by Eric J Taylor

Created on: August 20, 2008

A very simple question with a complex answer. To simply separate boats into two categories does not address the subject fully, nor allow a complete analysis of the topic. The sports within sailing can be divided into a number of sub-categories, including dinghy racing, inshore keelboat racing, offshore racing plus inshore and offshore cruising. Similarly motorboat, usually called powerboats or "stink boats" in Australia, can be divided into groups including various classes of racing, coastal and game fishing and cruising, generally on inland waters and rivers.

To say one is better than the other will depend on the personality of the person making the choice and what are their goals and objectives. Personally, I believe sailing offers a greater range of challenges that can be far more rewarding than can be achieved in a powerboat. In my eyes, the driving of a powerboat differs little from the driving of a motor vehicle. Yes, the skipper of a powerboat does need to have knowledge of the effect of tidal movement to steer the vessel, as does the helmsman of a yacht, but sailing also requires knowledge of the principals of aeronautical science. The principals, in the shape of a wing that keeps a plane in the sky are the same as those that shape the sails on a yacht and allow the vessel to progress towards the breeze. Whether sailing a small dinghy or a large keelboat, the principals are the same and without that knowledge and skill, the yacht will be stationary in the water.

Many people will buy a powerboat not as an activity in its own right, but as a means to undertake another activity, to go fishing. These people obtain their pleasure in knowing where different species of fish can be caught and which rig and bait is best used to catch these fish, which can be most rewarding. What they seek is the power to take them to their fishing grounds as quickly as possible in a vessel that is seaworthy in the local conditions. People who like to race powerboats live for the adrenaline of speed. While they need to be aware of the effect of wind and current, they usually seek calm, protected waters for their sport.

As a yachtsman, it is more than just being on that water that appeals to me. Once a yacht is under sail and the engine noise has ceased it throb, the sounds of the water flowing past the hull and the breeze through the rigging brings one close to nature. Add to that the excitement of seeing the bottlenose dolphins that live and breed in the water around our city and

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