Pick the type first. The boat comes after.

Most first boats are bought by brand, by a deal at a show, or because a neighbour had one. Many people then find out the hard way that their water, their crew, their driveway or their weekends wanted a different kind of boat. Hullpick works one step earlier: it helps you settle the type of boat (pontoon, bowrider, center console, daysailer, kayak and twenty-one more) before you shop for a particular one.

What is in it

• The deck: 26 boat types with typical length, crew, drive, draft, storage, towing class, skill and upkeep, plus what each does well, what to think twice about, and questions to ask before you buy or rent. The drawings are made by code; there are no photos.
• The Fit Finder: eight questions run through a fixed scoring method. Types that cannot work (wrong water, wrong storage, too few seats, the wrong way of moving) are set aside with the reason; the rest are ranked out of 100 with reasons for and against. Nothing is random and no AI is used.
• The Crowd Tally: an anonymous "would you own one?" poll for each type.

What it is not

Hullpick does not sell boats, list boats for sale, review builders or dealers, or rate people. The figures are typical for each type, written from general boating knowledge; any one model can differ, so the boat's capacity plate and its builder's specifications always win. It is not a safety course: take one before your first season. NASBLA lists the state-approved courses.

Where the safety points come from

The "think twice" notes on each type (life jackets, cold water, engine cut-off lanyards, age and education rules for personal watercraft, righting a capsized boat) are short reminders, not instructions. The rules and the detail are kept by:

• U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety: required gear, life jackets, engine cut-off switches and navigation rules.
• NASBLA approved boating courses: state-approved boater education and each state's requirements.
• National Center for Cold Water Safety: cold-water shock and dressing for the water temperature.

Who runs it

Hullpick is built and run by WeldonPC.com of Garfield Heights, Ohio, at the address boathotornot.com. It is not affiliated with Badoo Media Ltd or the Bumble group, or with any boat builder, dealer, marina or the U.S. Coast Guard.