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| Sailing Yacht - Photo: MaxPixel |
A little piece of trivia about yachting that is fun to bring out if you are enjoying an afternoon on a friend's yacht is that the word "yacht" is actually Dutch and it original spelling is "Jacht". The translation of the original word is "hunt" because the yacht was created to give the Dutch naval vessels a tool to hunt down pirates in shallow water. But these days we are far more interested in chasing the good life on board a luxury yacht than going after pirates.
It didn’t take long for yachting to become a lifestyle choice for those that could afford such luxury. It is fascinating that yachting was enjoyed as far back as the early 1800s where there are references in history that King Charles II was a huge yachting enthusiast. So we are in good company if we have come to love yachting too and its small wonder that it makes us feel like kings and queens when we are on board a luxury yacht cruising entirely for our pleasure.
Today when you think of the word "yacht", you almost always associate it with private boats kept for the pleasure of those who can afford a large seafaring ship dedicated to relaxation, romance, and pleasure. That image is wonderfully displayed in the delightful movie Some like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis in which Tony yells the sexy "Sugar" played by Marilyn that he is waiting for a signal from his wine steward on board his yacht for the time to return from the beach for cocktails. Who of us doesn’t get a kick out of that kind of lifestyle and we jump at the chance to enjoy it even if it's just for a few weeks each year on holiday or vacation?
When you start to think about the kind of yacht you wish to buy or charter, you have a few decisions to make. For one thing, you can buy a sailing or motorized yacht. Sailing seems so natural and you don’t have to carry as much fuel (although a good sailing yacht will still have some ability to get to shore using a motor so you are never in danger of being stranded). Also what a wonderful way to pass the morning watching the crew of your yacht put up and maneuver the sails to get you surfing the winds at sea and letting them take you along.
A yacht is almost always a large boat except perhaps if it is devoted to racing. But for luxury and relaxation, having plenty of space on the yacht is important. If you are going to buy a new yacht, you should walk the boat over many times and picture different ways you will entertain family and friends and be sure you have plenty of accommodations not only for the largest party you might take with you to sea but also for a good sized crew you will have along to care for the yacht itself as well as for you and your guests. Your chef should have an ample kitchen with room for plenty of provisions if you want to stock the yacht for several days or weeks at sea. And there should be the proper facilities to store fine wines and other beverages for your wine steward to work with during your voyage.
By making sure your yacht is well designed for the lifestyle you want during your outings, you will get lots of good use from it each year. And if you are going to charter, you can look forward to bringing your same high standards to picking just the right yacht, captain and crew each time as well so your adventure at sea is just as enjoyable and luxurious as you always wanted it to be.
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