It may seem strange to ask what a yacht is, but it’s actually a very logical question. What distinguishes a yacht as such? And at what point does a boat transform into a ship? What you need to know is provided below.
Origins Of Yacht
A yacht is a vessel used for both leisure and competition. The name comes from the Dutch word jaght, which translates as ‘hunter’, a fast, light sailing vessel used in the past by the nation’s navy to chase pirates and other ne’er do wells. The term “jacht” quickly came to mean a vessel in which important people were carried, not just any old boat, after the English King Charles the Second was transported by one from the Netherlands to England in 1660.
What Exactly Is A Yacht?
Everyone would probably agree that a yacht is fancier than a ship or a boat. “Yacht carries with it connotations of leisure and luxury. The issue of size merits discussion as well. A yacht typically ranges in size from 35 feet to 160 feet. And some yachts referred to as superyachts, go even further. (The 417-foot yacht that Jeff Bezos recently built is actually shattering yacht records.)
Yachts typically operate in larger bodies of water, most often the ocean, due to their size. Yachts have more sophisticated navigation and guidance equipment than smaller boats, and they can handle rougher ocean waves. In a similar way, a yacht typically has a full crew to assist with navigation, engineering, and repairs, as well as having stewards that serve the yacht’s guests. Depending on the size of the yacht, this could range from a crew of four or five to a few dozen people.
It’s interesting to note that a yacht is a sailboat outside of the United States, while a motorized yacht is referred to as a “motor yacht.”
A yacht is a vessel, then. In a strict sense, a yacht is a boat. A yacht, however, is a very particular kind of boat.
General Types Of Yachts
A yacht is first classified as sailing, motor, or gulet yacht before being classified as a sports or luxury yacht.
- Sailing Yacht: a yacht mainly propelled via wind and sails
- Motor Yacht: a yacht propelled via one or more motors
- Gulet Yacht: a hybrid yacht with both sails and motors
- Open Yacht, Cruiser, Cabin Cruiser, Express Cruiser: an otherwise uncategorized standard yacht for cruising and entertaining
- Luxury Yacht: a yacht that includes high-end finishes and features and the latest in modern performance technology. Any yacht type, i.e., a sailing yacht, power yacht, etc., can be described as “luxury.” “luxury motor yacht”, “luxury sailing yacht”, etc.
- Sports Yacht: a yacht geared towards fishing, water sports, or cruising with a sleeker design and more powerful motor for faster cruising speeds. The word “sports” may be used before other categories of yachts, such as “sports motor yacht”.
- Catamaran Yacht: a yacht with two hulls (pontoons) often made of fiberglass that can be used in shallow waters.
Yacht Sizes
Depending on the size of yachts, which can also be classified as superyachts or megayachts.
- Superyachts are typically 24 meters (78 feet) and above.
- Megayachts are typically over 80 meters (260 feet).
The majority of motor yachts on the market are typically 24 meters (78 feet) or shorter. Only a few megayachts exist in the world because of their exorbitant price.
Yacht Style Categories
Flybridge, sedan, pilot house, and sportfish yachts are just a few examples of additional categories or definitions for yachts based on their form and purpose.
- Classic Motor Yacht: a yacht that was built between the 1920s and 1970s (before today’s modern technology began dominating modern yacht manufacturing). A contemporary yacht can be created using the traditional motor yacht design.
- Sedan: a popular yacht style with deck space above the hull and living quarters below. A sedan yacht has an enclosed, one-level living area.
- Flybridge: a sedan-style yacht with an open deck and more comfortable living space above the main bridge of a vessel.
- Daybridge: a multi-level yacht that is even more open than a flybridge. Belize Motoryachts are known for creating this distinctive style of yacht.
- Open or Enclosed: a term used to describe the layout of and access to the flybridge. Access to the flybridge above is contained inside the living area in enclosed flybridges. Access to the flybridge above is unprotected from the elements on an open flybridge.
- Downeast Style: a low-profile yacht with a large working cockpit and small helm station. The traditional Maine lobster boat of the mid-1900s is the source of inspiration for this instantly recognizable design. As yachts with a Downeast influence, Back Cove yachts are a shining example.
- Pilothouse: a multi-deck boat with a larger main deck inside, similar to a flybridge.
- Sky Lounge: an enclosed area at the top of the vessel that provides the benefits of the view but with several amenities, protection from the elements, expansive windows, and sometimes a sunroof.
- Cockpit Motor Yacht: a yacht with more cockpit space than deck space.
- Sportfish or a Sport Fishing Boat: a boat designed specifically for fishing, with a big cockpit, room for storage, and the ability to handle more challenging conditions. These boats, which are also known as Flybridge Sportfish or Sportfish Express, are designed to spend more time on the water.
- Convertible: a yacht that combines features of a standard motor yacht with a sportfish yacht to have entertaining space when you need it, and also fishing space when you need it.
- SUV: a yacht that combines features of a standard motor yacht and sports yacht.
- Tri-Decks: a superyacht with three levels of staggered, enclosed living space.
- Expedition Yachts: a large yacht with a deeper displacement hull for more stability and comfort during longer-range trips.
Why Do Yachts Conjure Up Images Of Luxury?
The fact that it’s luxurious doesn’t make it a yacht… but it does make it a luxury yacht. When King Charles the Second traveled to England in his Dutch jaght, his brother James, the Duke of York, fell in love with the magnificent ship and the two brothers each had their own jaght built. The sport of sailing for recreation was born when they started competing in races on the River Thames, and it wasn’t long before the English nobility began vying for their own yachts.
Yacht Vs Boat Vs Ship
What distinguishes a yacht, ship, or boat from another? It appears complicated at first. Compared to a boat or ship, a yacht usually has more glitz. As we’ve already mentioned, the word “yacht” now connotes luxury, a sophisticated personal vessel built for comfort, leisure, and recreation rather than for business.
A ship is a larger vessel than a yacht, and the term is typically used to refer to a working vessel as opposed to a recreational one. A full crew is necessary on a ship, but not always on a yacht and only occasionally on a boat. Regardless of how big or small their ship may be, many captains affectionately refer to their ship as a “boat.” A boat can range in size from a simple rowing boat up. In fact, many people refer to any floating object more complicated than a raft as a “boat,” making it more of a catch-all term for anything that floats than a precise definition of a particular kind or style of craft.
In conclusion, here is a definition of a yacht, a boat, and a ship:
- Boats are used for both leisure and business.
- Yachts are typically constructed for recreational purposes.
- Boats are more compact than ships.
- Yachts come in a variety of sizes.
- Large, seagoing vessels, ships are typically used for commercial purposes.
- Yachts and boats can both have sails or motors.
You’ll be able to respond appropriately the next time someone asks you what a yacht is.
