1. Define your boating needs
Start with cruising area, size, hull behaviour, propulsion, layout and crew needs. B-Atlas helps turn those needs into a practical search profile.
Find your boatStart with what you know
B-Atlas is a community-powered boat knowledge and research resource. Compare cruising boat models, understand specifications and trade-offs, and use reviewed owner knowledge to make better buying decisions. Start by working out what you need, or go directly to the boats if you already have a good idea.
Popular research paths
How B-Atlas works
Start with cruising area, size, hull behaviour, propulsion, layout and crew needs. B-Atlas helps turn those needs into a practical search profile.
Find your boatBrowse model guides with dimensions, hull and propulsion information, cruising performance where evidence exists, practical trade-offs and inspection focus.
Browse boat modelsUse manufacturer, model and purpose pages to narrow the field before spending time and money chasing individual listings.
Explore boats by needKeep promising models together, build a Boat Watch, and help improve the knowledge base with corrections, photos, manuals and ownership experience.
Open Saved ModelsImprove B-Atlas
Share useful boat knowledge. Contributions are reviewed before they change B-Atlas.
Contribution details
B-Atlas is free and independent. If the resource has helped you, voluntary support helps keep it available and improving.
Support B-AtlasPlan your boating
Work through the questions before searching. Firm requirements remove known poor fits; preferences improve ranking; unknown information remains visible.
Broad cruising areas help you think about weather, range, shelter and local boating style. They do not remove models. Select the closest match, or choose Other to continue without using this choice as a filter.
Select these only when you expect the model to use that waterway. Bridge clearance, locks, draft or range may exclude known poor fits.
Use maximums only when a larger model would create a real ownership problem. Confirm local marina slip limits, haul-out capacity and winter-storage restrictions. Unpermitted road trailering is commonly limited to about 8 ft 6 in wide; wider boats generally require permits and may need specialized transport.
These choices describe general layout and behaviour. Select only genuine requirements. Leaving choices blank keeps every model family available.
Fuel type affects efficiency, purchase cost and service needs. Propulsion affects simplicity, shallow-water access and close-quarters manoeuvring. Select only arrangements you would reject alternatives for.
A single engine is simpler and usually less expensive to maintain. Twins add propulsion redundancy and can make close-quarters manoeuvring easier, but add a second engine, controls and running gear to service. Select an arrangement only when engine count is a firm requirement.
Standard Preferences do not normally eliminate a model. They help B-Atlas rank known matches higher. Unknown features remain possible, with lower confidence.
Crew Fit helps rank layouts that are more practical for the people aboard. It does not reject a model when the relevant information is missing.
Your profile is ready. Review the matching models, then adjust any filter or preference directly as your needs become clearer.
Search or refine model matches. Known poor fits are eliminated; incomplete models remain visible.
Permanent Model Guide
Own
Permanent records for individual boats you own.
Individual Boat Record
Record what exists and where it is stored. File uploads are deliberately deferred.
A simple history of completed work and observations. Scheduling and reminders are deferred.
Capture model-specific experience that may help future buyers. Nothing is published automatically.
Organize the records, disclosures and details a future buyer will expect. Automated valuation and listing publication are deferred.