A sectional boat includes fore and aft boat sections releasably couplable together by a releasable coupler cooperating between the fore and aft boat sections, wherein the releasable coupler comprises at least one dovetail coupler. The dovetail coupler includes at least one female dovetail groove mounted on a first section of the fore and aft boat sections, and a corresponding at least one male dovetail tenon mounted on a second boat section of the fore and aft boat sections. Each tenon is sized to snugly slidably mate into a corresponding female dovetail groove in the first boat section. Each tenon includes a substantially vertically upstanding lug mounted to and extending upwardly from an upper most end of each tenon so as to extend above an upper edge of the first boat section when each tenon is snugly mated in the corresponding female dovetail groove. Each lug includes an aperture. The coupler further includes a ridge member for mating in each aperture so as to releasably lock each tenon in snug mating engagement in the corresponding female dovetail groove.