Superyachts and Schooners

According to a report I read, there are more than 5,500 superyachts in the world — these are private vessels over 100’- long. I read that Jeff Bezos had one built in the Netherlands that’s 500’-long, or cost 500 million dollars, I forget which — maybe both. Superyachts are not boats, but ships, which I believe is the proper definition of a vessel big enough to carry one or more boats on board. I imagine carrying a helicopter would qualify as well.

I only got through college because I had a full scholarship provided by the U.S. Navy, but I had a friend there whose family was very rich, and he invited me once with some others on a cruise from Cape May, New Jersey, to Newport, Road Island, on his family’s 60’-long schooner. (Schooner rigs are particularly beautiful for some reason.) There was a permanent crew of two guys, though my friend and the other guests were all experienced sailors, so we acted as crew too. I thought that this boat (we never referred to it as a ship) was as beautiful to look at, be on, and sail, as anything that floats could be. I can’t imagine anyone wanting a superyacht in its place.