Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Superyacht Industry, Builders and Brokers glossary

Vocabulary of the superyacht sector’s builders and brokerage: custom steel and aluminum yards such as Abeking and Rasmussen, Admiral Yachts and Acico, their flagship deliveries, the agents handling clearance and provisioning, and the design, deck-layout and charter terminology used in the construction, sale and operation of large pleasure craft.

398 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

A and R: Common short form for Abeking and Rasmussen, the Lemwerder, Germany yard founded in 1907.
Abeking and Rasmussen: Privately owned Lemwerder yard that built Aviva, Excellence, Cloudbreak, and the SWATH Silver Cloud.
Acico Yachts: Kuwaiti owned holding that previously owned the Turquoise Yachts brand in Istanbul.
Admiral Yachts: The Italian Sea Group brand producing custom steel and aluminum yachts up to 80 m at La Spezia.
Aft deck: Open deck at the stern of a yacht used for al fresco dining and tender boarding.
Agent: A locally appointed firm that handles port clearance, provisioning, and berth booking for visiting yachts.
Aircraft hangar: Garage compartment fitted on yachts such as Eclipse and Serene to house an Airbus or Sikorsky helicopter.
Alia Yachts: Turkish builder in Antalya producing custom aluminum and steel superyachts.
Alloy Yachts: Defunct Auckland, New Zealand sailing yacht builder that delivered Mondango 3 and Vertigo before closing in 2015.
Amels: Dutch superyacht builder in Vlissingen, part of the Damen group, known for its Limited Editions range.
Amels 180: Best selling Limited Edition platform, 55 m, designed by Tim Heywood with a semi-custom interior.
Anchor Handling: Deployment and recovery of ground tackle, beach gear, and mooring spreads.
Andrew Winch: British yacht and aviation designer, founder of Winch Design (London).
Antibes: Quai des Milliardaires in Antibes, France is the historic Mediterranean home berth for crewed superyachts.
Antigua Charter Yacht Show: Annual December trade-only show at Falmouth and English Harbour for the Caribbean charter fleet.
Aquarius (Royal Huisman): 56 m ketch delivered in 2017, designed by Dykstra Naval Architects.
Arcadia Yachts: Naples builder of solar paneled motoryachts in the Sherpa and A series ranges.
Arrow Yachts: New small builder backed by Hong Kong investors targeting 40 to 60 m semi-custom yachts.
Astilleros Armon: Spanish shipbuilder in Asturias known for ocean-going tugs and offshore vessels.
Astondoa: Santa Pola, Spain builder founded in 1916, producing motoryachts up to 121 feet.
Atlantic Yacht and Ship: Fort Lauderdale brokerage and yacht management firm.
Aviva: 98.4 m Abeking and Rasmussen delivered in 2017 to Joe Lewis, fitted with a full sized padel court.
Azimut: Avigliana, Italy based builder, the largest unit of Azimut Benetti Group, with the Grande, Magellano, and S series.
Azimut-Benetti Group: Italian group combining Azimut Yachts (production) and Benetti (custom superyachts), one of the largest yacht builders by volume.
Azzam: 180 m Lurssen-built motor yacht delivered 2013 for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, long the world's longest private yacht.

B

B.Yond: Benetti steel displacement series, including 37M and 47M models.
Bagliettino: Historical small craft brand within Baglietto, no longer active.
Baglietto: La Spezia, Italy yard founded 1854, now part of Gavio Group, building T Line and DOM series motoryachts.
Bahamas Maritime Authority: BMA, the flag administration headquartered in Nassau with offices in London, Hong Kong and New York.
Baltic Yachts: Finnish high-performance sailing-yacht builder based in Jakobstad, founded 1973.
Bannenberg & Rowell: London-based interior design studio, successor to Jon Bannenberg's pioneering yacht practice.
Bareboat Charter: Demise charter under which the charterer becomes disponent owner.
Bareboat registration: Dual flag arrangement permitting an MCA Red Ensign yacht to fly a second flag during charter.
Bareboat registry: Cayman, Marshall Islands, and Malta accept bareboat charter registration for tax structuring.
Beam: Maximum breadth of the ship.
Beneteau Group: French production yacht builder, the world's largest by volume.
Benetti: Italian superyacht builder in Viareggio, founded 1873, part of the Azimut-Benetti Group.
Benetti FB272: Hull number for Luminosity, the 107.6 m hybrid diesel electric flagship delivered in 2020.
Bering Yachts: Antalya, Turkey explorer yacht builder founded by Alexei Mikhailov.
Bilgin Yachts: Turkish builder in Istanbul producing custom steel and aluminum yachts.
Blohm+Voss: Hamburg shipyard with a long history of superyacht builds including Eclipse.
Blue Water Yachting: Antibes based crew agency and yacht management firm.
Bluewater Yachts: Antibes headquartered brokerage and crew training school.
Boat International: London publisher of Boat International magazine and the Global Order Book.
Boatbookings: Online charter platform aggregating central agent listings.
Bond Yachts: Hong Kong brokerage focused on Asian buyers.
Bow thruster: Transverse-tunnel thruster forward for low-speed maneuvering.
Bowsprit: Spar extending forward from the stem for headsails.
Bridge: Navigation control center of a passenger ship.
Broker: intermediary placing risks with underwriters on behalf of the assured.
Builder's Certificate: Statement by the shipyard certifying particulars and first ownership of a newly built ship, used at first registration.
Bureau Veritas: French classification society delegated by some flag States to approve MET programs and issue MLC certificates.
Burger Boat: Manitowoc, Wisconsin builder of aluminum motoryachts up to 200 feet.
Burgess: Global superyacht brokerage and management firm founded 1975 by Nicholas Edmiston and Jonathan Beckett.

