# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/61 "2020-02-06T22:41:19Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > 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). “Yacht” has a connotation of luxury, wealth, and expense that “cabin cruiser” or “bass boat” don’t. It’s like the difference between a house and a mansion. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/62 "2020-02-07T06:28:31Z")
My Dad once rented a house on a bluff overlooking the Pacific in Mexico for a summer. I and my (then) girlfriend went down for a week, it was pretty cool. One day a cruise ship pulled into the bay. It was amazing to see this giant thing dwarfing the tiny town and the boats around it, like a cartoon someone had drawn. I looked at it with my binoculars and said “Dad, I don’t see any cabins… I don’t think that’s a cruise ship, it’s a private yacht.” Dad told me that was ridiculous, it was way too big to be a private yacht, but after peering at it through the binoculars for ten minutes, he had to admit, that yes, it wasn’t a cruise ship after all. We had a conversation over lunch on the veranda, looking at this giant thing, wondering whose it was. We all agreed it must belong to the head of a drug cartel. Later we had one of of friends over, a local who lived in the town. We pointed at the boat and asked her “Is that a drug lord’s boat?” She laughed at us. “No, drug dealers don’t have that kind of money. That’s a government official.” We were all a little stunned. Of course government corruption in Mexico is no secret, but that it would be corrupt enough for an official to casually toot around in that thing - I mean, I’ve seen Paul Allen’s megayacht moored in San Diego, and this thing made it look like a dinghy. I’ve always thought about that ever since when someone talks about how corrupt things are down there. Of course, drug lords _do_ have that kind of money, (well, some of them,) but what she said made sense - a drug lord wouldn’t want something so high profile. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/63 "2020-02-08T04:18:07Z")
There are “yachts” and there are “YACHTS!!!” Look up a few episodes of Below Decks (I think) which covers charters on a super yacht. Eight or so crew for 8 to 10 guests (plus more I’m sure that are in the engine room). One of the crew is a professionally trained chef so not the type of cooking over a propane camp stove you imagine. The tip for the crew for a short charter is usually 10 - 20 thousand dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/64 "2020-02-08T06:58:32Z")
With the right type of quack psychiatry, I’ll bet we could get the OP into a yacht (or Alcatraz) in no time. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/65 "2020-02-08T07:03:22Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > The tip for the crew for a short charter is usually 10 - 20 thousand dollars. Or a block of cocaine. (My brother is chef on a superyacht). ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/66 "2020-02-08T11:13:35Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I read in another thread a signature that left me perplexed: > > Elmer J. Fudd, > Millionaire. > I own a mansion and a yacht. > [@](#): > > I am fine with rich people, this is not about envy: I am a millionaire myself in a valauble currency, You’re a millionaire in a valuable currency? What does that even mean? > [@](#): > > But could someone tell me what a yacht is good for? If you buy a small one, everything is too small, everything gets damp, you can’t stand up without hitting your head against something (I am 6’4")… First, if it’s too small, get a bigger one. If all you can afford is a Smart for Two, don’t complain that _all_ cars are too cramped inside. That’s silly. Second, not everyone is 6’4". I point that out because it’s important for you to realize that everyone else is _not you_. Not only are they going to be different sizes, but they’re going to enjoy different things. With that said, everything doesn’t get damp. Most of the standing is supposed to be done on the deck where the sky is the ceiling (of course, unless you get a bigger one as suggested). > [@](#): > > …the cooking is at best primitive, the only fresh produce may be the fish, if you catch one, the rest is canned or dried or dreadful. Many yachts have kitchens better than the one in your house. Even smaller ones will be able to store enough fresh food to last until your next port. And practically all of them offer ways to actually cook food rather than just opening canned or dried food. This complaint doesn’t hold water either. > [@](#): > > Internet connections are slow, expensive or non-existant. This is not a downside for many people. In fact, many people may want to get out on the open ocean to get away from constant connectivity. Those that still want internet will just pay for it. High speed internet on the ocean is possible. Like you said, it’s expensive. But we’re talking about a freaking yacht! “Expensive” is not in any way a deal breaker. > [@](#): > > If you buy a big ship you have to stand (and pay!) the crew. That isn’t a downside, it’s a perk! You don’t have to worry about all of the hassle of controlling and caring for the ship. All of that is done for you with a crew. You get to relax in total comfort while the crew caters to your every need and the needs of the boat. How does that sound like a bad thing to you? > [@](#): > > Repairs are awfully expensive, everything is made bespoke and does not fit, It’s just money. You can always make more money. What’s the big deal? > [@](#): > > …and the food still does not taste great. Then fire your chef and get a better one. If you’re one of those less affluent yacht owners with no on-board chef, there are plenty of great meal options to be had. Such as [this](https://www.sailingeurope.com/media/2774/shutterstockeatingonayacht148303040.jpg), [this](https://www.sailingeurope.com/media/2725/mbreakfastonyacht.jpg), and [this](https://www.sailingeurope.com/media/2704/foodonboard679558930l.jpg). > [@](#): > > Around you there is only water, … That’s kind of the point. Some people enjoy that. A lot! > [@](#): > > … the sun is too bright Again, this is something people like. Bright sunny and warm weather! For many people, there is no such thing as “too bright”. And there is often a cool