Fishing boats, flat boats, cabin cruisers, powerboats, and inboard and outboard motors, and boat servicing
There are all kinds of boats supplied in Zambia, from riverboats to speedboats. Think big name brands like Bayliner right through to jet skis, canoes and rowing boats. Boat spare parts and workshops in Zambia can also be found. Boats should be checked and serviced regularly, for safety and cost-saving purposes.
Types of boats
Traditionally people in Zambia have used boats made from hollowed out tree trunks for fishing and for transport. In modern times, these boats are still used, but more and more boats are purchased from a boat supplier.
People use boats for both work and leisure. You can travel long distances on Zambia's great rivers and lakes, or fish in them commercially or for pleasure. Whatever your interest is - fishing or high speed water sports, top of the line bass boats, just having family fun on the water, or slowly and quietly game viewing in a boat in shallow water - there are suppliers who can help.
Motorised boats
Also known as powerboats or speedboats, motorised boats are small watercraft propelled by internal combustion or an electric engine. These boats come in a range of sizes with most of them having space for about six passengers or fewer. In Zambia, these boats are commonly used recreationally for travelling on water (cruising) and for the enjoyment of such sports as fishing and swimming, with some used for the transportation of people or goods.
Some motorised boats are fitted with an internal combustion engine at the rear, with the gearbox and the propeller in the same portable unit. Some even have a hybrid inboard-outboard engine, where the internal combustion engine is installed inside the boat and the gearbox and propeller are outside.
Though there are literally dozens of different styles of motorised boats, here are the basic types:
- Bass boat - generally has a flat deck, low freeboard, and a shallow draft and is used primarily for fishing on protected lakes and rivers.
- Bay boat - a low-freeboard centre console fishing boat designed for near-shore and coastal use.
- Bowrider - powerboat with a seating area set in its bow.
- Cabin cruiser - mostly, any larger motorboat that provides sleeping accommodations within its structure. This generic term can be used to describe motor yachts, expresses, and a number of different designs.
- Centre console - a boat with its console and helm located in a central location on deck.
- Convertible - has a flying bridge built atop the cabin, and an open cockpit aft.
- Cuddy cabin - a powerboat with a relatively small cabin on its bow section.
- Deck boat – a motorboat with a flat, open deck plan and without any below-decks accommodations. To create more forward deck space, most deck boats have a rather boxy shape, instead of tapering to a point at the bow.
- Dual console - a boat with twin dashboards that are separated by a walk-through that allows access to a forward cockpit or seating area.
- Express boat - sleek boat with a steering station on deck level, no flying bridge, and a cabin forward of and lower than the helm station.
- Flatboat - a powered skiff designed with an extremely shallow draft for fishing on flats and other shallow-water areas.
On Infobwana, check for boat suppliers as well as companies that offer boat servicing and maintenance.
