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Facts and data on pictograms Literature

Boat Launch

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Boat Launching, Slipway, Boat Deployer

Category

Facilities, Tourism

Message / Function

For notice in general and to indicate the location of a boat launching area

 

Source Description
Parks Canada Pictogram 6-4-217 Boat Launch Parks Canada Side view of a motor boat, two wheels with bar, solid triangle, wavy line below
NZS 8603 Outdoor Recreation Symbol No 11: Boat Launching NZS 8603 Side view of a motor boat, wheel with bar, solid triangle, two wavy lines
Hora page 69: Canadian Road Sign: Boat Launch by the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) TAC Side view of a motor boat, wheel with bar, solid triangle, wavy line
Pierce, T. (1996): The International Pictograms Standard, page 134: Pictogram Boat Launch, Lanchas Pierce Side view of a motor boat on hanger, solid triangle with wavy contour at bottom
U.S. National Park Service Map Symbol, Recreation (Water): Boat Launch U.S. National
Park Service
Side view of a motor boat on hanger, solid triangle with wavy contour at bottom
Pictogram GFS A8-2: Boat Launch from South Africa SADC Side view of a motor boat, wheel with bar, solid triangle, wavy line
BS 8501 Public Information Symbol No 9082 Slipway BS 8501:2002 Sailing boat with sails set, wheel with bar, solid triangle, two wavy lines
Modley & Myers page 130, Nova Scotia: Pictogram Boat Launch Nova Scotia Side view of motor boat, wheel at bottom, tilted bar indicating ramp, three wavy lines below
Pictogram IT4-12 Boat Ramp (Rampa para Botes) from Ecuador Ecuador Side view of a motor boat, wheel with bar, lines indicating ramp, two wavy lines
Hora page 331, United Kingdom Forestry Commission: Map Symbol Boat Launching UKFC Side view of a sailing boat, wheel at bottom, solid triangle below
Map Symbol Slipway by Ordnance Survey MapZone Ordnance Survey Side view of a sailing boat, wheel at bottom, solid triangle below
BTA 1989 page 3.21 Slipway for Boats BTA 1989 Side view of a boat, wheel at bottom, solid triangle below

Note: Some of the examples shown above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.

Discussion

As a look at the table above shows, all pictograms in this collection are based on a side view of some sort of boat with at least one wheel below and an element indicating the ramp or slipway. While most variants also display water in some way, a few omit this element and still seem to be comprehensible.

Besides the variants shown here, additional signs exist to warn of a boat launching slipway, as for example the registered safety sign Reference No W044: Warning; Slipway from ISO 7010. In this case the graphic symbol shown inside the triangle is identical to BS 8501 Public Information Symbol No 9082: Slipway.

We could not find any test data concerning graphic symbols for Boat Launch or Slipway in our database, but there is some information concerning comprehensibility of one pictogram available: since all pictograms that failed comprehension testing in Canada have been retired from use there, the Parks Canada pictogram 6-4-217: Boat Launch displayed above must have reached a comprehension rate of 60 % or higher, as this variant does not have the status Retired.

Recommendations

Pierce, T. (1996): The International Pictograms Standard, page 134: Pictogram Boat Launch, Lanchas

As we expect variants showing a side view of a hanger with boat on a ramp to be well comprehensible, we recommend using a pictogram similar to this example pictogram from Pierce (1996): The International Pictograms Standard, page 134.

In the long term it would make sense to develop improved variants and to examine on basis of tests, if a specific kind of rendering has advantages concerning comprehensibility and legibility/visibility.

See also

Boat, Port, Marina, Anchorage, Mooring, Sailing, Jet Ski

 

Updated 2024-06-18 by Ch.Brugger