breeze from the water. The combination of warm sun and cool breeze is appealing to many, many people. > [@](#): > > and the ground keeps on moving. Makes you sick. No. It makes _YOU_ sick. It doesn’t make everyone sick. Starting to understand, yet? And you can always take a Dramamine if you require it. > [@](#): > > I will stop the description of my impression there; you get the general idea. Yes. What I get is that you want us to explain why YOU would ever get a yacht despite the fact that none of the joys of ownership appeal to you. You don’t seem to be concerned about why _other people_ would want to spend a weekend (or longer) at sea aboard their very own luxury, floating mansion. > [@](#): > > 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? Many people enjoy the ocean. The warm sun, the cool breeze, the smell of the salt air, the endless ocean on all sides, being surrounded by the horizon, the night sky unpolluted by terrestrial lights, the seclusion and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, the tropical destinations, visiting uninhabited islands free of tourists and other visitors, the ability to entertain friends and guests with unique and exclusive experiences. What’s not to love? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/67 "2020-02-08T18:45:08Z")
Pardel-Lux, I for one completely agree with you. Fuck yachts. I get sea sick easily and expanses of water are really boring. But I also don’t understand mansions. Why have so many fancy rooms when you can only be in one at a time? Why bother? Seems so stupid and wasteful. Look at all the money you would save if you just lived in an ordinary small house of, say, 1200 square feet. Big enough for two bedrooms so somebody could even stay over on occasion. Much more practical. It’s a mystery to me. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/68 "2020-02-08T19:30:32Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > the cooking is at best primitive, the only fresh produce may be the fish, if you catch one, the rest is canned or dried or dreadful. where are you getting this? You make it sound like an expedition to the North pole. It’s not 1926. A Yacht is a pleasure craft used for short trips for the joy of sailing. It’s a camper on water. You take on whatever food suits your taste for a couple of days and you’re likely close to land where you can take on more. If you’re describing a sea-going vessel for island hopping or world touring then the amenities are unlimited and the vessels are much larger. Certainly nobody is starving on canned rations. they have fully stocked kitchens with freezers and can take on greens at the places they visit. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/69 "2020-02-08T22:11:39Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > A Yacht is a pleasure craft used for short trips for the joy of sailing. It’s a camper on water. You take on whatever food suits your taste for a couple of days and you’re likely close to land where you can take on more. > > If you’re describing a sea-going vessel for island hopping or world touring then the amenities are unlimited and the vessels are much larger. Certainly nobody is starving on canned rations. Depends on what you’re doing, to be fair. A couple of years ago they had a Golden Globe single-handed non-stop race around the planet for 32-36 foot pre-1988 yachts. I wonder what they had to eat, and when they had time to do anything beyond heat something up and wolf it down. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/70 "2020-02-09T01:10:18Z")
OP, save up your pennies and get you one of these. You might like it. > **[BEYOND 82M Yacht for Sale in Italy | 268' 11" (81.97m) 2025 Concept | N&J](https://www.northropandjohnson.com/yachts-for-sale/beyond-82m-268-concept)** > > Click here to discover BEYOND 82M yacht for sale in Italy. This 268' 11" (81.97m) Motor Yachts boat by Concept is for sale with Northrop & Johnson. It doesn’t list the price because its probably too painful to look at. Elevators?? Man, I would love it. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/71 "2020-02-09T02:10:37Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Depends on what you’re doing, to be fair. A couple of years ago they had a Golden Globe single-handed non-stop race around the planet for 32-36 foot pre-1988 yachts. I wonder what they had to eat, and when they had time to do anything beyond heat something up and wolf it down. Well sure there are always a bunch of nutters who like pain. Some people like to hike trails full of butterflies and then there are people who spend tons of money for the privilege of a painful death march to the top of mount Everest. ---
**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 9, 2020, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/72 "2020-02-09T07:51:52Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > [...] You're a millionaire in a valuable currency? What does that even mean? [...] Oh, that is nice! Didn’t know that episode 🙂 […] It means that it’s not the same to be a £-millionaire or a JP¥-millionaire. In [Zimbabwean dollars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwean_dollar) everybody can be a millionaire. ---
**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 9, 2020, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/73 "2020-02-09T07:56:00Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > OP, save up your pennies and get you one of these. You might like it. > > [BEYOND 82M Yacht for Sale in Italy | 268' 11" (81.97m) 2028 Concept | N&J](https://www.northropandjohnson.com/yachts-for-sale/beyond82m-269-concept) Granted, the ammonite on the wall looks great, but sailing under Italian flag? 😛 I’d rather not. ---
**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 9, 2020, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/74 "2020-02-09T08:10:04Z")
I have learned that sailing is so important for some that merely asking what the pleasure of it is irks them. I will not do it again. