About Boat Anatomy
A neutral, visual reference to what the parts of a boat are called and how hulls are shaped, for new boaters, learners and the people who teach them.
Updated
Boat Anatomy answers “what is that part called?” with a drawing. Each term sits on a drawing of a whole boat, at scale, next to the parts around it, so you can see where the transom ends and the stern begins, or how the gunwale differs from the rub rail.
The hull atlas draws twelve hull shapes the way naval architects draw a hull: in profile, in plan and in section, at one scale, with the waterline in the same place. Pick a measurement and it is drawn in each view that shows it.
Who it is for
- New boaters and anyone reading a boat's spec sheet for the first time.
- People studying for a boater-education course who want to see the terms on a boat.
- Instructors at sailing schools, clubs, scout units and classrooms who need a clean diagram to print.
- Anyone who just wants the word for a part, from port and starboard to the gunwale.
What it is not
It is not a boating-safety course, a buying guide, a repair manual or a design tool. It recommends no boats, brands or hulls, and it never says a shape is safe, stable or best for anything. The disclaimer spells out what the drawings and numbers cannot tell you.
How it is checked
Every fact rests on a published source, recorded with the date it was read and listed on the sources page. How this site is made explains how the drawings are made and how each fact is checked.
Who makes it
Boat Anatomy is made by a boat enthusiast from India, an independent developer who is hooked on how boats are put together. I love the anatomy of a boat: why a hull is shaped the way it is, what each part is called and what it does, and how a naval architect draws one hull three ways so that every line agrees. This site is my way of drawing all of that clearly, one part at a time, for anyone who is curious.
Nothing here rests on my word alone. Every fact comes from a published source that I read and record with the date, and I check every drawing against those definitions before it goes up. How this site is made explains how.
Work on the site began in September 2026, and it is published under its own name. It is not affiliated with any boat builder, dealer, course provider or government agency, it sells nothing, and it carries no affiliate links. Corrections and questions come straight to me through the contact page.
Where to start
- Parts of a boat: a runabout and a sailboat, labeled part by part.
- Hull types: every common hull shape in profile, plan and section.
- Boat terms: one sentence for each word, with a drawing where there is one.
- Printable worksheets: each drawing labeled and blank, to print.
- The sitemap lists every page.