C

C and N: Common short form for Camper and Nicholsons International.
Cabin sole: The floor of an interior space, often teak or limestone on superyachts.
Camper and Nicholsons: Founded in 1782 at Gosport, the world's oldest yacht brokerage, with brokerage, charter, and management offices in Monaco, London, and Palm Beach.
Cantiere delle Marche: Ancona, Italy builder of steel and aluminum explorer yachts in the Darwin and Flexplorer ranges.
Cantieri di Pisa: Historical Pisa, Italy yard known for the Akhir series.
Cantieri Navali Codecasa: Viareggio, Italy builder of aluminum motoryachts since 1825, including Tribu and Regina d'Italia.
Cap d'Antibes: French Riviera headland and yachting anchorage adjacent to Antibes.
Captain: Master of a passenger ship, holding overall command and SOLAS responsibility.
Cayman Islands Shipping Registry: CISR, British Red Ensign register based in George Town.
Cayman Yacht Code: Local interpretation of the Red Ensign Yacht Code administered by CISR.
Cecil Wright: London headquartered brokerage founded by Cecil Wright in 2004, known for representing the largest new build orders.
Central agent: The exclusive listing broker for sale or charter of a specific yacht.
Charter rate: The weekly base price for a yacht charter, exclusive of APA expenses and VAT.
Charter season: Mediterranean charter season runs May to September, Caribbean season November to April.
Chartworld Yachts: Athens based charter and management firm.
Christensen Shipyards: US composite-superyacht builder in Vancouver, Washington.
Class society: Recognized Organization issuing IEE, IAPP, and DCS-related certificates on behalf of flag states.
CMN Yachts: Cherbourg, France builder of the Cloudbreak and Slipstream class motoryachts before transition to defense work.
CNB: Bordeaux, France carbon sailing yacht builder owned by Beneteau Group, including the 95 ft and 76 ft semi-custom range.
CNL Argentario: Italian builder of classic style spirit of tradition motoryachts.
Cobra Yacht: Antalya, Turkey builder of custom yachts up to 80 m.
Codecasa: Italian builder in Viareggio specializing in displacement steel and aluminum motor yachts, founded 1825.
Columbus Yachts: Italian Sea Group brand specializing in steel displacement and crossover yachts.
Commercial yacht: Yacht registered for commercial use and compliant with a flag-state large yacht code.
Composite: Hull material blending carbon, glass, and Kevlar fibers with epoxy resin, used by Baltic, Vitters, and Wally.
Crew mess: Dedicated crew dining and lounge area, required under MLC 2006 standards.
CRN: Italian builder in Ancona founded 1963, part of the Ferretti Group, specializing in steel and aluminum custom yachts.
Cruise Ship Code: Lloyd's Register rule set, predecessor to and influence on the Passenger Yacht Code.
Custom yacht: Yacht built to a one off design, as distinct from semi-custom or production.

