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Meaning of yacht in English

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• They spent their annual holiday on a chartered yacht in the Caribbean .
• He spent three days adrift on his yacht.
• His eyes were fixed on the distant yacht.
• If they can afford a yacht, they must be rolling in it.
• She sailed around the world single-handed in her yacht.
• cabin cruiser
• dragon boat
• rubber dinghy

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What is a Yacht?

A yacht does not have to meet any specific requirements to be considered a yacht. For our purposes a yacht is any recreational boat of around 30 feet or more that includes at least one cabin and is used for cruising or racing. This definition is not a hard and fast rule to go by as there is no settled definition for the word at all or what specifically makes a boat into a yacht.

Because a yacht is not a specific type of easily identified vessel like a pontoon boat or a fishing boat, we’ll cover the features of what makes a yacht worthy of the name so make it easier for you to identify one in the wild.

Defining What a Yacht Is

The difficulty in defining the term “yacht” is that, unlike the specific vessels mentioned above, a yacht is more of a description than a type. Yachts can be sailboats or motorboats, center console boats, house boats or any other kind of vessel that meets the generally accepted size and feature expectations of a yacht.

The definition I gave above includes a few key points:

• A yacht is a recreational boat
• A yacht is 30 feet long or more
• A yacht has at least one cabin
• A yacht is used for cruising or racing

This description allows you to weed out some things such as:

• Boats under 30 feet which most recreational boats are
• Specific purpose boats like commercial fishing vessels, barges, tugboats
• Most pontoon boats, speed boats for racing, jon boats and recreational fishing boats

Reaching a Definition

Usually when people think of yachts they’re thinking of a medium to large vessel that is well appointed and higher end with a lot of luxury features. The word evokes a sense of value and expense. We consider a yacht to be an expensive boat.

Yachts can be very similar to a cabin cruiser or day sailing boats , but the difference seems to be in size and what may be included above and beyond a “normal” boat. For these reasons, “yacht” as a term is sometimes hard to define and definitions will not be consistent from one source to another.

Motor Yacht Vs. Sailing Yacht

The initial definition of yacht that we provided doesn’t specify if a yacht is a boat that requires wind power to move or an engine. But the fact is that a yacht can be a sailing vessel or a powered vessel and either one can still qualify as a yacht.

Motor Yacht

The power source for a motor yacht is an engine. Some yachts are hybrid vessels which can run under sail but also have a backup engine in case of emergencies or if the wind is not reliable. These are sometimes called motorsailers.

Motor yachts are considered leisure vessels more often than sailing yachts due to how they work. A motor yacht takes less skill to operate than a sailing yacht.

Sailing Yacht

Sailing yachts run strictly on wind power. Most larger sail boats with cabins could be considered yachts. Many boaters still consider a sailing yacht a boat for people who are more adventurous and a little wild as they represent that idea of cutting loose at sea.  A sailing yacht is harder to operate than a motor yacht and requires more skill.

A motor yacht is going to get you where you want to go faster than a sailing yacht. That’s not to say these aren’t fast sailing vessels as modern yachts can reach great speeds, but they are still at the mercy of the wind. For that reason you’ll often see far more motor yachts around than sailing yachts as they tend to be more convenient for most boaters.

Motor yachts have no concrete average speed thanks to numerous factors that go into what makes a yacht. The largest yacht in the world is nearly 600 feet long. Obviously a boat of this size has many variables that will affect its speed compared to a 60 foot yacht. That said, yachts of any size tend to have cruising speeds that range from 20 mph to 30 mph.

Because a sailing yacht is powered by wind only it will be slower, on average, than a motor yacht. Sailing yachts often reach speeds of just 5 mph to around 10 mph. The size and construction of the vessel, its weight, and the skill of the captain can all affect these numbers.

A motor yacht has to make space for an engine room, which can get quite huge especially on large yachts. Space is also needed for fuel tanks. On some mega yachts they have fuel tanks that can hold over a million liters of fuel, which is absolutely staggering and requires a large portion of the vessel.

Motor yachts are more likely to devote space to luxury amenities like hot tubs or even swimming pools. The largest motor yachts have multiple luxury cabins, helipads, tenders, gyms and more. Some motor yachts can have up to 8 decks. You can expect a motor yacht at 150 feet to have around 50% or more space available than the exact same length in a sailing yacht. 

Sailing yachts can be designed smaller than motor yachts because they don’t need engine or fuel space. So a smaller sailing yacht can hold as many passengers as a larger motor yacht without sacrificing comfort or luxury. A sailing yacht is going to have a smaller and probably narrower structure than a motor yacht.

