Boats come in all shapes and sizes; but nothing is more confusing than the length of a boat. How long is it really? How do you measure? From what point to what point? Why so many measurements? What difference does it make?
How do you know what size your boat really is?
Size Does Matters
Using the correct size for each scenario is most important, whether you are buying, selling, storing, docking, trailering or keeping your boat in a boathouse; but, how do you know what size to use?
LOA
Length Overall (LOA) is measured from the tip of the bow in a straight line along the centerline to the stern of the pleasure craft. If the bow pulpit or swim platform is molded with the boat, it is included in the LOA. If the bow pulpit or swim platform is bolted on, it was not included in the LOA prior to the 1980’s. Since the 1980’s, the LOA has been redefined by boat manufacturers to include all appendages i.e. pulpit and platform.
During the transition period in the late 1980’s, until the mid 1990’s, boat manufacturers transitioned from the old LOA (Actual Hull Length) to the new LOA (including the platform and pulpit) to market their vessels as larger, even though the cabin interiors and cockpits were unchanged.
This created confusion in the marketplace when some advertised the longer length, while others stayed with advertising the hull only length. As a result, boat buyers were having great difficulty comparing differently promoted boats that were actually the same.
This confusion continues as these products are sold over and over in the used/preowned market by marinas and brokers. Some manufacturers still use the LOA to include the hull and platform, but not the bow pulpit/anchor roller and anchor. In other words, it is not consistent; so, beware when comparing.
LOH
The Length of the Hull (LOH) is the actual length of the boat from the transom to the bow of the boat; excluding the swim platform, excluding the bow pulpit and excluding the stretched taffy bow. This measurement term has just come into existence since the late 80’s, when these appendages were added to the hull/deck mold. Previously, LOA was the hull length, but now LOA includes all appendages that stick out fore and aft. See LOA description above.
LWL
A vessel’s waterline length (LWL) is the length of a boat at the waterline. The LWL will be shorter than the LOA as most boats have bow and stern protrusions that make the LOA greater than LWL. Waterline length applies more to sailboats than power boats.
Sheerline Length
The sheerline length is the measurement from the transom corner all the way along the outside edge and across the bow to the centerline. Many boat manufacturers up until the 80’s, used this much larger measurement to make their boats sound larger than they actually were. Some even omitted advertising the LOA, promoting just the sheerline length.
Some used this longer length in their model number designation. So, if the 22’ hull centerline hull measured 24’ or 25’, the long way around the outside edge of the boat, it had a model number designation as 240 or 250.
Model Number Length
The model implied the length of the boat; for example, a 350 or a 3500 implied that the boat is 35’. In many cases, it is 33’ something or 34’ something including pulpit and platform, so the hull centerline length could be as short as 31’ or 32’.
Getting specifications for a used/pre-owned boat will help you make a more informed buying decision. This is only one of the many reasons, that boaters visit the OldBoatBrochures.com library at www.oldboatbrochures.com.
Metric Length
Metric lengths are usually printed alongside the Imperial/US measurement. Metric length model numbers confused most North American boaters, because they are not familiar with metric. Metric measurements and model numbers are known and popular in Europe.
LOS
The length over spars (LOS) is a lesser used term from the distant past. This is the length from the end of the outermost protruding booms/spars at the forward and aft ends of sailboat/sailing vessels. It includes the bowsprit. It is also known as Length Extreme or LE, and nobody except charter firms, show-offs, or marina managers take this length seriously.
LOD
The length on deck (LOD) is another distant past term. The deck is usually shorter than the LOA. LOD length, means a boat without the aft spar & bowsprit overhang.
Square Foot
The area the boat covers i.e. the widest point of the beam multiplied by the LOA is the square foot calculation. For Winter Storage in a storage shed, warehouse or storage yard, marinas usually charge by the square foot of occupied space.
Size Matters When Buying
Knowing the actual “real” length of the boat you are about to buy, whether you are buying used/pre-owned or new, will arm you with excellent valuable information when comparing different brands, in the boat buying process.
Some brands of boats were labelled to imply that they were larger than the competition, while the competition may have been using a different measurement. It appeared to be smaller than their competition, but accommodation areas are the same.
Comparing the actual length allows you to compare “apples to apples”.
Boats tend to grow or be longer, when they are being sold or bragged about. Don’t get ripped! Compare actual hull lengths without pulpits, platforms and creative marketing.
Size Matters When Selling
When selling your boat, it is very important to advertise the correct size of your boat. Using a size that would mislead a buyer, could end up in a legal mess. Be sure to explain which measurement you are using, i.e. whether the platform and pulpit is included in the measurement.
Size Matters for Seasonal Docking
Most boaters have a permanent dock during the boating season and prefer the shorter measurement. Many dockage fees are based on the length of the boat. In some cases, the marina will use the Hull Length, and in some cases, it will be the LOA. It all depends on the marina’s policy. Knowing this before your sign up, could save you money.
Size Matters when Transient Docking
When cruising, and staying at different marinas, boaters also prefer the shorter measurement. But, marinas need to utilize the longer measurement, when tying vessels to a long dock like a parallel dock at a municipal pier, lock approach walls etc.; so that, the boats don’t overlap each other and/or strike one another.
Transient slips are sometimes rented as a unit, regardless of the size of the boat in the space, while others calculate the dockage using LOL or Hull Length.
Quit often, marinas have transient parallel docking along a pier/wharf, and there are different methods for calculating the dockage fee. Some charge by LOA, while others maintain that the measurement should be from the bowline cleat to the stern line cleat on the dock, because they maintain nobody else can use that entire space. So, a 30’ boat could have a bowline running forward on the dock, and a sternline running aft on the dock taking up 40’ or 50’ and the dockage fee would be calculated on the 40’ or 50’, not the length of your boat.
Others, simply offer a length of the pier pre-marked in 50’ spaces for a fee, no matter what size the boat is under 50 feet.
Size Matters When Storing
For Winter Storage in a storage shed, warehouse or storage yard, marinas usually charge by the square foot of occupied space; i.e. the widest point multiplied by the LOA.
When shopping for a winter storage location, knowing how the marina charges, will be a great help in your comparison and decision making.
Size Matters When Trailering
It is most important to not only know the LOA and width of your boat, but also the weight, if you are going to be trailering, so that you can match it with the right trailer.
Knowing the correct specs for you boat could prevent your purchase of a trailer that is too small. Also, boaters who are storing their trailerable boat in their own garage, need to know the length of the boat including the motor/drive and the trailer tongue. We’ve all seen on the internet, the garage door cut out around the trailer tongue.
Getting Specifications
To find out the length(s) of your boat, you could measure it yourself OR, refer to the original manufacturer’s specifications in the original old boat brochure.
Old Boat Brochures has a library of over 12,000 old boat brochures dating back to the 1950’s, both power and sail. There is only one brochure for each brand per year in the collection, with a few exceptions where there are duplicates.
For a small fee, Old Boat Brochures will scan the original and email as a pdf file. When a duplicate is available, it can be purchased as a printed original.
