At what length does a boat become a yacht?

When it has seperate crew quarters from the living quarters it's a yacht......how about that.

I would go with that definition if the boat is a ship and has a full-time captain and crew, even though that means of two identical ships, one might be a yacht and there other a mere ship.

The Sun Sentinel has an article in today's paper "Superyacht Miami show..." To quote: "Superyachts -- typically defined at about 100 feet or longer -- will be displayed..."

So if the Sun Sentinel says it, then it must be true. Sorry, Marmot, if I stole your line about the internet ;-)

Anything under 50 meters is just a boat ...

The SS must have meant that under 100 feet is just a yacht but anything over 100 feet is super. Can't say that I agree with that, there are some real junkers at 100 feet and above that haven't been yachts for a long time. I think a yacht is a state of mind and a term used to define a highly subjective appraisal of an assembly of parts.

Another angle on this subject might be to blame the MCA.

That bunch makes money by defining such things ... https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vessel-classification-and-certification

There are some Superyacht Design Competitions and the minimum length to participate use to be 30 m (100feet), so this definition is probably right when it comes to length.

Doesn't the global yacht order book start off at 75'?

There is an international regulatory "gateway" that sets 24 meters as the length at which certain standards and regulations apply. This length is also used by magazine editors and industry consultants who collect data on sales and production.

Read the UK MCA document linked above and you will see where the 24m figure comes into play. Many Americans just multiply by "about 3" and call 24m "75 feet" for convenience.

American licensed captains know that there is a different length figure used for regulatory purposes, and that there is no such thing as a "yacht" documented in the U.S.

I love this thread. I guess I'm just too well grounded. We call our 55 Hatt, the boat and our motor home, The Bus. And the car is just, The Car.

My last boat was a 42'...... the one before that a 25', before that a 30'. I have operated sail and powerboats for a half a century, mostly in that size range. Our hearts (and minds) are set on something around 50'. With two big ass diesels, and a "salon" which, basically, is a room that my sweety can decorate it just the way she likes it. There will be no skipper, no engineer, no deckhand, no cook and no "flight attendant". But it will be a yacht. Our yacht. It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

And oh, the 45' fiver is "The Castle", the dually pulling it is "Max".

Living my own dream.

That said, yes..... if it's 100' it's a yacht even if it's sitting on a sandbank with the water up to the gunnels. ;-)

A boat is a boat, a yacht can carry a boat and a ship can carry a yacht.

Well Done! Best yet, simple but succinct! Have to have a hunk of teak carved like a name board with that on it for the office wall!