Sailing yachts often offer comfortable cabins but usually have few hotel-like luxuries on board.  A sailing yacht needs a lower profile to function properly. They will have fewer decks as well.

Motor yachts lend themselves more towards really having fun at sea. These are true recreational vessels. This is owing to the fact motor yachts are more likely to have tender garages and include jet skis and other equipment for getting out and having fun. 

Motor yachts also tend to be the ones that are more outfitted like small resorts. You can find dance floors, bars, swimming pools, jacuzzi tubs, gyms and more on some big luxury yachts. At some point they really start to look like small cruise ships. With the extra decks and of course because they don’t have masts in the way, there’s a lot more space for this kind of thing. 

Modern sailing yachts have been designed with more luxury features than older models and it’s not unheard of to find a jacuzzi on a sailing yacht or even a cinema on some, but it’s still a rarity when compared to motor yachts.

Sailing yachts can be used for some more limited type fun at sea – lots of snorkeling, swimming, fishing and so on, just not to the extreme that a motor yacht will do. A lot of the appeal of a sailing yacht is the fact that it’s for sailing, so the act of sailing itself is the draw. Usually people who own and operate sailing yachts want to engage in the activity of sailing, rather than the extra things you might enjoy on a motor yacht.

Cost of Motor Yachts vs Sailing Yachts

Motor yachts are more expensive than sailing yachts. The initial cost can vary widely but it’s the long term costs that nail you. Fuel and maintenance costs over time for a motor yacht will always keep raising the price. The largest motor yachts may cost millions of dollars to buy outright and also have yearly operating costs in the hundreds of thousands or even millions if they are fully crewed. The highest priced yacht in the world has a $1.5 billion price tag.

A sailing yacht continues to coast along at a much lower cost in terms of necessary maintenance. After all, you never need to refuel your sailing yacht. Some smaller yachts may cost under $30,000. 

Yacht Classifications

Yachts are often classified by size. As we defined early, any vessel over 30 feet can potentially be a yacht. But if you are talking about a vessel that is over 400 feet in length, it’s not an accurate picture to use the same term. 

We often classify yachts using common size or metric prefixes. You may have heard the terms “superyacht” and “megayacht.” These are ways of attempting to differentiate between the sizes of yachts because some of these vessels can get massive. The world’s largest yacht, the Azzam, is about 600 feet long. 

Large Yacht

According to the Commercial Yacht Code, a large yacht is any yacht that has reached 79 feet or more. At this size the boat needs to have an actual crew to keep it running. Anything under 79 feet would just be a standard yacht.

Super Yacht

To qualify as a super yacht, a vessel has to be at least 131 feet in length. Obviously this size means it needs a fairly extensive crew and, if it’s not a commercial vessel, it’s probably owned by someone extremely wealthy in order to maintain it. 

The term mega yacht is a bit sketchy which is no surprise given how there’s only a loose definition for the word “yacht” in the first place. Mega yacht and superyacht are often used synonymously. However, for some people, the term mega yacht can only be applied when the vessel reaches at least 200 feet. This doesn’t seem to be a definite rule though so if you hear the term it’s still best to look at the specs of the boat to see what’s being referred to. 

You hear this term a lot less frequently but it’s been tossed around to account for those yachts that would even leave a mega yacht in the dust. After all, if a super yacht is 131 feet and a mega yacht is 200 feet then a yacht like Azzam, at 600 feet, should probably be known by a different term since it’s so much bigger.

Giga yacht is sometimes used to represent these largest yachts. But again, this is an informal label for such a large boat and there are no hard and fast rules about what size a boat has to be in order to be called a giga yacht. In general it just means the biggest of the big. 

Racing Yachts

If the point of the yacht is specifically to be involved in racing, then it will likely be stripped down of many of the more luxurious but unnecessary amenities seen in recreational and cruising yachts. Usually a racing yacht has less space for relaxing or sleeping, for instance, but there are definitely yachts being built that offer a lot of nice features while still being designed to race.

The Bottom Line

There are no distinct rules for the size of a yacht or what it can even do. A yacht can operate under motor power or under sailing and you can use it to race, to just have fun, or for cruising. They can range in size from just 30 feet all the way up to the massive 600 foot Azzam. 

A yacht is a vessel that is fairly luxurious and used recreationally for a variety of purposes. A luxury yacht may be chartered for business or events and come with a full crew while smaller motor powered yachts and sailing yachts tend to be used for pleasure cruising.

My grandfather first took me fishing when I was too young to actually hold up a rod on my own. As an avid camper, hiker, and nature enthusiast I'm always looking for a new adventure.

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How Much Does It Cost To Buy A Yacht?

