![White Pearl A Seite](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/White_Pearl_A_Seite.JPG)
A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such
yacht
A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
s, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or
sailing yacht
A sailing yacht (US ship prefixes SY or S/Y), is a leisure craft that uses sails as its primary means of propulsion. A yacht may be a sail or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, so the term applie ...
s, ranging from to more than in length, and sometimes include yachts as small as .
Superyachts are often available for charter with a staff that caters to guests at a high standard of comfort. They may be designed to emphasize comfort, speed, or expedition capability. Depending on the season, superyachts may be most frequently found in the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
or the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. Many are available for charter at prices that exceed 100,000 per week. Larger examples may have more than one swimming pool; they may carry a variety of water toys, other boats, and some a helicopter.
History
![Savarona, yate de Ataturk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Savarona%2C_yate_de_Ataturk.JPG)
At the beginning of the 20th century, when wealthy individuals constructed large private yachts for personal pleasure, some manufacturers, such as
Cox & King
Cox & King were a British firm based in Pall Mall, London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They also had offices and later a shipyard in Wivenhoe, Essex. Among their many activities relating to ships such as yacht brokers, auctioneers, a ...
and
Charles L. Seabury and Company, were noted for their large steam yachts. The first half of the 20th century saw the first large motor yachts, including
Charles Henry Fletcher
Charles Henry Fletcher (aka Chas. H. Fletcher in company advertising) organized and led the Centaur Company, makers of "Fletcher's Castoria", serving as president and general manager. Standard Remedies, April 1922.
Early life
He was born Decembe ...
's ''Jemima F. III'' (1908) at , ''
Savarona'' (1931) at , and ''
Christina O
''Christina O'' is a private motor yacht that once belonged to billionaire Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis. At 99.13 metres long, she is the 59th largest yacht in the world as of 2022.
History
The boat originally served as a Canadian anti-sub ...
'' (1947 conversion) at .
[ Article and pictures of ''Christina Os exterior and interior.]
Overview
![Oceanco Y712](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Oceanco_Y712.jpg)
The "Large Commercial Yacht Code (LY2)" of Great Britain and its dominions defines a "large yacht" as one that is or more at the waterline and is in commercial use for sport or pleasure, while not carrying cargo or more than 12 passengers, and carrying a professional crew. The code regulates the equipping of such vessels, both at sea and in port—including such matters as crew duty times and the presence of a helicopter on board. The code has different levels of standard for vessels above and below 500
gross tons
Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weig ...
. Other countries have standards similar to LY2.
Whereas yachts of 24 metres and below may be constructed of
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...
, larger yachts are more likely to be constructed of steel, aluminum or composite
fiber-reinforced plastic
Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP; also called fibre-reinforced polymer, or in American English ''fiber'') is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually glass fibre, glass (in fibreglass), Carbon fib ...
. Such yachts may be considered "superyachts" and are more commonly at or more in length.
Whereas "commercial" large yachts may carry no more than 12 passengers, "private" yachts are solely for the pleasure of the owner and guests do not carry the passenger restriction. Yachts may be identified by flag—the country under which a yacht is registered.
An industry publication categorizes superyachts by size,
by speed,
as "explorer" yachts, as sailing yachts, and classic yachts.
As of 2016, there were about 10,000 superyachts over 24 metres in length, worldwide. Of these about 80% were power yachts. The annual production rate was reported to be around 150.
As of 2018, the 200 largest yachts ranged in length from to —the ''
Azzam''. The largest yacht by displacement was the 20,361 gross ton ''
Fulk Al Salamah''. At , the largest sail-assisted motor yacht was ''
Sailing Yacht A
Sailing Yacht ''A'' is a sailing yacht launched in 2015. The vessel is a sail-assisted motor yacht designed by Philippe Starck (exteriors and interiors) and built by Nobiskrug in Kiel, Germany for the Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. ...
.''
As of 2018, the top 50 sailing yachts ranged in size from to —the ''
Black Pearl
The ''Black Pearl'' (formerly known as the ''Wicked Wench'') is a fictional ship in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. In the screenplay, the ''Black Pearl'' is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. Captained by ...
''.
The 20 fastest superyachts ranged in speed from with engines to with engines for the motor yacht, ''World is not Enough''.
As superyachts have increased in size, so have the informal terms that describe their size evolved to include "megayacht", "gigayacht"
and (speculatively) "terayacht".
Businesses
![Azimut 98 Leonardo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Azimut_98_Leonardo.%22Enigma%22.Moscow_%284949190412%29.jpg)
Between 1998 and 2008, European production of superyachts grew by 228%, ending the period with a total production of 916 units and $10 billion in orders. In January 2020'',
Boat International'' listed 4,621 professionals connected to the superyacht industry since 1856, including 1,806 builders.
