# What is a yachts good for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 6, 2020, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534 "2020-02-06T10:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/21 "2020-02-06T16:19:08Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Am I really the first person on this Loony Tunes loving board to point out this is a joke? No. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/22 "2020-02-06T16:34:45Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > Yacht = penis > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro But…I just traded for a smaller yacht. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/23 "2020-02-06T16:52:07Z")
Regarding small yachts, you might as well ask why people go camping or backpacking. Being outdoors, in the midst of nature, appreciating beautiful scenery is worth a little less comfort in sleeping and other arrangements. And food doesn’t have to be any worse than at home. I’ve spent lots of time on overnight trips on boats and research vessels, and it’s no big deal. Regarding mega-yachts, you might as well ask why people go on cruises. While I haven’t been on one, I am pretty sure the comfort level isn’t going to be much less than a luxury beach resort. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/24 "2020-02-06T16:55:29Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > Yacht = penis long, hard, full of sea men? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/25 "2020-02-06T17:13:05Z")
Without yachts, we’d have to find another name for yacht rock. Or get rid of it entirely. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/26 "2020-02-06T17:18:14Z")
When somebody (Elmer Fudd?) mentions a yacht, why are people automatically talking about $30 million or even $5 million boats (which admittedly are nice, especially if you plan to live on one for an extended tour). Are houses “an expensive toy for the super-rich”? Because a normal yacht that normal people buy costs a lot less than your apartment, maybe even less than some posters’ cars. Believe it or not, some people simply enjoy sailing (and surfing, and diving, or other water sports and activities that require gear). ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/27 "2020-02-06T17:25:04Z")
It was from a cartoon released in 1955 (Hare Brush). That predates me by a bit, but was the American economy at that time strong enough to make any sort of boat ownership common? Rowboats fitted with outboard motors for bass fishin’, sure, but personal transatlantic-capable vessels? Seems like a pretty expensive toy for the time. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/28 "2020-02-06T17:25:55Z")
May I repeat myself? > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > [bla bla bla…] > So, this is my question: what are yachts good for? How can you enjoy them? Who came up with the idea that they could be made into a luxury segment and how did he (it was a man, right?) get away with it? Joke or no joke, by me or by **Elmer J. Fudd** , nobody has explained what is so good about Throat-wobbler Mangroves. I don’t get it, fine. Please explain. Just saying “some people like them” is not an explanation nor is it going to convince the ones that don’t. Only **Treppenwitz** said there is nothing there to explain, because yachts are no fun at all. Thank you for that. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/29 "2020-02-06T17:33:44Z")
From [Here](https://www.megayachtscharter.com/en/general-information/history-of-luxury-yachts/): > [@](#): > > Term “Luxury yacht” began to appear at the beginning of the 20th century when wealthy individuals constructed large private yachts for personal pleasure. This coincided with it being picked up by the press as well, and its appearance in magazines such as Boat International, stabilized it as an everyday term in the industry. Early luxury motor yachts include the Cox and King yachts, M/Y (motor yachts) Christina O and M/Y Savarona. > > The number of very large yachts has increased rapidly since the 1990s and increasingly only yachts above around 65 meters (213 feet) stand out among other luxury yachts. A yacht of this size usually has four decks above the water line and one or two below. It is likely to have a helicopter landing platform. Apart from additional guest cabins, which almost always include one or more “VIP suites” besides the owner’s suite, extra facilities compared to a 50-metre (160 feet) yacht will include some or all of indoor Jacuzzis, sauna and steam rooms, a beauty salon, massage and other treatment rooms, a medical center, a discothèque, a cinema, plunge pool, a playroom, and additional living areas such as a separate bar, secondary dining room, private sitting rooms or a library. > > From 2009 yachts above 100 meters (328 feet) are still rare but they are appearing more common. Usually they have five decks above the water line and one below. The very largest yachts have begun to incorporate such features as helicopter hangars, indoor swimming pools and miniature submarines. Number of “small” super yachts has led to the introduction of the new terms like “Mega Yacht” and “Giga Yacht” to separate the elite among luxury yachts. The latest launch M/Y Eclipse out of the Yard of Blohm and Voss is the largest Super yacht in the World built for the Russian Roman Abramovich. Sounds pretty nice to me, nothing at all like the dismal personal watercraft described in the OP, but it is ultimately a matter of what you like. Also: crazy starry night skies, all the fishing you could want to do, access to remote beaches & uninhabited islands, the feeling of being just about as free as is possible in this age. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/30 "2020-02-06T17:37:02Z")
Do you expect anyone to convince you that going out on a boat is fun? If you care enough to find out for yourself, arrange with a nearby yacht club or boat-owning friend to take a short trip some weekend, and then you’ll know for sure. If you can’t be bothered to try it, it’s a moot question. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/31 "2020-02-06T17:38:00Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > May I repeat myself? > > Joke or no joke, by me or by **Elmer J. Fudd** , nobody has explained what is so good about Throat-wobbler Mangroves. I don’t get it, fine. Please explain. Just saying “some people like them” is not an explanation nor is it going to convince the ones that don’t. > Only **Treppenwitz** said there is nothing there to explain, because yachts are no fun at all. Thank you for that. If you don’t get it, then it’s going to be impossible to explain it to you. Why should anyone bother trying to explain it to you if you’re never going to understand? You’ve singled out the one person who agreed with you rather than those who have tried to explain it to you. It’s clear that you really aren’t interested in understanding. