Cigarette boats are notorious for their high speeds and illegal smuggling of goods in the 1920s to 1930s era. Despite this controversial history, many still find them popular today because they offer an escape from everyday life on land utilizing speed and convenience.
Why are cigarette boats called cigarette boats?
“Cigarette boat” is a term that has nothing to do with cigarettes. It’s named after another popular vice at the time – alcohol.
The cigarette boat is believed to have originated in the 1920s and 1930s, when smuggling alcohol was a much more lucrative business than it is today.
When prohibition forced production and distribution of alcoholic beverages to be illegal in many parts of the United States, people found creative ways around the law-including using cigarette boats as an effective means for transporting liquor across borders.
Cigarette boats, also known as Go-Fast boats and often referred to by their acronym GFBs (Go Fast boats), are vessels that were used for both pleasure and crime – two things that are prevalent in their history.
From smuggling to drug running, smuggling to gunrunning, they have made appearances in many illicit activities over the years.
However, their speed and power have been used legitimately by the military in both World Wars to deliver messages from one ship to another.
How fast do Cigarette boats go?
Cigarette boats are fast. They can travel at speeds over 80 knots (92 mph) in calm waters, over 50 knots in choppy waters, and maintain 25 knots in the average 1.5-to-2.0-metre rather rough seas.
The “V” shape design, accompanied by 2 engines allowed them to easily outpace the other boats in their class. Cigarette boats are heavy enough to cut through rough waters and higher waves, but they can still reach high speeds in waters.
FAQs about Cigarette boats
What is the meaning of a cigarette boat?
A cigarette boat is a small, fast boat designed with a long narrow platform and planning hull to enable it to reach very high speeds.
What is another name for a cigarette boat?
A cigarette boat is a type of fast powerboat that was used as the name implies to smuggle cigarettes. The boats were designed with long, narrow hulls and high speeds for maximum stability on water slides. Today they are often called racing boats or speedboats but you may also hear them referred to as hydrofoils or hydroplanes depending on where you live.
What is the smallest cigarette boat?
The Cigarette 38 Top Gun is the smallest boat in their lineup. It measures just over 11.8 m with a beam of 2.44 m. It comes with twin 525 HP Mercury engines in the standard set up and can reach speeds of over 83.7 mph on water.
Who made the cigarette boat for the first time?
The answer is Donald Joel Aronow, an American designer and builder of speedboats. He built boats for clients such as Shah of Iran, Charles Keating, Robert Vesco, Malcolm Forbes and George H. W Bush.
There is no denying that cigarette boats are a favorite among boat collectors. The cigarette boat is a sleek, sexy vessel with the power to intimidate anyone who dares cross her path.
