Do you have a "yacht "or a "sailing boat"?

Rappey

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In general "marine chat" its always "what boat do you have"? Ive never heard "what yacht do you have" and if i did i would think it more likely to come from someone that knows absolutely nothing about boats ?
When much much younger i use to perceive a yacht as a sailing boat ie model yacht or model ship, but both now appear very general terms.
 

HenrikH

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I tend to more consider age/looks rather than size when contemplating whether something's a yacht or a sailboat.

Older / classic lines: yacht
Modern / more 'boxy' lines: sailboat

At home, refer to Koeketiene as 'the boat'.
Fully agree - tends to link to the freeboard - a mystery why modern AWB have headroom for 10” high crew?
 

Refueler

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In general "marine chat" its always "what boat do you have"? Ive never heard "what yacht do you have" and if i did i would think it more likely to come from someone that knows absolutely nothing about boats ?
When much much younger i use to perceive a yacht as a sailing boat ie model yacht or model ship, but both now appear very general terms.

Due no doubt to many of the people I have to meet and their 'own' circumstances ... they often ask what Yacht I have when they find out I am a 'boat-owner.
Some of them own yachts that I am sure I can say outshines literally all on this forum !! My 25ftr only comes in similar size to their 'tender' !!

The interesting thing is though ... when they understand I have an old 1970's Tupperware Motor Sailer ... often they voice they would be interested to sail her ... and some in fact have.
Subsequent meetings later - they often remark on having a great time and wish to do again ...
 

Chiara’s slave

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Due no doubt to many of the people I have to meet and their 'own' circumstances ... they often ask what Yacht I have when they find out I am a 'boat-owner.
Some of them own yachts that I am sure I can say outshines literally all on this forum !! My 25ftr only comes in similar size to their 'tender' !!

The interesting thing is though ... when they understand I have an old 1970's Tupperware Motor Sailer ... often they voice they would be interested to sail her ... and some in fact have.
Subsequent meetings later - they often remark on having a great time and wish to do again ...
Sailing is fun no matter what the boat. The art is simply to get the best out of her, however it’s achieved. Just for you though, here’s a small yacht picking up her mooring at Yarmouth by the long established technique. The pickup buoy is towed under by the tide, no boathook can take the strain, so here’s a chap in his late 70s doing that thing. People in their 20s do exactly the same
IMG_6508.jpeg
 
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Daydream believer

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Is it a peculiarly British thing, this fear of being thought pretentious?

I mean, does it really matter what people think about trivial things when there are far more important things that ought to be being thought about; and talked about?
Ok, so can you please explain why we are not discussing the colour of my fence instead of this rubbish
 

justanothersailboat

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It's an irregular noun. I have a yacht; you have a boat; he has a MAB.

On the other hand the verb is irregular too. I mess around in boats, you go sailing, that snobby chap goes yachting.

Seriously though, I agree that "yacht" has something of a snob problem and that this is closely connected to J Public having no idea what a sail is and associating yachts with helipads and oiligarchs.

Personally, I call my MAB "a boat" to sailors and "an old caravan with a sail on top" to the uninitiated :-D
 

Koeketiene

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It's an irregular noun. I have a yacht; you have a boat; he has a MAB.
Very relatable.
In the deepest dark of Winter, and the invoices come in, and my other half is in one of her 'moods', it's your boat.
However, when it's Summer, and she has topped up her tan whilst out sailing, it's our yacht.
 
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