D

Damen Shipyards Group: Dutch shipbuilder, major supplier of ASD, RSD, ATD, and Stan Tug series.
DAR Group: Architectural consortium occasionally engaged on yacht interiors.
Darwin Class: Cantiere delle Marche explorer series ranging from 24 m to 50 m.
Day rate: See charter day rate.
De Vries Scheepsbouw: Aalsmeer, Netherlands Feadship yard, formally Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw.
Deck head: The yachting term for the ceiling of an interior space.
Delivery voyage: The repositioning passage from builder to owner, typically with reduced manning.
Delta Marine: US custom yacht builder in Seattle, Washington.
Demolition: Final phase of a yacht's life, usually at Aliaga or Alang scrapyards under Hong Kong Convention rules.
Design Q: Birmingham, UK based interior design firm working on Aviva and other large yachts.
Dilbar: 156 m Lurssen-built motor yacht delivered 2016 for Alisher Usmanov, largest by gross tonnage at her delivery.
Displacement (Δ): Mass of water displaced equal to vessel mass at floating equilibrium.
DNV: Det Norske Veritas (DNV); IACS member classification society.
Donald Starkey: London based interior designer known for Tatoosh and Phoenix 2.
Dorries Yachts: Bremerhaven, Germany conversion specialist.
Drettmann Yachts: Bremen, Germany brand using subcontracted hulls for the Explorer range.
Dry dock: Basin pumped dry for hull work.
Dual Class: simultaneous classification with two IACS members under a dual class agreement.
Dubois Naval Architects: Late Ed Dubois's firm, designer of many large Royal Huisman and Vitters sailing yachts.
Dykstra Naval Architects: Dutch sailing-yacht specialist studio based in Amsterdam, known for classic and modern sailing superyachts.

E

East Coast Yacht Sales: US based brokerage.
ECDIS: Electronic Chart Display and Information System per IMO MSC.232(82).
Eclipse: 162.5 m Blohm+Voss-built motor yacht delivered 2010 for Roman Abramovich.
Edmiston: London-headquartered superyacht brokerage and management firm founded 1996 by Nicholas Edmiston.
Engineer: Yacht engineer department, headed by a Chief Engineer holding Y4 to Y1 MCA certification.
Engineless: Sailing yachts designated under specific class notations as auxiliary or sail only.
EQT: Private equity firm that acquired full control of Lurssen in 2024 alongside the founding Lurssen family.
Espen Oeino: Monaco based exterior designer of REV Ocean, Octopus, Serene, Pelorus, Areti, and many other large yachts.
EU VAT: Yachts cruising in EU waters trigger VAT obligations under temporary admission or fully paid status.
Excellence: 80 m Abeking and Rasmussen delivered 2019 to Herb Chambers, designed by Winch Design.
Explorer yacht: Long range, ice strengthened motoryacht class, including yachts like SuRi and Cloudbreak.
Extra Yachts: Italian Sea Group line of crossover motoryachts.

F

F.LIBS: Common short form for Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
Feadship: Dutch superyacht cooperation between Royal Van Lent (Aalsmeer/Kaag) and Royal De Vries (Makkum) with De Voogt Naval Architects.
Feadship 1010: Yard number of Project Sassi, Feadship's largest delivery at 118.8 m.
Felix Sabates: US owner historically associated with several large new builds.
Ferretti Group: Italian group encompassing Ferretti Yachts, Riva, Pershing, Custom Line, CRN, Itama, and Wally.
Ferretti Yachts: Production motoryacht brand of Ferretti Group.
Fincantieri Yachts: Trieste, Italy division of Fincantieri serving the megayacht market, builder of Ulysses and Symphony hulls under the brand.
Finest Yachts: Independent broker network.
Flag of choice: The owner selected registry, commonly Cayman, Marshall Islands, Malta, Isle of Man, or Bahamas.
Flag State Inspector: Surveyor employed or authorized by the flag administration to verify compliance with statutory requirements.
Flat panel display: Pop up television technology used in salons.
Flexplorer: Cantiere delle Marche range with foredeck crane and removable bulwarks.
Florida Yacht Brokers Association: FYBA, the US counterpart to MYBA.
FLY (Flybridge): Open upper steering and lounging deck on smaller motoryachts.
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show: Annual late October show at Bahia Mar, Pier 66, and Las Olas Marina, the largest in-water boat show in the world.
Fraser Yachts: Global brokerage and management firm with offices in Monaco, Fort Lauderdale, and other yachting hubs.
Freeboard: Distance from waterline to freeboard deck, governed by the Load Lines Convention but referenced in SOLAS.
FreshExpressYachts: Crew transfer service brand at certain Mediterranean ports.
Fulk Al Salamah: 164 m Mariotti delivered 2016 to the Sultanate of Oman.
Full custom: Yacht designed from scratch without recourse to a prior platform.

