When Is a Sailboat a Yacht ?

[matauwhi]

G'day, mates. O.K. Gruntled, at what point does a dinghy become a vessel? Also, I happened to be in the same yard here in N.Z. when the hull to this boat was laid up. My perosnal input, someone paid far too much money whether it is a boat, vessel, yacht, etc. Cheers

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

This is a fairly parochial discussion. In many parts of the world (Australia for one) the term "yacht" is used to describe any sailboat, right down to Optomist prams, and no power boat, no matter how big, is just a "yacht". Big, flash power boats are sometimes called power yachts (or even steam yachts or trawler yachts, etc).

So, it depends on just where you live...

Cheers,

Jim

Jim,
Same in S. Africa, so it's probably similar to the UK usage.
I'd never heard the term 'sailboat' until I started reading stuff out of the USA.
Have we got any Dutch members here? 'Yacht' is their word originally so I wonder what it's usage is there today?

Vic

[TEE]

Originally, a yacht was a Dutch vessel of state, speedy and easy to handle, and used for carrying very important people. Since the vessel wasn't Dutch, maybe he was right by that definition.

However, many sailboat builders in the US have been calling their vessels of any size, "A Yacht," i.e., "shannonyachts.com" "Cape Dory Yachts --before they went broke." My old Pacific Seacraft was called a yacht by the manufacturer --before they went broke.

So, I must conclude that a "yacht" is all in the eyes of the beholder. No matter what the size of your sailboat is, if you think its speedy and you're important enough, you can call it a "Yacht."

[Christian Van H]

A vessel is any boat that will hold water...

As for yachts, I have always felt that any boat of exceptional design and construction is a yacht, whether 12' or 120'. A yacht exemplifies the love that designer, builder and owner have lathered on the craft, and a true yacht is like porn... I know one when I see one.

[David M]

It's real simple...any larger boat used for pleasure. There is no length to the definition.

[Serenity_]

Yacht - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

A yacht exemplifies the love that designer, builder and owner have lathered on the craft, and a true yacht is like porn... I know one when I see one.

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by David M

It's real simple...any larger boat used for pleasure. There is no length to the definition.

This is the way I learned it, and I see it repeated most often.

I'm thinking by the nature of this definition that the largely accepted defintion was doomed to evolve into somethign big, luxurious, expensive. In other words, if it's meant for pleasure, it must be for the wealthy.

Sort of like the way "Cool" and "Hot" have nothing to do with either temprature, or that in the there was a time when "cool" meant ... what "hot" meants today.

Here in this corner of the world (Asia), a boat is not something used for pleasure by the locals. It's something used to generate income. If you have time and money for anything pleasure, you must be wealthy.

Several years ago I wanted to buy a folding bike, because of course all cruiser have folding bikes (duh). I found a used one in a local ad and went to buy it. Young woman from Hong Kong selling it in Los Angeles. It had been her mothers bike. Since her mother was leaving to go back to Hong Kong, it was for sale. The young woman asked me why I was buying it. So I puffed out my chest and said "I live on a boat". To which she said, "why. Are you a fisherrman?"

My puffed out chest became deflated. My "yacht" had just become a boat.

[BlueSeas]

However, many sailboat builders in the US have been calling their vessels of any size, "A Yacht," i.e., "shannonyachts.com" "Cape Dory Yachts --before they went broke." My old Pacific Seacraft was called a yacht by the manufacturer --before they went broke.

I think that sums it up. It is the term used on the boat just big enough to make you go broke.

[VirtualVagabond]

... used to carry important important people... hey... I've got a yacht

... it's for pleasure... I've definately got a yacht

except when I'm antifouling... then it's obviously just a boat...

or when I'm in the bilges with raw knuckles and bilge water in unmentionable places... I've got a f*!%#ng B....astard of a .....

[Ita]

Quote
a YACHT can house a helo on board. under that size is a boat.
__________________
life is an adventure meant to be LIVED!!!!!!!

I'm looking for a RC helo, then I'm going to call my sailboat a yatch

[Bash]

it doesn't pull skiers
it doesn't have twin 454s
it doesn't carry trawling gear
it's not easily trailerable
it's not usually equipped with oars
it's not something you'd launch on a beach
it never comes with instructions on how to do an eskimo roll
it never comes with a patch kit
it never comes standard with torpedo tubes
it rarely leaves a roostertail
it rarely is paid for with a single check
it rarely runs for more than an hour without needing maintenance

[PAR]

A yacht is what you tell your insurance company you own, a boat is what it's called in divorce court.

[Sailor954]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

Just a reminder, folks, that if this heads down the political path, it will be summarily closed. Thank you for your cooperation.

TaoJones

Oh for heaven's sake

[IdoraKeeper]

If it's not a ship then it must be a boat. If it's not a Yacht it must be a goat. I can only imagine the condition if a patrician politician had a trimiran and called it a goat to evade "resident fees" charged for a boat.

If only he used it to haul ketchup it could be a ship.

Todd