Yamaha CrossWave, Can a PWC Be a Boat?
Wandering the Miami Beach Convention Center at the recent Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show, I came across an award presentation for Boating magazine’s “Boat of the Year” (BOTY) contest. Kevin Falvey, the editor in chief of Boating, who happens to be a friend of mine, was presenting the award of best small fishing boat for the Yamaha CrossWave. I stopped and took a few pictures of this “boat” which is more like a giant personal watercraft (PWC) and it made me wonder whether this boat is actually a boat.
What defines a boat?
Like the “Is the hot dog a sandwich?” controversy, I don’t expect to definitively answer the “PWC vs. boat” question to everyone’s satisfaction, but it got me thinking. There are many similarities between personal watercraft and boats, but does that make a PWC a boat? To try to make sense of this conundrum I created the chart below.
While I understand the noise and annoyance that PWCs can sometimes present, I have also driven them, and they are a lot of fun. As a life-long boater my initial reaction to the question of whether a PWC is a boat was no, they are too different. After creating my chart, which is in no way comprehensive, I am not so sure. PWCs and boats have a lot of similarities and if you compare like sized vessels, they are even more similar. I hate to admit it, but perhaps PWCs are really just small boats. The defining differences seem to be that you straddle a bench, steer with handlebars, and throttle in a different way.
A car compared to a motorcycle is typically defined by the number of wheels. A motorcycle has two wheels and a car four or more, but then a tricycle has three wheels but is still basically a motorcycle. Then again, the Reliant Robin is a three wheeled car mostly because it has an inside section and steers with a wheel. A boat on the other hand does not need to have a wheel nor an inside section to be a boat.
The Yamaha CrossWave, more boat like than other PWCs.
Is the Yamaha CrossWave a boat? Let’s just say it is enough of a boat to earn a prestigious “Boat of the Year” (BOTY) award from our friends at Boating magazine. I’ll let you decide for yourself but first let me explain what the Yamaha CrossWave is all about.
The drive system (4-cylinder, 4-stroke, 1899CC marine engine driving a 155 MM high-pressure pump) and steering of the Yamaha CrossWave are distinctly PWC. You straddle a bench, steer with handlebars, and throttle motorcycle style using a hand grip. The bench is large and can hold three or four people as long as everyone is happy sitting straddle style like on a motorcycle. That said, there are tiers of seating leading up from the helmsman whose feet go in recessed pockets in the deck and handles on the aft seat, so it doesn’t have to be as hug-holding as it sounds. The third and fourth seat are also removable, providing room for more gear when your passenger load is light.
At the helm there are dual 7” displays, one controls engine functions, lighting, audio and more, using Yamaha’s Connext system, and the other is a Simrad NSX MFD for fish-finding, and navigation. I mentioned the deck, unlike most PWCs the CrossWave has a substantial flat deck that goes from stem to stern of its 12’11” length. The beam is 5’7” and the flat sides are covered with Marine Mat foam nonskid decking. This platform surrounding the center PWC like core not only reduces spray but provides a stable area to walk around on. There is not a lot of freeboard on the sides but plenty of room to fish, snorkel, or just hang around on the deck.
The Yamaha CrossWave can be set up for serious fishing with a T-track system that holds the standard 55-gallon cooler but also allows you to attach other items like rod holders. There is a rod storage locker, space for a bucket, and storage for tackle, and equipment. I didn’t test the CrossWave, only admiring her at the boat show, but Boating’s Randy Vance ran her and said she topped out at a lively 55 mph and had a range of more than 100 miles even with a reserve.
So back to the question: Is the Yamaha CrossWave a boat? While initially skeptical, after taking a closer look, I do now understand why they included her in their “Boat of the Year” contest even if she is in many ways just a big PWC. Since this really is a matter of personal opinion, I will let you decide for yourself. In the meantime I will go back to trying to figure out whether a hot dog is a sandwich. If you have opinions on either of these burning questions, please feel free to drop me a note at publisher@best4boats.com. I will be glad to hear from you.
Yamaha CrossWave MSRP “starting at:” $32,499.00
https://www.yamahawaverunners.com/waverunner/series/Crosswave/Crosswave
Check out Boating Magazine’s Randy Vance boat test of the Yamaha CrossWave.
Video: https://boatingmag.com/boats/2026-yamaha-crosswave-boat-test/
