Could you consider "block" as a spatial co-ordinate based on the centroid of the area? Then a spatial analysis with boat as the subject could be explored.
It would probably mean using a mixed model approach with sample weighting because this is a survey rather than a designed experiment, and a two-dimensional spatial covariance type would be needed, so you may be in some rough waters (no pun intended there).
You may want to look at some of the ecology literature on analysis of this type. I know that field has a strong R preference, but similar models can be constructed in SAS.
SteveDenham
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