On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 19:44:08 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

These days I think that the definition is kind of muddy. The
definition I have heard most often is a vessel 30' or longer
that is used for pleasure or racing. I guess that excludes
workboats, tugboats, pilotboats, etc. I'm sure that exceptions
exists. In my experience a yacht is whatever anybody
chooses to call a yacht. The term has never had any really official
meaning.

Doug
s/v (Yacht) Callista

"Parallax" wrote in message
. com...
An aquiantance of mine today was introducing me to someone while I was
looking at sailing books at barnes and Nobles and he told the other
guy I had a "yacht" and I was insulted. I told him that rednecks who
drive battered old pickup trucks did not own "yachts" and he replied
that any pleasure boat could be considered a yacht. I replied that by
that definition people in Carabelle should consider themselves as
yachtsmen when they carried a six pack in their oysterboats. So,
whats a yacht?


By the Random House unabridged, 2d edition: "A vessel used for private
cruising, racing, or other noncommercial purpose."

That plainly includes all Sunfish, Optimist, etc. and excludes "World
Yacht" dinner boats, and the like.

The OED (1928) seems to exclude vessels powered by oars.

5-0-5, Star, Soling, Finn are all yachts in the purest sense.




Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a


Does one child rape really change Strom Thurmond's lifetime record?
For better or worse?