There are many different types of water transport that form part of the wider transport industry. This article explains 23 of the most common types of water transport, how they work and what they are used for – from kayaks and ferries to cruise ships and submarines.
What is water transport?
Water transport is any form of vehicle or vessel which is primarily used to travel by water. There are many different types of water transport, used for both cargo and passengers, which travel on many different waterways. The main types are outlined below.
Boats
One of the main types of water transport is a boat. This is the most common form of vessel used to travel on water, regardless of whether you’re on a canal or in the middle of the ocean. However, there are of course a lot of different types of boats. Boats can generally be split into three categories:
- Unpowered or human-powered boats
- Sailboats
- Motorboats
Each category has many boats within it, all serving different purposes.
Deck boat
These boats, as the name suggests, have a deck area. They are generally small, but have seating areas for groups of people – their main purpose is for leisure and sightseeing, or as a vessel from which to enter the water for swimming or other watersports. With a V-shaped hull, these boats are usually 25-35 feet in length.
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of boat which has two hulls. They are generally small-ish boats used for fishing or cruising, but this style of boat has been known to be used for car ferries too given their stability.
Houseboat
As the name suggests, these are boats on which people live. Many are not motorised, because they are usually moored in one place. Often they are built to look more like a house than a boat, but some definitely retain their boat style. You tend to find them on canals or larger lakes, and many people live in houseboats year round. They are also rented out to tourists looking for something a bit different!
Runabout boat
These small open boats are an entry-level kind of vessel, used for casual boating and sporting activities. They have a steering wheel and small control panel.
Lifeboat
A lifeboat is a small rigid or inflatable boat, generally attached to a larger boat or ship, used for sea rescue when necessary. Ships legally have to have a certain number of lifeboats corresponding with the number of people on board.
Pontoon boat
This type of boat is used mostly on inland waters, and they are incredibly stable due to their wide and flat shape. They rely on tubes known as pontoons to float on the water. With sensible seating, they are used for sightseeing and fishing.
Barge
A barge is a type of water transport used on canals – it is also often called a canal boat. They are long and flat-bottomed, and used either for carrying cargo or as recreational passenger boats. The insides can fit beds, kitchens, seating areas and more.
Airboat
An airboat is a small, flat-bottomed vessel which is powered by an aircraft-style propeller. They are used for tourist and fishing purposes in marshy and shallow waters – particularly the Everglades in Florida.
Felucca
These are mostly used for tourist purposes now, particularly on the Nile. They are Eastern Mediterranean wooden sailing boats, seating around 10 passengers with 2-3 crew members.
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is one of a few types of water transport which can also travel over land, through mud and on ice. They use special blowers in order to produce a large volume of air under the hull which is slightly above atmospheric pressure – this lifts the vessel allowing it to move. They have many uses, from search and rescue to military operations. Hovertravel’s service between Southsea and Ryde on the Isle of Wight in the UK is often described as the world’s only year-round commercial passenger hovercraft service.
Kayak
This is a small narrow boat propelled by the use of double-ended paddles. They are most commonly used for recreational purposes on small bodies of water.
Liner
A liner is a very large boat designed to transport cargo or passengers long-distance from point A to point B, usually without stopping unless there is a need to refuel. Ocean liners are rarely used today, as flying has become the quickest and cheapest way to cross oceans. The RMS Queen Mary 2 is the only ocean liner still in regular use, often completing trans-Atlantic journeys.
Yacht
There is no standard definition of a yacht but they are generally 33ft+ in length with overnight facilities, used for pleasure and usually the height of luxury. You tend to find yachts moored at places like Puerto Banus in Marbella, or Cannes in France. Superyachts – usually defined as yachts more than 24 metres (around 79 feet) long – are a familiar sight in these glamorous harbours.
Ferry
A ferry is a type of boat generally used to carry passengers short-distance from A-B. They are used within waterside cities as public transport, such as the ferries in Venice or the ‘ferry across the Mersey’ in Liverpool. There are also ferries which travel a longer distance, from the UK to France for example, which also hold cars; these tend to have many more amenities on board such as cabins for sleeping, restaurants and bars, small cinemas and more.
Punt
This type of boat is small and flat-bottomed with a square-cut bow; it is propelled by the use of a pole which is pushed against the riverbed. The person doing this is called a ‘punter’, and they will be stood on the boat at the back. Punts are used for recreational purposes mostly.
