How does life on a yacht look like during a cruise?

One of the main questions asked by beginners can be formulated as follows: “Where do people sleep, how they eat, and how do they go to the toilet on a yacht?” In other words: “How does life on a yacht look like?” For those who have never been on such trips, it is hard to imagine how 8 or 10 people can get along on a board of a small 12-meter boat. Therefore, our article is devoted to the description of the way of life on a yacht. How cabins look like? What you can find there? Where is the kitchen, dining room, and toilet? How the usual life on such a ship looks like?

Immediately, we should note that here we consider a cruising yacht, since a racing yacht is a sports vessel, and it is not intended for tourist cruises.

In short, we can say that a yacht is a mobile micro-hotel, which has all the necessary components for basic comfort. We can say that this is a small but thoughtful house, which has individual bedrooms (cabins), a living-room (saloon), a cook room (kitchen), as well as bathrooms and showers. Besides, there are common areas where you can spend your free time – a deck, a cockpit, and its rear platform.

Inside a cabin

Cabins are located in the forward part of a boat. In most cases, they are intended for two people. And for a single person there is pretty much space here. The height of the ceilings on a yacht is approximately the same as that we are used to in our buildings. That is, you can walk normally in full height. Every square centimeter of a yacht’s area is thought out. The space is as much functional as possible, so there is really not much space in the cabins, but still enough for normal movement. Everything is simple here: the larger is a yacht (external sizes), the more free space is there in cabins, in a cook room on a cockpit, etc., but it is quite enough of it even on small ships.

Besides a bed, a cabin has bedside tables and lockers where you can leave your belongings during a trip. There is also a fire extinguisher in a cabin and your personal rescue kit in case of an accident. Besides, a yacht has centralized electricity and standard 12 V and 220 V sockets (220 V only works when a yacht is in the marina and is connected to the mains, the rest of the time it is powered by 12V batteries), so you can charge your phone, computer, or other electrical equipment here. Basically, people sleep and rest in cabins, and spend their free time on a deck, on a cockpit, or in other common areas. At first glance, it seems that life on a yacht is rather unusual, but in fact, you can quickly get used to it.

Saloon and a cook room

The central part of a yacht is the most spacious area. There is a saloon and a kitchen (cook room) here. Very often they are combined and this is the largest premise on board. All passengers on board can gather for a common meal in a saloon. There are several saloons to make the guests more comfortable on the yachts of large size.

As for a cook room on a yacht, everything is very compact and ergonomic here. Like in the cabins, but at the same time, there is everything you need. Just like in a regular kitchen. In any case, a cook room will have a stove, refrigerator, sink, shelves for placing food, dishes, and other kitchen utensils. As for the water supply, every yacht has a freshwater tank. It is quite large, but not limitless.

A standard supply of 250-500 liters should be enough for everyone for a couple of days. Including a shower (water supplies can be replenished in marinas). Therefore water on board should be used very sparingly. Since a yacht may heel noticeably while underway and the sea may be a little stormy, everything on board should be well-secured. The boxes should be closed. But special fasteners are provided for the kettle and pans even in a strong storm. So that nothing flies around while you are cooking.

Other amenities

Now, it’s time to talk about the main thing! 🙂 Any yacht has a toilet, or rather several toilets and showers. Usually, when they design a boat, they make one bathroom for every two passengers. A toilet on the ship is rather complicated since it is pumped directly into the sea and works not with fresh, but with saltwater. That is why a toilet works only in the open sea. Several miles from the coast to be precise. It is strictly forbidden to use it when parked in the marina. It is very important to remember two rules here:

• You are not allowed to throw toilet paper into the toilet. Its structure is not intended for such use and will quickly clog. Of course, no one wants to clean a clogged toilet. Besides, and it’s not a cheap deal.
• Do not leave a toilet flush valve open for a long time. In this case, saltwater will overflow a toilet and spill onto the floor. To prevent this from happening, follow the simple instructions. They are described on special plates right there.

A shower on a yacht also has some features. It turns on and off like a shower in a bathroom familiar to everyone. It also has hot water, but you have to remember to pump out the water. So as not to stand in it up to your waist. After the process is complete, pump everything out completely. The drain button is used for this. Since it may even be on the floor, it is better to find it in advance. So that you do not look for it later.

Also, there is a skipper’s workplace onboard. As well as a navigator’s workplace with special equipment, alarm systems, and ship steering systems. Very often during cruises, passengers are offered entertainment. They hold a master-class in yacht handling. So you can also get the basic skill of working with this equipment.

It seems that everything is very small and life on a yacht is inconvenient. But this is not at all the case. Even despite the compactness, you can move around normally and use all devices and systems. If you cannot live without free space, it is better to rent a catamaran. With a similar length, everything will be larger and more spacious there. By at least 50%, but you will have to pay extra for this. A catamaran costs about 50% more than a yacht.