Every yacht is technically a boat, but not every boat is a yacht. What size does a boat need to be to become a yacht?
Technically, a boat must be at least ten meters in length and have ‘good aesthetic qualities’ to be classified as a yacht. It’s a question of appearance and equipment as much as it is size. Quite often, anything over twelve meters will be considered a yacht.
Is Bigger Better?
Many years ago, yachts were relatively simple affairs. They were ocean-bound vessels, considerably luxurious, but not overly huge.
Today, yachts have burst out of their own scale, and grown exponentially. You can not only get yachts, but superyachts, megayachts, and even gigayachts.
These beasts of the seas can grow up to four hundred feet (one hundred and twenty meters) in length. The biggest and most luxurious examples of gigayacht can be worth well over one hundred million dollars.
In recent years, the classification of yachts has been blurred somewhat. There are many ways to categorize a yacht, looking at aspects such as propulsion, length, weight, and aesthetic values.
One article explains in length what makes a yacht, a yacht. It highlights that a vessel over ten meters in length is considered a yacht, and there really isn’t any upper limit.
In 2020, the biggest yacht in the world was an incredible one hundred and eighty meters in length. The megayacht ‘Azzam’ was launched in 2013 and was quite literally a floating mansion.
It boasted two helipads, capacity for over thirty guests, and room for a crew of sixty people. It was a huge undertaking, costing over six hundred million dollars to construct.
Reportedly, the vessel was so luxurious and expansive that it cost over sixty million dollars every year to maintain and upkeep. It took a team of four thousand people simply to build the thing.
As of 2020, the yacht belonged to the President of the United Arab Emirates. He’d had it refitted in the same year, completing the luxurious interior with swimming pools, a cinema, and a fully-fledged gym.
Superyacht superclub
While any boat over ten meters is technically a yacht, it’s the much, much larger ones that make headlines. Many of the world’s super-rich elite boast proud ownership of enormous, luxurious vessels.
One of the most famous privately-owned yachts belongs to the multi-billionaire, Roman Abramovich. His yacht, the Eclipse, comes equipped with a fifty-foot swimming pool, and space for thirty-six guests.
Anther super-lavish yacht, built in 2019, was the near-five hundred-foot Flying Fox. This vessel was built by the same company that constructed the Azzam – Lurssen.
There were reports circulating that Jeff Bezos – the owner of Amazon – had paid almost half a billion dollars for the Flying Fox. However, these were debunked, and by 2020 the true owner hadn’t been revealed.
Almost all super-, mega-, and gigayachts are built to a bespoke and custom order and fitted to match a specific vision.
This can often mean that there are unique features added to a yacht, some more bizarre than others. Boat International wrote an article that highlights some of the more interesting additions to superyachts over the years.
For example, one yacht featured a full-size tennis court, while another had a ‘semi-submerged’ viewing room. This innovative and beautiful feature came equipped with an exterior glass wall, located under the waterline of the ship.
The Mystere Shadow superyacht was built with a fully functioning nightclub, while the Vertigo featured a classroom. Diamonds are Forever featured a beauty salon, and the Northern Star included a large cinema.
All these super-luxurious floating investments aside, you can’t dismiss the quality of a smaller vessel.
Boats.com discussed the literal definition of a yacht, explaining the ins and outs of the classification. They showed an example of a thirty-foot speedboat, which was built from fine, aged mahogany.
Although it didn’t have any cabins, lavish technology, or a crew, it was technically a yacht. It had the length and it was crafted with fine materials, therefore it was a yacht.
Of course, there are many different types of yacht besides the ones we’ve highlighted here. For example, you can see Express Cruisers – single deck yachts with just one cabin.
While you can charter smaller yachts for a few thousand dollars a week, the ownership of a yacht is a substantial investment. The yachts we’ve discussed here are all valued at well over one hundred million dollars.
It’s time to start saving up.