Boat dreams are more related to animals than dreams in general. They are less related to fantastic beings.

Dreams of boats are less related to happiness, less related to sadness, and less related to embarrassment.

Boat dreams are much more related to transportation and more related to natural places than dreams in general. They are less related to home, less related to work, and less related to magical places.

Boat dreams are more related to disasters than dreams in general. They are less related to aggressive acts, less related to friendly acts, and less related to sex.

Boat dreams are more related to recurring dreams and more related to good dreams than dreams in general. They are less related to lucid dreams, less related to nightmares, and less related to sleep paralysis.

Dreams of boats are less related to hearing and less related to vision.

You can gain insight from thinking about any dream, no matter how strange. Only you, as the dreamer, have final say on what your dream may or may not mean. Each dream is unique.

The DreamWell dictionary provides information on how each dream symbol appears in dreams in general. Finding how experience boats in dreams can be a key to understanding its meaning.

Our emotions in dreams can help us understand its meaning. Pay attention to how you felt in the dream. Pay attention to how you feel about boats in dreams. See how you feel about boats now, in your waking life.

This interpretation is from ""The Dream Interpretation Dictionary: Symbols, Signs, and Meanings" and is provided by J.M. DeBord aka "RadOwl". He is the author of several acclaimed books about dreaming, the host of The Dreams That Shape Us podcast, and is a moderator of r/Dreams, one of the largest dream sharing communities on the internet. Think of a boat in a dream as you, and the movement of it as your life. Where do you go, what shape is the boat in, and what type is it—cruise ship, yacht, rowboat, sailboat, fishing trawler? Is it casually crossing the water, or racing like a speedboat—struggling in a storm, or sitting unused—shiny and new, or weathered and taking on water? Any of these details can be used by a dream to create symbolism. And the ultimate question is, What does the boat say about you? For example, a yacht struggling in a storm can symbolize trouble with your finances, perhaps from spending on unneeded luxuries. A leaky boat is picture of difficulty with emotions or finances. Rowing a boat in unison is the image of harmony. A man dreams about being on a beach next to an old church. Giants tear down the church and use the materials to build a ship. By the end of the dream it’s ready to sail, symbolizing how his old religious life is being torn down but pieces of it are fitting together to form a new spirituality that will carry him away on a long personal journey. It’s a clever use of symbolism and a deeply meaningful dream. The uses of a boat to create symbolism vary widely. A common use is as an analogy for your conscious mind. Your conscious mind sits atop the vastness of the unconscious mind like a boat on an ocean. The conscious mind is small in comparison to the unconscious. Most of the mind is “below the waterline,” meaning outside of conscious control and awareness. See: Oceans Boats are vessels for exploration, so exploring with a boat is a heck of a metaphor for self-exploration. It’s a theme known to arise in the dreams of people doing deep inner work such as through therapy, meditation and dream analysis. They go into uncharted territory, down within themselves. The same dream imagery can be used to symbolize exploration of a subject or idea. A boat can represent the psyche. Both are structure that sit atop something larger. Together with water, a common symbol for emotions, boats are used by dreams to create symbolism through comparison. For example, a boat tossed around in an angry sea can symbolize internal forces rocking your thoughts and emotions, or something else that “rocks the boat.” A boat sinking can mean “going under,” overwhelmed by emotions. A calm sea is a metaphor for serenity, while a stormy sea is a metaphor for stormy emotions and situations. See: Psyches, Water Boats go to destinations, and that association can be used to create a story about where you are headed in life and where you want to be—particularly if a destination is part of the dream-story. Boats generally take longer to reach destinations than other modes of transportation such as planes, so they’re a good dream symbol for heading toward a long-term goal, such as graduation, starting a family, or retirement. See: Embarking, Journeys A boat can be used to create a comparison for the direction you’re headed in life and how you navigate changes as you go through phases. Are the waters calm or choppy, shallow or deep? Are you steering, or along for the ride? Do you hold course, or change direction? Are other people on the boat with you? These details can tell you the intent and message of the dream. Reaching a new shore or crossing a river can indicate a new phase of life reached or an obstacle overcome. See: Rivers A boat traveling through murky water can indicate pessimism or uncertainty. A boat threatened with tipping can symbolize something threatening to upend your life. A boat without a captain suggests lack of leadership or authority. See: Captains A speedboat can symbolize the desire to reach destinations and goals quickly, or a love of thrills. A canoe or kayak can indicate an independent spirit because these water craft are often used individually. See: Kayaks A sailboat can symbolize being driven by intellect and mental pursuits, because wind can be a symbol for thoughts, and a sail catches the wind to propel a boat across the water. It can mean “wind in my sails.” See also: Backwards, Beaches, Captains, Crashes, Embarking, Emotions, Floating, Floods, Journeys, Kayaks, Oceans, Passengers, Psyches, Rightness, Rivers, Storms, Tsunamis, Unconscious minds, Vacations, Water