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What Makes a Boat a Yacht? Differences of Yachts vs. Boats

As a boating enthusiast, you may have the perfect boat in mind for your next boat purchase or chartered marine event. You might just want a boat, such as for a small event or some small-group adventures, or you might want a larger and more luxurious yacht. The first step in deciding your yacht vs boat decision is knowing what makes a boat a yacht, down to the sizing details, features, and industry certifications. Read through this quick guide to learn more about what makes a yacht.

Size and Design Differences of Yachts and Boats

The key difference between a boat and a yacht often starts with size. Under the NMMA’s yacht certification system, a boat needs to be at least 26 feet long in order to be considered a yacht. However, most yachts significantly exceed this minimum size requirement, stretching out to be at least 35 feet to accommodate a bigger number of passengers and more exciting amenities. Depending on the yacht you’re interested in, it can stretch from 35 feet to 160+ feet. Even larger yachts—called superyachts—are available.

You may also see different criteria and organizations that are what classifies a yacht as a yacht. For example, large yachts that are at least 79 feet long, commercial yachts that have strict passenger capacities, and charter yachts that are owned by a business for the purpose of serving customers with cruises and events.

Yachts are also designed with unusually powerful engines. Some boats have powerful engines in order to drive higher levels of speed and precision. But yacht power systems have a much higher capacity because they need to power a much larger boat, ensure passengers can travel for long distances without inconvenient stops, and provide power with luxury onboard systems like lighting, separate cabins, hot tubs, and busy kitchens.

Purpose and Use Cases of Boats vs. Yachts

Another significant difference between what makes a boat a yacht and what falls into other categories is the primary purpose of the boat. Fishing, racing, and other forms of active recreation are often left to other boats. But yachts are the boat of choice for entertainment and hosting events, going on pleasure cruises, and going out on the water in style without a dedicated activity in mind.

For example, people might buy or rent out a yacht for:

Going on luxury vacations, especially along coastlines or across multiple islands
Hosting special events such as engagement parties or retirement parties
Destination events, such as scuba diving and watching whales
Business events, such as luxury dinner meetings and networking opportunities

Amenities and Features of a Yacht

What is considered a yacht also depends on the experience of living on the watercraft. Luxury boating is all about the amenities and features onboard that make it a pleasant experience. Some of the most popular amenities you may find on yachts are:

Enclosed and spacious interior cabins
Multiple bathrooms
Indoor kitchens with appliances and storage space
Entertainment systems such as televisions and more extensive audio systems
Onboard water features such as hot tubs or swimming pools built right into the yacht

Ultimately, yachts offer a level of luxury and comfort that is not part of typical boat designs. As a general rule, boats are built to be as compact and efficient as possible, with utilitarian designs, functional spaces, and minimal features outside the core use case of the boat (such as fishing and racing). Cruising yachts typically have at least two cabins, a salon with a dining area, at least one stateroom, and a navigation station.

Book One of Our Charters or Buy a Yacht Today!

Explore the possibilities today by selecting charter services from The Advantaged Yacht Charters & Sales. You can host yacht events, experience vacations on different yachts to decide which yacht you want to purchase in the future and experience all the luxury our top yachts have to offer.

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