In nautical terms, the beam of a boat refers to its width at its widest point
. It is measured from the port side to the starboard side and is an important factor in determining the stability and maneuverability of a boat. Generally, the larger the beam, the more stable the boat. The beam can be measured at different points, such as the maximum beam (BMAX), which is the distance between planes passing through the outer sides of the ship, beam of the hull (BH), which only includes permanently fixed parts of the hull, and beam at waterline (BWL), which is the maximum width where the hull intersects the surface of the water