Rigid inflatable boat
Also known as a RIB, these tiny boats are – as the name suggests – rigid and inflatable. They are lightweight, high-capacity and very difficult to sink. RIBs are usually used as work boats; however, they are also used by scuba divers to reach dive sites which are in areas where larger boats can’t get to for whatever reason. They travel fast.
Ship’s tender
A ship’s tender is used to transport people or goods from a large ship to a dock, where there is not enough space or water depth to dock the ship itself. Cruise ships often use their lifeboats as tenders at smaller ports.
Water taxi
A water taxi is used like land public transport to get people from one point to various other points. They will make multiple stops. Water taxis are used for commuting and also by tourists; you’ll find them in cities like Venice, Liverpool, Istanbul, Brussels, New Orleans and Budapest.
Other types of water transport
There are other types of water transport which are not technically boats, or are not referred to as such. This might be because they’re too big for that category, or too small, or simply operate in an entirely different manner.
Ship
A ship is a large water vessel, reserved for travelling the oceans. Ships generally have to be 95ft+ long; they can typically stay at sea for much longer than boats and, as the saying goes, a ship could carry a boat but a boat could not carry a ship. All of that being said, there is no set legal definition of a ship versus a boat.
There are many types of ships, including but not limited to:
- High-speed craft
- Off-shore oil vessels
- Motorised fishing trawlers
- Factory ships
- Cable layers
- Dry cargo ships (including container ships and bulk carriers)
- Liquid cargo ships (tankers)
- Passenger carrying vessels
- Special purpose vessels
- Warships
- Aircraft carriers
- Minesweepers
- Deep sea survey vessels
Cruise ship
One of the most well-known types of water transport is the cruise ship. Cruise ships are passenger vessels designed for holidays at sea, and they differ from liners in that they usually stop at multiple ports as part of a round trip. On board you’ll find a range of amenities including cabins, restaurants, shops, theatres, cinemas, bars, nightclubs, water slides, go-karting tracks and much more. Not every cruise ship has all of these, but the largest are like floating resorts – Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, which entered service in 2024, can carry more than 7,000 passengers. According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), around 34.6 million people took a cruise in 2024.
You can read more about cruising in this guide to cruise tourism.
Surfboard
A surfboard is a tricky one to categorise as one of the types of water transport, but it is listed on many websites as being a form of transport despite not generally being used to go from point A to point B in any way. A surfboard is a narrow plank used to allow surfers to ride a wave for fun.
Personal watercraft
A PWC is also known as a Jet Ski, which is actually a brand name (owned by Kawasaki) which has become synonymous with this kind of vessel. These differ from boats in that you stand or sit ON them, not in them. They are used for recreation mostly. However, law enforcement also use them due to their speed – and PWC fishing is a fast-growing industry.
Submarine
The last of the types of water transport is the submarine. Submarines are used for military purposes, scientific research and underwater exploration. They range from small submersibles that can carry a handful of people for a few hours, to large nuclear-powered military submarines which can remain underwater for months at a time. Tourist submarines also operate in destinations such as Hawaii and the Caribbean, allowing passengers to view coral reefs and marine life without getting wet.
Types of water transport: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about types of water transport.
What are the main types of water transport?
The main types of water transport include boats (such as ferries, yachts, barges, catamarans and kayaks), ships (such as cruise ships, cargo ships and liners), hovercraft, personal watercraft and submarines.
What is the difference between a boat and a ship?
There is no strict legal definition, but ships are generally much larger than boats, are designed for ocean travel and can stay at sea for longer. A common saying is that a ship can carry a boat, but a boat cannot carry a ship.
What is the difference between a cruise ship and an ocean liner?
An ocean liner is designed to carry passengers from one port to another across an ocean, while a cruise ship is designed for holidays and usually visits several ports on a round trip. Queen Mary 2 is the only ocean liner still in regular service.
Which types of water transport are used in tourism?
Tourism uses many types of water transport, including cruise ships, ferries, water taxis, river boats, catamarans, yachts, feluccas, punts, airboats and tourist submarines.
What is water transport used for?
Water transport is used to carry passengers and cargo, for leisure and tourism, for fishing, for military purposes and for scientific research. More than 80% of world trade by volume is carried by sea.
Types of water transport: Further reading
If you found this article on the different types of water transport useful, these articles may also be of interest:
- The fascinating history of water transport
- Cruise tourism explained: What, why and where
- 15 Types of Rail Transport To Take You Away
- The 3 Major Types Of Airlines + How They Work
- 50 types of transport from around the world
- 20 Popular Types of Hotels Around The World
