Yacht Types Explained: Motor, Sailing, Catamaran or Explorer?
'Yacht' covers wildly different vessels — and the right one depends entirely on how you want your time onboard to feel.
Before you compare yachts, two questions matter more than length, brand or year: how do you want your time onboard to feel, and how does that fit your life? A motor yacht and a sailing yacht of the same size offer almost opposite experiences. Here are the four main types, who each one suits, and how to know which is yours.
The motor yacht — space, speed, effortless comfort
The classic superyacht: generous interiors, stable at anchor, quick between destinations, and room for every toy and tender. If you want comfort, entertaining space, and the ability to cover ground without fuss, this is usually the answer.
Modern motor yachts run from 25m owner-operated yachts up to 100m+ floating estates. The category is broad, but they share an emphasis on volume, cabin comfort and silent, stable cruising.
Best for families, entertaining, and those who want the destination more than the sailing itself.Our founder, on the water
The sailing yacht — the romance of being under sail
Quieter, more elegant, and for many the purest way to be at sea. A sailing yacht trades a little interior volume for the magic of moving with the wind. Modern ones still offer beautiful comfort — with soul.
There's a particular pleasure in a long, silent passage under canvas that no motor yacht can replicate. If you've sailed before, you'll know exactly what we mean.
Best for those who love the act of sailing itself, not just the places it takes you.Our founder, on the water
The catamaran — stability, space, shallow bays
Two hulls mean remarkable stability under way and at anchor, wide living spaces that feel far bigger than the equivalent monohull, and a shallow draft that reaches anchorages other yachts can't.
Increasingly the choice for families and groups who want space and calm without the scale (or budget) of a large motor yacht.
Best for families and groups who prioritise steadiness, sociable space, and quiet coves.Our founder, on the water
The explorer — built to go where others can't
Rugged, long-range, often ice-capable — explorer yachts are made for serious adventure: Antarctica, the Arctic, the remote Pacific, Raja Ampat. They carry more fuel, more toys, more spare capacity, and the structural strength to take you genuinely off the map.
Best for true expedition travel — the polar regions and the places beyond the brochure.Our founder, on the water
There's no best yacht. Only the right one for you.
The type matters far less than the fit. The real question isn't 'which is best?' — it's 'how do you want your time onboard to feel?' Answer that honestly, and the right yacht almost chooses itself.
Talk to the FounderQuick answers
What's the difference between a motor yacht and a superyacht?+
'Superyacht' is loosely used for any luxury yacht above roughly 24m (80ft). Most superyachts are motor yachts, but the category also includes large sailing yachts and explorers. Below 24m, the term 'yacht' is more common than 'superyacht'.
Is a catamaran better than a monohull for families?+
Often yes. Catamarans heel far less, offer more deck and saloon space for the size, and split cabins between two hulls for privacy. Sailing purists still prefer a monohull's feel under sail, but for family weeks in warm island waters, a catamaran is hard to beat.
Do I need a sailing yacht to enjoy actual sailing?+
Yes, in any meaningful sense. Motor yachts and catamarans can sail (catamarans well), but if the experience of being under canvas — the silence, the heel, the wind in the rigging — is what draws you, only a true sailing yacht delivers it.
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