Yachts, I Don't Get It
I acknowledge my bias in this opinion piece. There is no hiding it, the truth will out, and out it comes. If you have thin skin and love yachting, this is not a read you are going to like. And there will be name calling—so be warned. To be clear, when I use the word yacht, I am not referring to sailing yachts and sailing enthusiasts, but the likes of motor yachts, only-run-their-mouth-about sailing-pretenders, and party yachters.
I absolutely do not get the whole yacht idea. Why would you even want to own a yacht? Even if it simply were for the sake of showing off your wealth, I do not get it. Why a yacht? They look clumsy in their ugliness of pretending to be a boat. They are so far from the romantic ideal of sailing as can be, and there is nothing piraty about them. There are so many other and cooler things one could own to show the world that you are rich and not come off as a douchebag. I do not know what it is, but there is just something about a yacht that screams douchebaggery. You could be the nicest guy in the world yet the fact that you own a yacht would detract from that.
I do not get the fascination with yachts. I have never understood what makes it so special to party on a boat. Why a yacht? WHY??? There is nothing cool about it, on the contrary, the whole concept is tacky and tasteless, it lacks imagination. It just seems so lame. Is that the zenith of a good time? It is so cliché and yestermillenium.
Nothing screams pretentious more than owning a yacht, especially one you do not really use (an overstatement for sure). But, it is not far from the truth. It is pretentious because it is obvious you do not like sailing for its own sake. Let’s face the facts, a yacht is not for sailing. People who love sailing own a sailing yacht, and they go sailing regularly. They do not have their sailboat tied to the marina 365 days a year. And for the record, cruising in a motor yacht is not sailing. Yachts are for people who are not sailors. It is not the sea or sailing they like, it is merely the romantic ideas the sea connotes that attract if not just to stingingly flaunt their wealth at sea.
Perhaps my own romantic notion about sailing has something to do with my dismay for motor yachts and the piracy of the vessel to turn it into a profane platform for stupid parties and assholic swagger. My knowledge on sailing is close to zero, but my very limited experience informs my, perhaps, childishly dreamy impression of yacht sailing which is nothing alike that of motor yachts. The culture around sailing enthusiasts is centered on the pleasure derived from the act of sailing, the sailing yacht, the sea, the camaraderie among the crew. There is nothing pretentious about it. Owning a sailing yacht or a sailboat for that matter is a big deal in terms of maintenance, team members, and actual sailing. The keyword is sailing, not mooring. If you only talk about sailing, you are not a sailor: you are a talker and has no business owning a boat.