Boat and Yacht are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is difference between a boat and a yacht, which will be addressed here in detail. The nature of language is such that new words are introduced every day in order to define new inventions and findings of the mankind. Because of this, the definition of certain things too can alter over time. The difference between boat and Yacht is one such thing. Boat and Yacht are both marine vessels, which can be placed under the category of boats. Boat is a generic name whereas yacht is a special kind of a boat that is used for luxury pleasure cruising.
What is a Boat?
A boat is a small craft designed to carry anything-from people to animals and cargo across a body of water such as a lake or the sea. The term boat is typically used as a generic term for any small marine vessel under which many watercrafts can be categorized. A boat can refer to a motorized watercraft, for example, a speedboat or it can also be as basic as a dinghy. Its sole purpose is to float and serve as a means of transportation on water.
What is a Yacht?
There exists in the world today, a certain type of boat that has been designed for recreational and leisure purposes. This is the yacht, a high-end watercraft built for luxury and usually owned by the affluent. Today, a yacht is a symbol of wealth since one has to be in possession of a significant amount of wealth in order to own and maintain a yacht. Yachts can be of varying sizes and varying types such as day sailing yachts, weekend yachts, luxury sailing yachts,etc.However,what many may not know is that this vessel was invented and first used by the Dutch to hunt pirates, thus the name (yacht was derived from the Dutch word Jacht, which means hunt).
What is the difference between Boat and Yacht?
Boat and yacht are two terms that are sometimes used interchangeably and in certain contexts, it may be correct to do so. However, in the popular context, boat and yacht refer to two very different things and one must make sure that the two terms are used in the correct context.
• A boat is any small watercraft designed for transport purposes on water. A yacht is a luxury watercraft that falls under the category of boat.
• A boat is used for a myriad of purposes such as the transportation of people, goods and even for commercial purposes such as fishing. A yacht is used solely for luxury and recreational purposes.
• Boats are owned by many including ordinary people to fishermen. Yachts are a symbol of wealth since one has to be sufficiently wealthy in order to own a yacht.
Image Courtesy: Dennis Jarvis (CC BY-SA 2.0), Robert Pittman (CC BY-ND 2.0)