typically between 17' and 30', use stern drive or outboard engines, and hold between six and ten people. To distinguish it from a cuddy boat, it has an open bow
area where there are extra seats in front of the helm
station. This term can be confused with bow riding, a dangerous and often illegal activity involving sitting or standing on the bow while the boat is underway.
They are well suited for many recreational water sports such as tubing, water skiing, and swimming, however a Center Console
or Walkaround
type boat is more practical for fishing. Bow riders are well suited for lakes and inland water. In heavy seas the open bow and lower gunwale
s may cause the boat to take on more water into the bilge
.
A bow rider or bowrider is a type of boat which has a seating area in the bow, the forward part of the ship. Bow riders are generally designed for recreational use such as day cruising or water skiing, and they come in a variety of styles from luxurious to basic. Several manufacturers of boats produce bow riders, in both mass production and custom models for their clients, and such boats are often available for rental at facilities which offer boats for rent to people who do not maintain their own watercraft.
On a bow rider, the area in front of the helm can be used for seating or lounging. Protective rails designed to prevent falls are installed, along with seats which may include seat belts, depending on the boat design. A flat deck is designed with a nonslip surface so that people can walk comfortably, and some bow riders have enough space for people to stretch out and lie down, with people using the area as a sun pad.
This type of runabout boat is powered by a variety of types of engine, depending on the size of the boat and the style. Some are designed to go quite fast, while others are intended to be used for more casual cruising. The design is most well suited to inland waterways and calm lakes, not the open ocean. Like other runabouts, a bow rider lacks accommodations such as sleeping spaces, a galley, and a bathroom, since it is intended for short day use only.
Sitting in the bow area can be enjoyable because it allows people to catch a breeze and enjoy some of the spray kicked up by the progress of the boat. The view from a bow rider is also excellent, as passengers can look straight ahead without any obstructions. A more luxuriously outfitted boat can include padded seating, small wet bars, and other features which are designed to enhance passenger comfort and enjoyment.
Runabout (boat)
A runabout is any small motorboat holding between four and eight people, well suited to moving about on the water. Runabouts can be used for racing, for pleasure activities like fishing and water skiing, or as a ship's tender for larger vessels...
boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
typically between 17' and 30', use stern drive or outboard engines, and hold between six and ten people. To distinguish it from a cuddy boat, it has an open bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
area where there are extra seats in front of the helm
Tiller
A tiller or till is a lever attached to a rudder post or rudder stock of a boat that provides leverage for the helmsman to turn the rudder...
station. This term can be confused with bow riding, a dangerous and often illegal activity involving sitting or standing on the bow while the boat is underway.
They are well suited for many recreational water sports such as tubing, water skiing, and swimming, however a Center Console
Center Console (boat)
Center console is a type of single-decked open hull boat where the console of the boat is in the center of the boat. There is a cabin on some models; these cabins are usually located in the bow and hold small berths for sleeping...
or Walkaround
Walkaround (boat)
A Walkaround boat is a cross between a center console and a cuddy boat or express. Like a center console boat, it is mostly used for fishing and has a full length primary deck or cockpit but also has a small cabin for berths and a head in the center of the boat in front of the console.There are...
type boat is more practical for fishing. Bow riders are well suited for lakes and inland water. In heavy seas the open bow and lower gunwale
Gunwale
The gunwale is a nautical term describing the top edge of the side of a boat.Wale is the same word as the skin injury, a wheal, which, too, forms a ridge. Originally the gunwale was the "Gun ridge" on a sailing warship. This represented the strengthening wale or structural band added to the design...
s may cause the boat to take on more water into the bilge
Bilge
The bilge is the lowest compartment on a ship where the two sides meet at the keel. The word was coined in 1513.-Bilge water:The word is sometimes also used to describe the water that collects in this compartment. Water that does not drain off the side of the deck drains down through the ship into...
.
A bow rider or bowrider is a type of boat which has a seating area in the bow, the forward part of the ship. Bow riders are generally designed for recreational use such as day cruising or water skiing, and they come in a variety of styles from luxurious to basic. Several manufacturers of boats produce bow riders, in both mass production and custom models for their clients, and such boats are often available for rental at facilities which offer boats for rent to people who do not maintain their own watercraft.
On a bow rider, the area in front of the helm can be used for seating or lounging. Protective rails designed to prevent falls are installed, along with seats which may include seat belts, depending on the boat design. A flat deck is designed with a nonslip surface so that people can walk comfortably, and some bow riders have enough space for people to stretch out and lie down, with people using the area as a sun pad.
This type of runabout boat is powered by a variety of types of engine, depending on the size of the boat and the style. Some are designed to go quite fast, while others are intended to be used for more casual cruising. The design is most well suited to inland waterways and calm lakes, not the open ocean. Like other runabouts, a bow rider lacks accommodations such as sleeping spaces, a galley, and a bathroom, since it is intended for short day use only.
Sitting in the bow area can be enjoyable because it allows people to catch a breeze and enjoy some of the spray kicked up by the progress of the boat. The view from a bow rider is also excellent, as passengers can look straight ahead without any obstructions. A more luxuriously outfitted boat can include padded seating, small wet bars, and other features which are designed to enhance passenger comfort and enjoyment.