Even if all you can afford at the moment is a plastic tub with homemade paddles, it does not mean you cannot dream: one day…

While waiting for the day when you board your own yacht and sing the “all hands make sail, ahoy!’ (or similar) command, spend your time profitably and learn to tell the difference between the most common watercrafts.

Banana boats are in the list thanks to their fetching name. This is not really a boat, but more like a big, banana-shaped, inflatable water ski that you get to sit on, with family and friends, while a motor boat pulls you. (Not to be confused with the merchant banana boats, so called because they transport this fruit.)

Cabin cruisers are motor boats that offer accommodation for at least one person. They are usually about 8 to 10 metres long; bigger ones are classified as yachts.  Unlike yachts, cabin cruisers can be operated by one person and can be stored on dry land. A small boat with a small cabin is called a cuddy.

Catamarans come with two or more hulls. They can be sail or engine-powered, small or big. Catamarans are lighter than monohulls and are usually faster.

Deck boats, as their name suggests, have wide decks, which can be big enough to accommodate about a dozen scantily clothed, toned and bronzed bodies.  So, those who don’t fit the description might want to consider boarding a different boat.

Dinghies are small, easy-to-transport watercrafts, made out of wood or (more commonly) plastic. They can be rigid or inflatable and are propelled by muscle power applied to oars or by an outboard motor, though they can be modified for sailing.

Houseboats are homes on the water. Just like homes on the land, they can be fairly modest or ostentatiously luxurious.

Inflatable boats range in size from 2-meter dinghies to ten metres long high-performance boats. They can be deflated and folded for storage.

Jet boats are power boats propelled by a jet of water that is ejected from the back of the craft. They are extremely manoeuvrable and can be small, or very big.

Runabouts are small motorboats capable of holding between four and eight people. They can be used for racing or for pleasure activities like fishing and water skiing. The already-mentioned cuddy is a type of a runabout.

Ski boats are for those who are too advanced for the already-mentioned banana boats. You also get to be towed, but this time on the water skies.

Skiff is a term that can refer to a number of different watercrafts: a small flat-bottomed boat used for fishing; a small motorised boat used for piracy; or a high-performance sailing boat used for racing competitions.

Sloop is a sail boat that usually has one mast and two sails. It looks like a sailing boat a child might draw. It can be small; it can be big; it can even be used as a war ship. In modern times, sloop is most commonly used as a sports boat.

Yacht can be either a sailing or a power boat. The main characteristic of a yacht is that it is designed for leisure purposes. Yachts are usually ten to dozens of metres long. When on the smaller side, a yacht is often called a cabin cruiser or simply a cruiser.

Wikipedia lists about 150 types of boats. When you add the fact that one and the same boat can be small or big; with sail or engine; wooden or plastic; used for racing or for waging wars…You can conclude that definitions and categorisations are rather flexible in the world of watercrafts.

So, chin up and keep the flames of hope burning. Who’s to say that in that world there’s no boat to suit your pocket!