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/75 "2020-02-09T12:45:47Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I have learned that sailing is so important for some that merely asking what the pleasure of it is irks them. I will not do it again. Then you have totally missed the point. There are all sorts of activities in this world that aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, but enough people get into that there’s plenty of people engaging in those activities, there’s plenty of supporting infrastructure, etc. The appeal of any of them will ultimately be impossible to explain to someone who genuinely just doesn’t ‘get’ why anyone would want to spend their free time participating in that activity. So if someone I know likes to crochet, for instance, I’m not going to try to get them to explain the appeal of it to me. At least not to the level you’ve taken it to here. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/76 "2020-02-09T12:59:16Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > 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. I recently read "The Riddle of the Sands’', a smash hit spy novel of 1903, which discusses the cramped yet supposedly exhilarating experience of sailing a small yacht all over the place. Partial plot summary: \*Carruthers, a minor official in the Foreign Office, is contacted by an acquaintance, Davies, asking him to join in a yachting holiday in the Baltic Sea. Carruthers agrees, as his other plans for a holiday have fallen through, and because of a heartbreak due to a woman he courted becoming engaged to another man. He arrives to find that Davies has a small sailing boat (the vessel is named Dulcibella, a reference to Childers’s own sister of that name), not the comfortable crewed yacht that he expected. However Carruthers agrees to go on the trip and joins Davies in Flensburg on the Baltic, whence they head for the Frisian Islands, off the coast of Germany. Carruthers has to learn quickly how to sail the small boat. Davies gradually reveals that he suspects that the Germans are undertaking something sinister in the German Frisian islands.\* > **[The Riddle of the Sands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Riddle_of_the_Sands)** > > The Riddle of the Sands: A Record of Secret Service is a 1903 novel by Erskine Childers. The book, which enjoyed immense popularity in the years before World War I, is an early example of the espionage novel and was extremely influential in the genre of spy fiction. It has been made into feature-length films for both cinema and television. > The novel "owes a lot to the wonderful adventure novels of writers like Rider Haggard, that were a staple of Victorian Britain". It was a spy novel that "e... Spoiler alert: the book doesn’t get a whole lot more exciting than that. Lots of detail about small yacht crewing though, enough to convince me that sailing, especially through tiny channels while avoiding mudflats was not for me. ---
**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 9, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/77 "2020-02-09T14:46:16Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I have learned that sailing is so important for some that merely asking what the pleasure of it is irks them. I will not do it again. You still don’t understand that what some people like, other do not? Does _everyone_ you know like to eat the same food, listen to the same music, watch the same sports? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/78 "2020-02-09T19:25:07Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I have learned that sailing is so important for some that merely asking what the pleasure of it is irks them. I will not do it again. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > You still don’t understand that what some people like, other do not? Does _everyone_ you know like to eat the same food, listen to the same music, watch the same sports? Yes precisely. Is it really such a burden to the imagination to understand why someone might like sailing? Do you really believe things you’ve said about food on boats etc. I’m indifferent to sailing. I’ve enjoyed it the few times I’ve done it, but don’t seek it out and wouldn’t miss it if it somehow went away. But it doesn’t take much imagination to see why people would like it. Another example: I know nothing about K-pop. I couldn’t name any songs and only know the name of one band, only because it was mentioned in a thread here. I’m sure I would hate it. But it’s not hard to understand why some people would like it, and I don’t begrudge them for being into something I don’t care for. It’s not the objection to yachting people are irked by, it’s the attitude of “I don’t like [insert thing here] therefore no one should, and the people who like it are being dumb.” ---
**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 9, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/79 "2020-02-09T20:00:36Z")
Another example that **Pardel-Lux** might relate to; their profile page says they are fans of FC Barcelona. Well, what if I told you that I don’t understand how anyone could be interest in football? It’s a low-scoring game that’s perhaps only slightly less boring than golf. And to actually attend a football match; sitting in the stands surrounded by 50-60,000 screaming, probably drunk fans? Sounds like hell to me. But I wouldn’t tell you that because I understand that many millions love the sport (and also I’m not that negative about it). Does my analogy help you to understand that people’s interests are different? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534/80 "2020-02-09T20:17:35Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Pardel-Lux, I for one completely agree with you. Fuck yachts. I get sea sick easily and expanses of water are really boring. But I also don’t understand mansions. Why have so many fancy rooms when you can only be in one at a time? Why bother? Seems so stupid and wasteful. Look at all the money you would save if you just lived in an ordinary small house of, say, 1200 square feet. Big enough for two bedrooms so somebody could even stay over on occasion. Much more practical. It’s a mystery to me. its mostly a way to show other people and to show yourself that you are doing well financially from what I can tell. But I can understand the desire for a lot of bedrooms. If you have a 6 bedroom house and 3 kids, then you have one bedroom for each kid, a master bedroom, a guest bedroom and the sixth bedroom is used a a den or office. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-yachts-good-for/847534.md?page=5)