Trojan Boat Forum

Hi all,

I have been wondering what determines what a yacht is? How long does a boat have to be, to say it's a yacht?
Are there other factors involved to determine what is or isn't a yacht?

Thanks,,,Larry

If you can't afford it it is a yacht.

ready123 wrote:If you can't afford it it is a yacht.

well said

If it stays in the water year round, and is not a work boat or a military ship, it is a yacht.

Also, if it has a Saloon, it's a yacht...

Mine just has a lowly Salon.

Typically if it is 26' or longer and has a sleeping quarters, galley, and head then it is a yacht. Mine is 32 feet so I think I have a yacht but who really cares unless you are trying to impress someone.

Here is another opinion. You will find many.

All of the above answers are incorrect. the ABYC (American Boat & Yacht Council) developes the standards for boats and yachts. A boat with an ABYC Hull Certification, IS a yacht. The smallest currently starting at 27'. The standards of construction is different for a boat and the construction for a yacht. If a 30' boat does NOT have an ABYC Hull Certification, it's a boat. A 28' boat with ABYC Hull Certification is a yacht. The main difference is in the overall construction of the hull, not so much in the LOA. Boats that are built to ABYC Yacht standards will have a Yacht Certification Plate with the Standards Code Number and ABYC Approval Stamp. Typically factory mounted on the helm.


Still another opinion....Get the idea?

Neither Wikipedia nor dictionary.com offer very good content of what defines a yacht.

This, in my opinion, gives a very good description of what a yacht is.

"Twenty years ago a 75-foot vessel was considered large and a 100-foot vessel was rare. Today 100-footers are common and some private vessels are mammoths-- Microsoft founder Paul Allen’s Octopus is 410 feet and Platinum, a new (2005) vessel owned by an Arab sheikh is the world’s largest yacht at 520 feet.

There has never been agreement on what constitutes a “yacht.” The California Department of Motor Vehicles, responsible for registering boats, defines a yacht as a vessel of 16 feet or more in length designed to be propelled by sail or power. The U.S. Coast Guard, a more authoritative source, defines a yacht as a vessel over 26 feet in length. Today, many would think these definitions ludicrous, especially in light of the recent increases in vessel size.

Perhaps the most useful definition has nothing to do with size. Rather, it focuses on function:

A yacht is a sail or power-driven vessel, usually private though state vessels might be included, that is used for pleasure and is designed for overnight or long-distance use. As such, it typically has sleeping space (berths or staterooms), cooking space (a galley), and "necessary" space (heads).

This definition allows a vessel of almost any size to be called a yacht. But because we yearn for a more finely graded definition, we have a proliferation of yachtness terms.

One hears of “pocket yachts,” “yachts,” “super yachts,” “mega yachts,” and even “mega-mega yachts.”

Research suggests that the primary division is between yachts and super yachts: A super yacht is generally defined as a yacht with overall length exceeding 24 meters (79 feet). The terms mega yacht and super yacht are synonymous--once the vessel reaches 80 feet there are no further formal gradations of yachtness. According to this taxonomy, Myeerah, at 90 feet, is a small super yacht. Octopus and Platinum are extremely large superyachts."

Ok, According to the Sailors Illustrated Dictionary --
Yacht : Generic term for any vessel used exclusively for the personal pleasure of the owner or charter. It comes from the Dutch word " jaghtschip " or chase ship, a workboat and not a pleasure craft. Yachts first appeared in English waters as pleasure craft in 1660 when two such Dutch vessels were presented to Charles II (See Corinthians)

still another angle:

A coupla months ago I stopped at the auto parts store for some supplies while towing my boat. As I neared the counter, I heard the clerk explaining to someone on the phone what a bad day he was having, when he summed it up by saying "... and now somebody has his yacht parked in the parking lot!!"

I just smiled from ear to ear as I paid up, and on the way out I said to my wife, " Did ya hear that honey? He called it a yacht!"

Roy, and all, I'm with you ma man! I'm smiling ear to ear! I never dreamed in my life I would ever have a yacht

I may yet make the bow pulpit, to get an extra foot or two, to clinch the deal?

Larry

Maybe it's just my need to start something but : I'm going to go with : It's a yacht if it's made of WOOD !

How about referring to the Trojan owner's manual that came with your boat. Mine calls my Tri-cabin a 36 foot motor yacht. Good enough for me.

1967 seavoyager wrote:Maybe it's just my need to start something but : I'm going to go with : It's a yacht if it's made of WOOD !

Wood....hahahahaha Reminds me of an old girl we had back in the late 70's....she was a Yacht alright. We even named her "AYacht of Trouble"