Types of yachts

Today we want to touch upon the important issue from the “sailing laity” point of view. Many people who are not so familiar with the navigation know how a typical yacht looks like and what it is for. However, not everyone knows the numerous differences between their specific types.Yachts can be divided according to many parameters, such as the type of device, the material from which they are made of, or their functional type. People who are fond of sailing often have their own strictly defined preferences in this regard, which are the result of their habits and needs. Yachting adventure is the study of sailing world from its scratches, including technical and commercial vessels, which provides a lot of useful knowledge during a yacht charter. Given that a yacht data base provided by a YACHTIC website is so extensive, knowing the classifications and yachts subdivision, we can choose a yacht that best corresponds to our expectations and needs by ourselves. We want to clarify this issue a little bit and answer the question “what are the types of yachts?”.

According to the type of drive

The main yacht division is the classification, according to a type of drive. There are sailing yachts and motor yachts. As their names indicate, sailboats are controlled by the wind power caught in the sails, and their skillful control, and motor yachts by the power of a mechanical engine attached to the boat. People (although sometimes by mistake) used to divide the “motor boats” into floating and sliding. They can also be divided, according to the types of energy sources used to control them. We can distinguish the category of exhaust gases here, that is. driven by gasoline, methanol or diesel fuel, as well as the category of electricity, that is, occurring with the help of batteries or solar panels. Such vessels can also be distinguished, according to the mounting method of the engine. Some of them have built-in engines on a regular basis, while others, in their turn, have so-called outboard engines. You will find a short summary about the different types of yachts in a post “Sailing yacht, motor yacht, catamaran or maybe gulet?”.

Jakie sa rodzaje jachtow

According to the waters they sail in

Yachts very often are also classified, according to their use. Yachts sailing in lakes and rivers are called internal yachts, yachts sailing in the seas are sea yachts (separating bays, coastal zone), and the yachts that sailors take on long cruises in an open ocean are called ocean yachts.

According to the material they are made of

Yachts, of course, differ in the material they have been built of. Although, generally, it is of little importance for a chartering person, you should know the main classification most often applied for yachts, such as: wooden, plywood, metal (mainly for marine yachts), rubber (plastic with a blastomer or elastomer), veneer (from psoriasis of noble species of wood) and composite (from fiberglass, coal, boric or epoxy, polyester).

Typy jachtow

According to their purpose

One more way to divide yachts is according to their purpose. The most common yachts, touristic or touristic-regatta. They are convenient, comfortable and well equipped, and at the same time, they provide very good speed for a sportier sailing. In addition, regatta yachts can be singled out (built in the inside and outside in order to achieve the best possible speed) and training yachts (internal equipment in this case is of secondary importance. They should be simple, safe and easy to “operate” with, so one can find out as much as it is possible).

Jakie sa typy jachtow

We can also single out multi-way yachts, such as catamarans, trimarans and quadrarans. Gulets, i.e. wooden motor ships, are also a separate category. If you are afraid of the sound of these words, do not worry, we will explain what they stand for!

Catamaran

Catamarans consist of two interconnected hulls. They are very fast, but also stable. Chartering a catamaran, you get the opportunity to sail in very shallow places, which is especially useful in case of anchoring and exploring pristine bays. Medium-sized ballast yachts are not able to sail in such shallows due to its draught. Catamarans also have a very high surface and incredible stability, which makes them an ideal option for people who are afraid of continuous reeling during a cruise. You can find out more about the catamaran in the post: What makes catamarans different?

Czarter katamaranów

Trimaran

Trimaran is, in other words, a three-component ship, i.e. a sailing yacht with three hulls. As for the speed reached by trimarans, it is a little bit lower than that of catamarans, but the interior of this yacht type is usually more convenient one. Their main disadvantage is their width. They are so large that it is sometimes difficult for sailors to find a free space in a port, and fees are usually higher than for single yachts.

Jacht trzykadłubowy

LoeReal 60 foot Waterworld trimaran, photo by D. Ramey Logan

Gulet

Gulets are wooden motor vessels. Their prototype is traditional Turkish merchant ships. Gulets, simply put, are their luxurious cues. Their advantage is great travel comfort and the size, much more than in classic yachts. The size of the gulets varies from a dozen to 30-something meters. They are steered by sails as well as motors. The most common gulets are, however, controlled only by the engine. These vesssels are most commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea, especially in Turkish waters.

Turecki gulet

In addition to the above-mentioned types of vessels, we can find many more, but this is a topic for a separate post. This basic dose of knowledge should be enough for you to have a good start. We recommend you to come back for more information, because on sailing topics we can write and write!

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  1. David Hemsworth says:

    This informative piece of writing is simply amazing. It cleared all my doubts and queries about yachts. Thank you for sharing. I really appreciate it.

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