The top ten builders were (shown with the total number of units built, since the founding of the company):
Superyacht builders and yacht charter companies are predominantly based in Western Europe and the United States but are also found in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Distribution
![Three luxury yachts - Lady Anne, Lady Moura and Pelorus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Three_luxury_yachts_-_Lady_Anne%2C_Lady_Moura_and_Pelorus.jpg)
Each superyacht has a
flag state
The flag state of a merchant vessel is the jurisdiction under whose laws the vessel is registered or licensed, and is deemed the nationality of the vessel. A merchant vessel must be registered and can only be registered in one jurisdiction, but ma ...
where it is
registered, but may have never visited. Common flag state registrars for large yachts are
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...
,
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
,
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
, and the
British Virgin Islands
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = Territorial song
, song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands"
, image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg
, map_caption =
, mapsize = 290px
, image_map2 = Brit ...
, among others.
Superyachts typically frequent the Mediterranean Sea in summer and the Caribbean Sea in winter. Typical destinations in Spain and the
French,
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
Rivieras include
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
,
Antibes
Antibes (, also , ; oc, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal, Antíbol) is a coastal city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department of southeastern France, on the French Riviera, Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Nice.
The town of ...
,
St. Tropez,
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
,
Portofino
Portofino (; ) is a ''comune'' located in the Metropolitan City of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is clustered around its small harbour, and is known for the colourfully painted buildings that line the shore. Since the late 19th century ...
,
Porto Cervo
Porto Cervo (; ) is an Italian seaside resort in northern Sardinia. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Arzachena, in the province of Sassari. Created by Prince Karim Aga Khan and various other investors, Porto Cervo is the main centre of Co ...
,
Cascais
Cascais () is a town and municipality in the Lisbon District of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The municipality has a total of 214,158 inhabitants in an area of 97.40 km2. Cascais is an important tourism in Portugal, tourist de ...
,
Puerto Banús
Puerto José Banús, more commonly known simply as Puerto Banús, is a marina located in the area of Nueva Andalucía (Marbella), Nueva Andalucía, to the southwest of Marbella, Spain on the Costa del Sol. It was built in May 1970 by José Banús, ...
, Puerto Portals, and
Palma, Mallorca
Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of Mallorc ...
; explorer superyachts may cruise in remote areas worldwide.
Charter
![Taransay Dining room](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Taransay_Dining_room.jpg)
Some yachts are used exclusively by their private owners, others are operated all year round as charter businesses, and a large number are privately owned but available for charter part-time. As of 2018, superyacht charter costs were 70–550 thousand per week. Charter contracts usually include an
advance provisioning allowance—a deposit to cover such operating expenses as food, fuel, and
berthing
A cabin or berthing is an enclosed space generally on a ship or an aircraft. A cabin which protrudes above the level of a ship's deck may be referred to as a deckhouse.
Sailing ships
In sailing ships, the officers and paying passengers wo ...
. The unspent balance of the allowance is returned to the customer at the end of the charter.
The luxury yacht charter industry functions effectively because private yacht owners mitigate their running costs with charter income as well as keeping their yachts and crew in top running order. Conversely, private charterers charter yachts (rather than owning them) because it is generally considered to be less expensive, and less hassle, than owning a yacht and it also provides them with extra choice related to yacht type, location and crew. The vessels may do short cruises with the owners and/or guests aboard. Antigua is one of the main ports in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean and hosts a Charter Show at the beginning of the winter season.
Design and layout
![Le Grand Bleu 31July010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Le_Grand_Bleu_31July010.jpg)
The size and types of accommodations, amenities and number of water toys increases with boat size.
40 metres
A superyacht may have cabins for 10–12 guests and for a crew of a similar size. This type of yacht may be configured, as follows:
*Lower deck: exterior swimming platform at the stern; four (sometimes five) guest cabins with en-suite bath aft; engine room amidships; crew quarters forward.
*Main deck: sheltered exterior deck aft leading into the saloon; dining room and
galley
A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...
; entrance amidships; owner's suite forward, usually includes a study, and sometimes a second stateroom for a personal assistant/bodyguard.
*Upper deck: exterior deck aft, often used for outdoor dining; second saloon (often called the sky lounge); sixth stateroom will be amidships if it is not on the lower deck or part of the owner's suite; captain's cabin; bridge.
