A Picnic boat is a special purpose type of boat. These boats are designed to maximize boating enjoyment in good weather in relatively protected waters. These boats are laid out to facilitate informal boating outings in which just spending time out on the water with friends and family is the primary objective.
While these boats may have rudimentary features supporting other types of boating activities such as fishing, the layout of the boats is maximized for just hanging out, going for a ride, and perhaps having lunch. The hull types on these boats favor stability and comfort at rest and at low speeds over outright rough water performance due to their intended use.
Picnic boats are manufactured by companies such as Hinckley Yachts. Their T34 model is a fine example of the extreme top-end variants of these types of boats with beautiful but expensive woodwork. These types of boats are also available in lower price ranges by other manufacturers in less luxurious interior finishes.
Carl Sandburg in his 1919 collection Chicago poems wrote a poem entitled Picnic boat, about the arrival of a Picnic boat back to the hometown harbour.