How to Draw a Sailboat

An easy step-by-step drawing for kids and beginners: 7 steps, about 2 minutes, on paper.

This sailboat is built from a few simple lines: a deck, a hull that curves under it, a mast and a triangle sail. It is the first boat on this path, so the shapes you learn here come back in the bigger boats later. Take it slowly, and you will have a boat ready to float in a few minutes.

Step by step

Each picture shows the lines so far: the faded ones are done, the dark ones are this step’s.

1. Step 1: Draw the deck

   

   Every boat here starts with its deck. Draw a long line that lifts at the right, to the bow.

2. Step 2: Draw the hull

   

   Now the hull. From the left end, swing down and along. Rise to the bow's tip.

3. Step 3: Draw the plank line

   

   A plank line runs along the side. Keep both ends inside the hull.

4. Step 4: Draw the mast

   

   Stand the mast on the deck: one tall, straight line going up.

5. Step 5: Draw the sail

   

   The sail is a triangle on the mast's left. Slant down from the top, then come straight back.

6. Step 6: Color the hull

   

   Color the hull blue.

7. Step 7: Color the sail

   

   Color the sail cream.

Tips for drawing a sailboat

• Draw the deck line a bit wider than you think. A long, low deck gives the hull and sail room and makes the boat look steady.
• Let the deck lift only at the right end. That small rise is the bow, and it tells everyone which way the boat is pointing.
• Keep the bottom of the hull a gentle curve, not a deep bowl. The hull should be shallow next to how tall the mast is.
• Make the mast about twice as tall as the hull is deep. A tall mast gives the triangle sail a nice, big shape.
• Start the sail at the very top of the mast so the triangle and the mast share one sharp point.

Common mistakes

• The plank line runs past the ends of the hull and pokes out into the air. Start and stop the plank line a little inside the hull at both ends, and let it follow the hull's curve.
• The mast stands off the deck or floats above it. Put your pencil right on the deck line, near the middle, and draw straight up from there.
• The sail's bottom edge slopes, so the triangle looks crooked. After slanting down from the top, bring the bottom edge straight back across to the mast, level with the deck.

Make it your own

• Draw a second, smaller sailboat farther back to make a little race on the water.
• Color the hull red or green instead of blue, and keep the sail cream so it still stands out.
• Add a few wavy lines under the hull so the boat sits on the sea.
• Make the sail wider by slanting it farther left, like it is full of wind.

Your finished sailboat

Color it in as you like: the colors here are only a start.

All the steps on one page

Save it, pin it or print it, and draw from the paper.

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Questions

Updated 2026-10-23