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/32 "2020-02-06T17:52:57Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > May I repeat myself? > > Joke or no joke, by me or by **Elmer J. Fudd** , nobody has explained what is so good about Throat-wobbler Mangroves. I don’t get it, fine. Please explain. Just saying “some people like them” is not an explanation nor is it going to convince the ones that don’t. > Only **Treppenwitz** said there is nothing there to explain, because yachts are no fun at all. Thank you for that. I don’t think art museums are any fun at all, so why do people go to them? Is it possible that people have different interests and things that you might not like, others do and vice versa? ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/33 "2020-02-06T17:55:31Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I am fine with rich people, this is not about envy: I am a millionaire myself in a valauble currency, and can understand living in a mansion. Both are nice. But could someone tell me what a yacht is good for? If you buy a small one, everything is too small,…If you buy a big ship you have to stand (and pay!) the crew. On the second one I think I agree. It’s hard IME to project how you would feel about a given amount of spending you can’t afford now, if you could afford it (let alone what anyone else should do). However I’m pretty sure I would not like the idea of having to interact with ‘my’ crew as owner of a yacht too big to operate by myself. And yes to me it would be different than a cruise ship staff. That’s how I feel as of now. But give me a few billion and we’ll see how it actually pans out. 🙂 On the smaller end it’s a matter of taste though and while I also don’t have a small boat at the moment, I can easily see why somebody would want to do this. Certainly ‘yachts’ that are just little boats you take out to sail, fish etc. with for the day. Although seems you’re talking mainly live aboard yachts. But I went to the NY Boat Show for the first time last year and they trucked in some boats that were remarkably large to get through the streets of NY and into the Javits Center, but that you could operate by yourself with some base of relevant knowledge (which I happen to have). A non-crew yacht isn’t necessarily tiny and cramped. Those boats would have significant upkeep costs relative to purchase price obviously, and you’d have to deal with repair and maintenance outfits, but that’s not nearly as unattractive a prospect to me as the idea of living aboard with a crew I pay. I daydreamed briefly ‘this would be nice’ while on those boats. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/34 "2020-02-06T18:02:40Z")
You don’t have to have lots of cash to spend time on a yacht, [just so you can bake good banana bread.](https://imgur.com/uaX2irR) ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/35 "2020-02-06T18:04:22Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > It seems to me that you’d be better off just chartering a yacht when you need one, even if it costs half a million or more a week. For the same reason, I don’t understand why people buy private jets; just get a NetJets card and charter a plane when you want to get somewhere. There’s an old saying: If you can float it, fuck it, or fly it, don’t buy it. You’re better off renting. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/36 "2020-02-06T18:07:09Z")
[quote=“Isamu, post:11, topic:847534”] Link to a popular youtube channel […] you might get it or might not. It’s not for everyone. [/QUOTE] No, I don’t get it ☹ Sorry. Nice try, they look like nice people. But the boat still looks like it could make me claustrophobic in the middle of the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/37 "2020-02-06T18:17:26Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > If you don’t get it, then it’s going to be impossible to explain it to you. Why should anyone bother trying to explain it to you if you’re never going to understand? You’ve singled out the one person who agreed with you rather than those who have tried to explain it to you. It’s clear that you really aren’t interested in understanding. I am sorry it came across that way: I felt no one explained, all I read was: if you like it, you do - if you don’t, there is no point in explaining. I do not want to be convinced, I want to understand what others like about it. Does not mean that I would like it too, it’s just that now I do not get it at all. So I took the signature as an intro to a question. I am not implying that liking yachts is wrong nor am I trying to mock the yacht-lovers. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/38 "2020-02-06T18:17:45Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > May I repeat myself? > > Joke or no joke, by me or by **Elmer J. Fudd** , nobody has explained what is so good about Throat-wobbler Mangroves. I don’t get it, fine. Please explain. Just saying “some people like them” is not an explanation nor is it going to convince the ones that don’t. [http://www.montypython.net/scripts/luxyacht.php](http://www.montypython.net/scripts/luxyacht.php) > [@Monty Python](#): > > Interviewer: Good evening. I have with me in the studio tonight one of the country’s leading skin specialists - Raymond Luxury Yacht. > Raymond: That’s not my name. > Interviewer: I’m sorry - Raymond Luxury Yach-t. > Raymond: No, no, no - it’s spelt Raymond Luxury Yach-t, but it’s pronounced ‘Throatwobbler Mangrove’. As to why some people enjoy yachting, literally: you do or you don’t. There is no explain. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/39 "2020-02-06T18:20:09Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > There’s an old saying: If you can float it, fuck it, or fly it, don’t buy it. You’re better off renting. Here and there there are yacht clubs with shared equipment you can use as long as you pay your dues, chip in on the actual maintenance and so forth. They are not going to let you borrow a yacht yourself before you have at least demonstrated competence sailing a dinghy, though, but you can ask a more experienced sailor to show you the ropes; how else will you learn? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/40 "2020-02-06T18:22:00Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > It seems to me that you’d be better off just chartering a yacht when you need one, even if it costs half a million or more a week. For the same reason, I don’t understand why people buy private jets; just get a NetJets card and charter a plane when you want to get somewhere. > > There’s an old saying: If you can float it, fuck it, or fly it, don’t buy it. You’re better off renting. Another way of thinking the same thing is not to tie up large amounts of money in depreciating assets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534.md?page=3)