When is a yacht a yacht or not.

[Starbuck]

Thank-you, Talbot. Exactly my point.

[hellosailor]

As JW said "a yacht is a boat, regardless of size, used for pleasure, not work." and I suspect Chapman's and other standard references would say the same thing.

But at least here in the states, a "launch" is always something that can be carried aboard and LAUNCHED from a larger vessel. Unless it is reserved for the use of an Admiral, in which case for some reason the USN refers to it as an "admiral's barge" never a launch. (Probably because the Pharoahs used barges.<G>)

Among the boaters I know in the US, a yacht is intentionally refered to as a "Ya-chit" (rhymes with ratchet) and reserved to mean something especially fancy and carrying persons who either are in uniform, or formal sailing attire, or in some other way beyond the casual world of sailing.

IIRC HMS Britannia was formally called the Royal Yacht though, wasn't it? The perils of allowing the Brits to keep speaking English, instead of taking it as a war prize from them so long ago.<G>

[GMac]

Yachts have sails.
If you don't have sails you're a fizz boat.
If you don't have sails and 200ft long you are a BIG fizz boat.
A Motor yacht is a vessel with sails in no wind.
Mirabella V is a floating hotel :-) but a yacht as well but spents a lot of time as a motor yacht.

Simple really. When you go 'yachting' you pull up sails, you do not pump 1000lts/hr into 2 x 2500hp motors.

The 'moneyed' people with real big fizz boats like to call them yachts as it makes their mates think they actually do know something about boating. The last sentance was what I was told by the skipper of 145ft fizzboat last week :-) Saying "I have a motorboat" does just not cut the mustard up in superboat land (us common people have motorboats), you have to have a 'yacht' (with sails or not) or you just don't count. How sad a life it must be :-) :-)

Just came back from committing some yachting, damn nice mid-winter day but wind faded away so we ended up as a motor yacht :-)

[Jack Tar]

Deal or No Deal

[hellosailor]

"by Webster's definition," I stopped paying attention to any dictionary called "Websters" after I found out the name is now used freely by a couple of dozen companies of varying quality and skill. All, IMO, surpassed by the Random House Unabridged that came out new around 1970(?) and set a very nice standard for a long time. The "compact" OED that ships in three volumes for $1000 with a magnifier is probably still the most definitive small (ha) dictionary today, although Oxford has a hell of a lot of nerve asking the same thousand dollars for their DVD version (which costs them several hundred less in manufacturing costs, hardcovers ain't cheap).

If anyone mistakes me for a Yachtsman, it'll be my own fault for wearing my Bretton Red pants with a blazer at the same time. Not damn likely!<G>

[GMac]

Originally Posted by Jack Tar

Deal or No Deal

You looking for an offer on the boat or the woman?
Damn nice woodwork. Don't want to be the person doing the maintenance though

[Brent Swain]

A powerboat becomes a yacht when they hang sails on her.
Brent

[SkiprJohn]

Pretty much a regurgitated subject primeval.
A yacht is a vessel used for recreational purposes. That covers the 8 foot Sabot I used to have and sail recreationally and the 35 foot wood ketch I used to sail recreationally. If you think otherwise you are wrong.
I prefer to think of my boat as a sailboat but it could also be a yacht because when I get it back in the water it will be used recreationally.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[SkiprJohn]

A Yacht Club is a Sailing Club that knows the English language a little better.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[Boracay]

Racing is not yachting.

[GMac]

Originally Posted by Louis Riel

A powerboat becomes a yacht when they hang sails on her.
Brent

More likely one of those things called a 'Whywouldya'

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Chris,
Why do you think that racing is not yachting? Are there commercial racers that do it for a business?
Most powerboats are used for recreational purposes therefore they are yachts.
You can disagree with me but its hard to argue with a dictionary.
Kind Regards,
JohnL