A wave-piercing boat hull has a very fine bow, with reduced buoyancy in the forward portions.
When a wave is encountered, the lack of buoyancy means the hull pierces through the water rather than riding over the top, resulting in a smoother ride than traditional designs, and in diminished mechanical stress on the vessel and crew. It also reduces a boat's wave-making resistance.
Design theory calls for very long thin hulls, so in practice most are multi-hulls such as catamarans and trimarans.
The main current usage areas are passenger ferries and naval ships.
The reduced buoyancy can be a problem in rough seas, because the ship is not lifted above the wave as much.