Boats have their own world and their own dictionary. There are so many terms that you do not usually hear in everyday talk, but they are very important when it comes to boats and yachts. These could be portholes, bows, hulls, or chines. So, what are the chines on a boat? Let’s focus on that now. 

What is a chine on a boat? The chine is a term related to the hull. It refers to the angle of the bottom of the hull in the cross-section. So, if you picture slicing a boat in half, the chine is the angle that forms at the very bottom of the hull. In some cases, it can be very narrow and sharp while in other cases it can almost be round (known as a soft chine) depending on the shape of the hull. 

While boats started as carved tree trunks without a chine and later evolved to canoes with a soft chine, there are many different types of chines right now roaming the oceans. The first one we will start our list with is the V chine. As the name suggests, these hulls have a very sharp bottom and a sharp chine in a ‘V’ shape. They are easy to build but not too stable. As such, these types of hulls are not too common. 

The next type we want to address is the two chine hulls. It has a flat bottom and a right angle side which allows for space that can be utilized for transporting large and heavy items. Therefore, these chimes are more common in cargo ships. 

Next, we have the three chine hull which starts with a V chine that converts into 90-degree angles on both sides. This is one of the most common hulls you can find.

Boats with multiple chines are very durable and stable in rough waters as the shape of the hull can break the waves allowing the boat to hit smaller sections of a larger wave rather than a huge one instantly. 

Visit TheBoatDB to find more information on the chine of a specific boat you are interested in, the hull, its material, the year the boat was constructed, the manufacturer, and more specifications. Our vast database allows you to browse several boats and compare them against one another. You can have a look at their features and even their interior and exterior before you make up your mind on which one to buy or rent.