*Sun deck: the uppermost deck, often features a
hot tub and sometimes a glass-enclosed gym (which can also be below decks or even part of the owner's suite).
50 metres
A yacht may have one or more
yacht tender
A yacht tender is a vessel used for servicing and providing support and entertainment to a private or charter yacht. They include utilitarian craft, powered by oar or outboard motor, and high-speed luxury craft, supporting superyachts, powered by ...
s for reaching shore and other water toys which may include a
speed boat
A motorboat, speedboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine.
Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gea ...
or sailing boat,
personal water craft
A personal watercraft (PWC), also called water scooter or jet ski, is a recreational watercraft that a rider sits or stands on, not within, as in a boat. PWCs have two style categories, first and most popular being a runabout or "sit down" whe ...
,
windsurfing
Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...
and
diving
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
equipment and a
banana boat
Banana Boat is a Polish a cappella sextet, authoring and performing original songs representing the genre of neo-shanties. Being one of the pioneers of the new genre, the group retains its simultaneous focus on contemporary interpretations of ...
. Such yachts have multiple screen displays and satellite communications.
60 metres
Yachts above are typically built to individual specifications, cost tens of millions of dollars, and typically have four decks above the waterline and one or two below. There is likely to be a helicopter landing platform. Apart from additional guest cabins, which are likely to include one or more "VIP suites" besides the owner's suite, such a yacht will have some or all of the following amenities: indoor hot tubs, sauna and steam rooms, a beauty salon, massage and other treatment rooms, a medical centre, a disco (usually the same space as the sky lounge or saloon, transformed into a dance area when furnishings are moved aside and special lighting activated), a cinema, plunge pool (possibly with a wave-maker), a playroom, and additional living areas such as a separate bar, secondary dining room, private sitting rooms or a library.
Support vessel
![Superyacht support vessel at Gibraltar 2017-11-08](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Superyacht_support_vessel_at_Gibraltar_2017-11-08.jpg)
Superyachts may be accompanied by a support (or shadow) vessel that carries such items as watercraft, helicopters or other large items that the yacht itself cannot readily accommodate. Such vessels range in length from . There are at least four manufacturers that specialize in building such vessels. One example included the following amenities: a helicopter deck, six guest rooms, two-story helicopter hangar with sound system, movie theater, freshwater pool, a landing craft, four each of:
jet skis
A personal watercraft (PWC), also called water scooter or jet ski, is a recreational watercraft that a rider sits or stands on, not within, as in a boat. PWCs have two style categories, first and most popular being a runabout or "sit down" wh ...
,
kayak
A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' ().
The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...
s,
sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture.
Types
Although sailboat terminology ...
s, diving and fishing gear, and
water skis. For use ashore, there were reportedly a two-seater automobile, two motor scooters and two bicycles. The vessel also featured a crane.
Crew
![Taransay Wheelhouse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Taransay_Wheelhouse.jpg)
The crew of a superyacht comprises five elements, each with its own staff: the captain, who has overall responsibility for the yacht; the chef, who is responsible for the cuisine; the interior staff, who create a hotel-like environment; the deck crew, which operates and maintains the vessel; and the engineers, who ensure the proper functioning of the vessel's many systems.
A superyacht may be maintained by its crew, which may be reduced in size during the periods that the owners are not on board and no charters are booked. Most crew members live on board and are paid a monthly salary, with most living expenses covered by the owner. Live-on-board crews do not pay rent, food, electricity or water bills.
All superyachts have crew areas below deck, which consist of a crew mess, crew cabins and laundry. While most crew cabins contain bunk beds, there are captains and chief engineers who, on the larger yachts, have their own cabins. There are no set hours that crew members work each week. The hours depend greatly on how often the owners are on board, how often it is chartered and on what hours the captain sets when there are no guests on board. Crew members may be hired through crew agencies or various websites.
See also
*
List of motor yachts by length
__NOTOC__
This list of motor yachts by length, is a table of the world's longest active superyachts, with an overall length of at least and up.
These boats are also known as "megayachts", "gigayachts" and even "terayachts", usually depending ...
*
List of large sailing yachts
This article lists active sailing yachts in excess of in sparred length. This list features vessels with sails which were classed as yachts when they were launched as well as any vessels which were subsequently converted to operate with sails and ...
*
List of sailboat designers and manufacturers
This is a list of notable sailboat designers and manufacturers, which are described by an article in English Wikipedia. Sailboat design and manufacturing is done by a number of companies and groups.
Notable designers
Sailboat designer articles ...
References
Further reading
*
{{refend
External links
Alphabetical list of "luxury yachts"
Boat types
Yachts
Luxury