G

G.L. Watson: Naval architecture firm founded 1873, still active in classic yacht refit consultancy.
Gallant Yachts: Smaller specialist broker.
Garage: Compartment housing tenders, jet skis, and water toys, often accessed via a hydraulic transom or side door.
Genova Boat Show: The largest Italian yacht show, held September at Genoa's Fiera del Mare.
Giga yacht: Informal term for yachts above 100 m length overall.
Global Order Book: Annual Boat International publication tracking superyacht new build orders.
Golden Yachts: Greek charter operator running the O'Pari and O'Ptasia.
Greenline Yachts: Slovenian hybrid production builder.
Gross Tonnage: GT, measure of overall internal volume, determinant of statutory certification thresholds.
Gulf Craft: UAE builder in Umm Al Quwain producing the Majesty and Nomad series.

H

Hakvoort: Monnickendam, Netherlands family yard founded 1919, builder of steel displacement yachts to 67 m.
Hatteras Yachts: US sportfishing and motor-yacht builder in New Bern, North Carolina.
Heesen Yachts: Dutch builder in Oss specializing in fast aluminum and steel superyachts.
Helideck: Flight deck on surface combatant sized for embarked helicopter.
Heritage: Important consideration when valuing classic spirit of tradition yachts.
History Supreme: Internet hoax often misreported as a real superyacht; not built.
HMY Yacht Sales: Florida headquartered US brokerage.
Holland Jachtbouw: Defunct Zaandam yard that built sailing yachts including Athena.
Horizon Yachts: Kaohsiung, Taiwan builder of FD and EP series motoryachts up to 50 m.
Hot tub: Standard equipment on most yachts above 50 m, usually placed on sun or owner's deck.
Hub: Major transhipment port served by multiple feeder services.

I

IAG Yachts: Zhuhai, China builder of the Primadonna and Sonship motoryachts.
ICOMIA: International Council of Marine Industry Associations, the global trade body.
IMO Number: Unique seven-digit ship identifier from IHS Markit on behalf of IMO.
Imperial Yachts: Monaco based brokerage and project management firm headed by Evgeniy Kochman, central to many Lurssen new builds.
In-water show: Boat show staged with floating exhibits at a marina rather than indoors.
Inboard: Toward the centerline; on the inside of the ship.
Inox Marine: Sub-supplier of stainless steel deck hardware.
International Yacht Brokers Association: IYBA, US trade association governing brokerage standards.
Isle of Man Ship Registry: IOMSR, British Red Ensign register based in Douglas.
Italian Sea Group: Marina di Carrara holding of Admiral, Tecnomar, Perini Navi, Picchiotti, and Columbus Yachts.
ITC 69: International Convention on Tonnage Measurement 1969, used for GT calculation.
IYC: International Yacht Company, brokerage with offices in Monaco, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Miami.

J

Jachthuis: Dutch word for yacht house, applied historically to several Feadship designs.
John G. Alden: Historical American naval architecture firm.
John Munford: London interior designer known for classic yachts.
Joinery: High end interior cabinetry, often produced by Sinnex, Struik and Hamerslag, or Metrica.
Jongert: Dutch sailing-yacht builder historically based in Wieringerwerf.
JV Smit: Dutch joinery and refit firm.

K

Karpaz Gate Marina: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus marina favored for off season berthing.
KCS International: Subsidiary of Cruisers Yachts.
Keel cooled: Engine cooling arrangement common on explorer yachts.
Ken Freivokh Design: UK based design firm responsible for Maltese Falcon and many Perini Navi interiors.
Knot: One nautical mile per hour.
Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw: Royal title yard of Feadship at Aalsmeer and Makkum, builders of Symphony and Sherpa.

L

Lady Lara: 91 m Lurssen delivered 2015 to Alexander Machkevitch.
Lady M (2013): Palmer Johnson 65 m motoryacht.
Lady Moura: 105 m Blohm+Voss delivered 1990 to Nasser Al-Rashid, with retractable beach club.
Large Yacht Code 3: LY3, the MCA Code of Practice for yachts above 24 m load line length operating commercially up to 3,000 GT.
Large Yacht Code Edition 4: Subsumed into the Red Ensign Group Yacht Code from 2019.
Lateef: 73 m Feadship.
Launch (action): Floating out a hull from build hall to water.
Launch (vessel): A formal naming and launching ceremony, often with a bottle of champagne broken against the bow.
Length overall: Greatest length of the vessel.
Length Waterline: LWL, used in design and stability calculations.
Liberian Registry: LISCR administered open registry issuing STCW endorsements widely accepted in trade.
Limited Editions: Amels semi-custom platform line of 180, 188, 199, 206, and 242 ft yachts.
Lloyd's Register: LR, UK-headquartered classification society and IACS member founded 1760.
Load Line Length: Statutory length used for application of class rules, defined under ICLL 1966.
Lurssen: German shipbuilder, FAC and corvettes for export.
Luxe Yachts: Hong Kong based brokerage.
LY2: Predecessor MCA large yacht code, replaced by LY3 in 2013.
LY3: Current MCA Large Yacht Code, applicable to commercial yachts in MCA flag states.

