Yacht vs Boat: Definitions and Key Differences

Yacht vs. boat: the difference between a yacht and a boat is that a yacht is a larger boat that typically includes sleeping quarters such as a cabin, a galley or kitchen, and a bathroom with a shower and toilet. A boat generally does not include any of these amenities, or if it does, only contains a subset of them.

Merriam-Webster defines a yacht as any recreational watercraft, used for sailing or motor cruising, and a boat as a small vessel used for travel on water.

To further delineate the differences between a yachts and boats, in this article we will compare and contrast each term with specific examples and use cases.

Yacht vs Boat Comparison

All yachts are boats, but not all boats are yachts. In the table below, we’ve compiled a list of the most significant differences between yachts and boats:

	Yachts	Boats
Size	Approximately 28 ft. and above.	Any size.
Sleeping quarters	Typically at least 1 cabin.	None/optional.
Galley/Kitchen	Typically a stove on gimbals, along with an oven and a sink.	None/optional.
Bathroom/Head	At least one bathroom with a toilet, sink, and showerhead.	None/optional.
Air conditioning and heat	Most modern yachts have built-in air conditioning and heating.	None/optional.
Amenities	Any and all (television, satellite/FM radio, dishwasher, clothes washer/dryer, outdoor grill). Some super yachts have a pool onboard as well as a helipad for helicopters, and garage for toys such as jet skis.	None/optional. Sometimes includes satellite radio and bluetooth speakers.
Cruising capability	Sailing yachts may have offshore or near shore cruising capabilities. Some larger motor yachts can cross oceans, but this feat is usually reserved for all but the biggest motor yachts with a capable crew.	Usually used for inland waters and remaining near shore.
Electronics	Usually equipped with depth finder, windex, VHF, GPS, autopilot, AIS, and radar.	Usually equipped with radio, sometimes including a VHF radio. Many fishing boats include depth sounders.
Typical use cases	Luxury cruising, hosting parties, liveaboards, sailing, coastal cruising.	Fishing, recreation.

Yacht vs Boat Sizes

When most people imagine yachts, they tend to think of super yachts owned by billionaires such as Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Ellison. In reality, however, most yachts are between the ranges of 32 ft. and 50 ft. in length, and are owned by normal people who happen to enjoy boats enough to keep them around.

If you’re surprised by this fact, think about it: how many marinas have the facilities to host even a single 100 ft. luxury super yacht? The reality is that most don’t, and most wouldn’t want to. If you go to your nearest marina, you’re likely to find that the vast majority of yachts range in size from about 28 ft. to 60 ft.

When people think of boats on the other hand, they could imagine something of any size. Boats come in all sizes, ranging from inflatable paddle boats, up to and including the largest yachts, since boats technically include all yachts. When comparing the two, people tend to think of boats as smaller vessels, below 28 ft. or so in length, without a cabin and with little if any storage below deck (for example, fishing boats, bass boats, sport boats, etc. fall into this category).

Yacht vs Boat Amenities

It should come as no surprise that yachts have significantly more features and luxury amenities than what most people think of when they think of boats. Yachts are large enough to live on, while boats that aren’t yachts are typically used for day trips on the water.

• Cockpit:
  • On a yacht, the cockpit is typically covered by a bimini top, dodger, or some sort of overhang that protects the captain or boat driver from the sun.
  • On a non-yacht boat, there is often no sun protection, with the exception being on the higher-end sport boats.
• Seating:
  • Seating arrangements on a yacht typically include wide seating with a full dining table or fold-up table in the middle, depending on the size of the deck. On larger yachts, there may be seating near the bow as well. Even the smallest yachts can accommodate up to 4 people in the cockpit quite comfortably.
  • Seating on a non-yacht boats typically includes at least the captain or driver’s seat, as well as seating at least one other person. For recreational boats, such as sport boats or pontoon boats, seating can accommodate up to 15 people.
• Cabin:
  • On a yacht, a cabin is a given, and typically includes features such as a salon (main living area), cabin, galley, and head (bathroom).
  • On a non-yacht boat, the cabin is non-existent, and we consider this to be this one of the biggest differentiators between yachts and non-yacht boats.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when it comes to yachts vs boats, it’s clear that yachts are typically larger vessels with creature comforts such as sleeping quarters, heat and air conditioning, bathroom(s), a galley, as well as luxury amenities. Boats can technically have these features, but at this point, we’d just refer to it as a yacht. Maybe the biggest takeaway here is don’t be caught telling your crush you have a yacht, when in reality it’s just a boat (trust us on this one).