What is the difference between a speedboat and a cruiser?

Question

If anyone knows the legal definitions of the two they would be greatly received

Answer 1

High performance boats are boats that most often capable of running 60 mph or more. Activities include high-speed offshore cruising, rallies and offshore racing.

Cruisers are by the far the most common in private usage, making up most of the 7 m to 14 m (23 to 46 ft) range. These boats can be quite complex in design, as designers try to find a balance between docile handling qualities, interior space, good light-wind performance and on-board comfort. Also cruisers are quite capable of taking on long-range passages of many thousands of miles, so have large freshwater tanks.

Answer 2

The hull design on speed boats and cruisers are about the same for there uses,the cruisers have bigger engines if it needs to go fast and plane just as fast or faster than a speed boat,with the cruiser you can have all the home comforts,with a speedboat not a lot,But you can have a good soaking.

Answer 3

The difference is the speed. Despite what everyone else has said, the definition is as follows :-
A cruiser is a displacement boat that sits in the water. Physics dictates the maximum speed for these vessels (roughly the square root of 1.5 times the water length).
A speedboat is not a displacement boat that comes onto the 'plane', that is - it is powerful enough to rise over it's own bow wave and skip across the surface.

Hope this helps Bigpathome.

Answer 4

As with most things in boating, there are many different classes of cruisers, these ranging from weekenders (bowrider speedboats with a roof over the front and a very intimate cabin therin, need to be very good friends indeed to sleep 2 in there), going right up to floating gin palaces with cherrywood veneered, hydraulically operated shoe racks and twin 1000hp MTU diesels.
Speedboats are lightly built dayboats with no sleeping accomodation, usually an open helm and are built purely for pulling waterskiers or planing across reasonably calm water at mach 2.
Alas at the pittance I earn, my cruiser is of the very good friends variety.

Answer 5

Essentially RiverRat is correct. Speedboats are built for speed and are a much sleeker design and usually only go short distances 100 miles max. Cruisers are larger though can have a sleek design like a speedboat are designed for much longer distances and if equipped properly could go as far as 3000 miles.

Answer 6

There are cruiser that run at high speed also>My 48' sport fish is a cruiser and cruises at 20 knots>> Cruiser are a live aboard for extended time> Speed boat are day runners>

Answer 7

Same as a Drag Car and a Limo....

Answer 8

the amount of fuel thay use