M

M/Y: Motor Yacht prefix to a yacht name in formal correspondence.
Maiora: Italian production builder, part of Fipa Group.
Maltese Falcon: 88 m Perini Navi Dynarig sailing yacht delivered 2006, currently owned by Pleon Limited.
Mangusta: Sport open motoryacht brand of Overmarine Group, founded in Viareggio in 1985.
Marc Newson: Australian industrial designer who designed the interior of Aquariva and the catamaran Wallypower 118.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency: UK authority issuing notices to mariners covering cable-lay and pipelay operations in UK waters.
Maritime Labour Convention: MLC 2006, governing seafarer working conditions including yacht crew.
Marshall Islands Registry: IRI administered open registry issuing STCW endorsements.
MARTINI Yacht Brokers: Italian regional brokerage.
Master cabin: Owner's stateroom, typically on the main or owner's deck.
MCA: UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, responsible for SOSREP intervention.
Mengi-Yay Yachts: Istanbul, Turkey builder of custom yachts.
Mertcan Yachts: Turkish smaller scale builder.
MGN 280: MCA Marine Guidance Note 280, the original Large Yacht Code now superseded.
MGN 411: MCA helicopter landing area on yachts guidance.
MGN 471: MCA Marine Guidance Note on the Maritime Labour Convention application to yachts.
Miami Yacht Show: Held each February alongside the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show.
Mid ship: Approximately the centerpoint of a yacht's length, often the location of the owner's suite on larger builds.
Milestone yachts: Industry term for yachts that defined an era, including Christina O, Octopus, A, and Eclipse.
MMSI: Maritime Mobile Service Identity, 9-digit per ITU-R M.585.
Moecca: Yacht broker boutique.
Mojo Stumer: US based architectural firm sometimes engaged on yacht interiors.
Monaco Yacht Show: Annual Port Hercules superyacht exhibition since 1991.
Mondomarine: Savona, Italy aluminum motoryacht builder before insolvency and reorganization.
Mooring tax: Various Mediterranean ports impose temporary mooring fees.
Mulder Shipyard: Zoeterwoude, Netherlands yard building the ThirtySix, FortyOne, and Voyager series.
MYBA: The Worldwide Yachting Association, the international brokerage body, headquartered in Genoa.
MYBA Charter Agreement: Industry-standard Mediterranean crewed-yacht charter contract issued by MYBA.

N

Naiad Dynamics: Manufacturer of zero speed stabilizers commonly fitted to superyachts.
Nautilus Yachts: Crewed charter brand.
Naval Architect: Engineer specializing in ship design, often RINA-qualified.
Navetta: Italian term for a steel displacement motoryacht, used by Custom Line and Benetti.
Newport Charter Yacht Show: June trade show in Newport, Rhode Island.
Nobiskrug: German shipyard in Rendsburg that built A (Sailing Yacht A).
Nordhavn: Dana Point, California explorer motoryacht builder up to 120 ft.
Northern Marine: Anacortes, Washington passagemaker yacht builder.
Northrop & Johnson: US brokerage and charter firm founded 1949 in Fort Lauderdale.
Notation: Class society descriptor such as Tug, Escort Tug, Fire Fighting Ship 1, or Salvage Tug.
NR 500: Bureau Veritas rule note for yacht classification.
NR 600: Bureau Veritas rule for hull structure of steel ships.
Nuvolari Lenard: Treviso, Italy design studio founded by Carlo Nuvolari and Dan Lenard, designer of Palladium, Sycara V, and Quantum Blue.

O

Oasis class: Royal Caribbean class introduced 2009, lead ship 226,838 GT.
Oceanco: Dutch superyacht builder in Alblasserdam owned by Mohammed Al Barwani.
Octopus: Cephalopod of the order Octopoda with eight arms.
Officer of the watch: Bridge officer monitoring the conduct of the ship while the pilot advises.
Oilfield support vessel conversion: Source for some explorer yacht refits.
One-off: Synonym for full custom yacht.
Open registry: Flag state with open access to foreign owners.
Overmarine: Pisa, Italy parent group of Mangusta, founded by the Balducci family.
Owner's deck: Deck level dedicated to owner accommodation and private terrace.

P

PA (Public Address): Onboard PA system required by class.
Pacific Mariner: US production builder under Westport.