All you need to know about the bow rider boat (bowrider)
Who is the bow rider suitable for?
The bow rider is primarilly a day trip boat, known for its open bow section and recreational areas. The main idea of a bowrider is to increase moveability from bow to stern, as easy as possible. The bowrider has a windscreen extends from port to starboard, making the entire cockpit shielded from wind.
In Scandinavia, these features has led to the bowrider becoming a very popular boat type for archipelago explorations, and for use as a commuter at summer houses.
How to find the best bowrider boats you may ask?. Well, in this article we will take you through some of the subjects you should assess in your quest for the top bowrider boat for you.
Design of the hull, and driveability
The bow rider hull design depends on what type of boat the designer is searching for.
- A wider boat improves space onboard, but sacrifices drivebility
- A more narrow boat improves the sporty driveability, but decrease space onboard
The pursue for the compromize is the most challenging design. But, if you find the sweet spot, you will have a fantastic sporty and agile boat on driving characteristics, combined with a comfortable, practical layout. And uncover the optimal boat for day cruising, doing water sports (like water skiing) and still be an entry level boat, easilly facilitating family fun.
A sporty hull can be made using so-called stepped hulls, which can decrease drag at higher speeds, but since most bowriders spend most of their life-span at speeds slower than this conventional V-hulls will be the best
A good tip here is to talk to investigate the hull angle and design characteristics of the hull, and find the boat and hull that fits your use best (its a big difference to drive your boat off the coast line or in more protected inland waters.
The bowrider is a type of boat known for its open bow section. It is often built on similar daycruiser models, but many of the bowriders are also built as own hulls. The idea behind the bowrider was to give the passengers an experience shielded from the wind while at the same time providing an easy driving experience.
Design of deck space and functionality
Design of these boats are always different, with some focusing more on space in the cockpit while others compromize and increase the size in front of the wind screen. This serves different purposes:
- A windscreen placed further to the bow provides a larger cockpit for high seating comfort at speed and improved load features there. It provide little-to-small seating area in the bow and also decreases use of this area for recreational purposes.
- A windscreen placed further to the back of the boat decreases the volume of the cockpit, but on the other hand improves the size and comfort of the recreational spaces at the bow.
If your spend the majority of your time at sea on the boat at anchor, relaxing onboard and taking an occational swim, a bowrider in the latter category may fit your needs best.
If you are looking for a more commuter type of boat, it can be beneficial to choose a bowrider with its windscreen further to the bow, to increase the place in the cockpit. On wet summer days you can fit the canopy and keep people and luggage dry back there.
Do also pay attention to the placement of the access hatch from the bow to the cockpit. Normally it is either placed in the center of the boat, or at the port side, keeping the driver uninterrupted. Benefits of having it centred is that people in the passenger seat will be completely out of the wind, while with a port side fitted hatch, wind will get through beneath the hatch (between the hatch and deck). On the other hand, the aft bench/ couch seating will be better covered from wind with a port side fitted hatch.
The seating areas also varies from boat to boat. Think through if a U-sofa (covering the sides and aft of the cockpit), an L-sofa or an aft couch is what you want. All of these solutions have pros and cons, so you need to evaluate them according to your needs.
Noticable equipment on the bowrider
The canopy/ sun roof/ bimini
A full canopy, combined with a bimini. Whats not to like? This is exactly why its very important that you spend time on familiarizing yourself with the bimini/ canopy solutions for the boats you are assessing. These are the things you would like from a bimini/ canopy:
- Easy to fit, in a matter of seconds (or at least shorter than a couple of minutes)
- Easy to dismantle, and not so heavy that its no longer a one-man-job
- A bimini top, as a part of the canopy itself
- Giving full accessability to the bow and stern section, even with the full canopy fitted
- Keeping rain out
A family boat with a lot of practical space for stowing away luggage in the cockpit benefit from a dry cockpit
The harbour canopy
Docking and leaving the marina in 1-2-3. The harbour canopy makes wrapping the boat up a breeze. Make sure to check if your harbour canopy covers the cockpit and if it covers the bow seats. If it does not, the upholstery infront of the cockpit should be removable to avoid rain.
Sun lounge and recreational areas
A luxury sensation, the bowrider ought to deliver inspiring days at sea. The recreational areas of the vessel shall provide a sophisticated feel and striking appearance and ought to evoke a desire to immerse yourself in the experience. Intriguing Scandinavian design and utilization of colors provide zen-like characteristics.
And ultimately, that is the very essence of what the recreational space on a bow rider should epitomize. Authentic experiences, comfortable feeling and captivating design, bound together to provide you a holistic sensation.
Fridges and cooling drawers
Cooling the champagne, preserving the delicate food with a sense of eager expectation for the approaching trip. The bow rider is a place to indulgde in life, dropping anchor to luxuriate in a full day of oceanic serenity.
A cooling drawer is an essential equipment onboard a bow rider, making your life effortless and comfortable. Explore the level of equipment in the boats you are assessing.
Electronics and navigation equipment
An authentic experience at sea often includes music. Innovative and modern music entertainment systems should:
- Ought to enable effortless integration with mobile devices.
- Provide elegant, high-quality sound, throughout the boat
- Deliver a sophisticated design and ambiance that harmonizes seamlessly with the elegance of the boat.
A valuable recommendation is to dedicate time to thoroughly testing the onboard entertainment system, ensuring it aligns perfectly with your preferences and requirements.