By Rob Bowman | Posted On Aug 09, 2021 Updated On Dec 12, 2023

If you're new to owning a boat and want to experience the luxury lifestyle, buying a yacht is the perfect way to indulge yourself while also creating unforgettable memories on the water. From anchoring at a secluded island in the Caribbean to cruising the coastline enjoying the fall colors, yacht ownership opens up limitless possibilities to explore the beauty of Mother Nature. It can also create quite the adrenaline rush if a sportfishing boat is more your style. There are many benefits to hiring a professional yacht broker when you plan on buying your first yacht including having someone on your side when evaluating the right price, for the right vessel.

So how much does it cost to buy a yacht on average? In 2021, the average selling price of a yacht is approximately $640,000, with prices ranging from $300,000 to over $15,000,000. This average selling price represents all pre-owned boats from 40-feet to 100-feet, power (not sail), and sold in the Southeastern United States, including the large Florida market. The data collected for this sales price was from the boating industry's MLS system.

This 50-foot flybridge yacht (seen below) was sold around the average selling price mentioned above and is a good example of what you can expect when spending over $500k . It features several bedrooms for overnight trips, a galley, a nice flybridge seating area, and a lot of comforts you would find at home.

A yacht can mean vastly different things to different people depending on their style of boating, where they live, what they plan to do on the boat, and the amount of equipment they choose. A 50-foot yacht can vary in price by several hundred thousand dollars depending on how new it is, its engines, brand, and amenities. Having a conversation about your needs and budget with a professional yacht broker can answer all of these questions and take the guesswork out of your search. 

While the average price of a yacht sold in the Southeast this year is $640,000, buyers can find yachts for less if they are willing to go a bit older and/or a bit smaller.

• According to the list of 2021 sold boats, the average selling price for yachts between 40 and 50 feet was $329,000.
• Yachts under 40 feet are generally called cruising boats and can still feature a lot of the same amenities found on larger vessels.
• How much does a small yacht cost? Examples of active boats on the market right now show a sizeable difference in price depending on the length and year. For example, a 2021 40-foot Intrepid boat is listed for over $800,000 , while a 2011 Intrepid 40 is listed for under $400,000 .

(Seen below: This Cabo 40 would be considered a smaller yacht and is listed for under $375,000.)

The larger, newer, and more extravagant yachts can cost $5 million and higher. Forbes.com identifies a superyacht as a vessel ranging from "79 feet to more than 590 feet in length." The average selling price in 2021 for yachts over 100-feet, according to the industry MLS database, came in at just under $1 million. Of course, there were several superyachts that were between $10 million and $50 million on the list.

A prime example of a superyacht would be " ANTITHESIS ", a Horizon Yachts 136 that had an asking price of $7,990,000 at the time of sale. This superyacht featured 5 luxury staterooms, a pilothouse with full electronics suite, a jacuzzi, sauna, 2 water-makers, 2 generators, and a lot more top-end equipment. Yacht owners looking to cruise long distances or possibly turn the vessel into a yacht charter business would be interested in a boat of this stature.

( Seen below: This Horizon 136 required massive engines that gave it a range of over 1,400 nautical miles. )

The cost of a yacht is not the only cost to consider. Purchasing your new boat is the largest upfront expense, however, there are also the costs of owning a yacht that need to be considered. This is again where hiring an experienced, professional yacht broker can really pay dividends and take a lot of the stress out of the process. Things like insurance, storage, routine maintenance, captain and crew salaries, all need to be factored in to your expectations. We dive into this a bit more in our articles Why Are Boats So Expensive? and What Should I Spend On A Yacht?

Despite the potentially high cost of yacht ownership, it is still an excellent investment in your well-being and will bring countless joyful memories. There is no other recreation in the world that brings families and friends together, while enjoying the wonders of the ocean.

( Seen below: CHIMERA is a 60-foot Hinckley sailing yacht listed for over $1 million. )

While the purchase of sailboats still account for less than 10% of all boats sold, sailing is still a popular past-time which has some very passionate enthusiasts. According to Trade Only Today , in 2019 and 2020 there were more than 1,100 sailboats sold in the United States. As you begin to figure out exactly what type of boating you want to enjoy, as well to learn the advantages and disadvantages of different boat types, you can begin to narrow down the selection process.

Below is the average cost to purchase a small yacht broken out by type :

• Sailboats Over 40': $193,000
• Sailing Catamarans - All Sizes: $361,000
• Power Catamarans - All Sizes: $304,247
• Downeast Yachts - Over 35': $532,240
• Sport Fishing Yachts - Over 40' and in Southeast: $815,500

With so many factors to determine how much it costs to buy a yacht and maintain it, it is in the best interest of boat buyers of this magnitude to speak with a certified professional yacht broker. "Pricing a yacht in this market can be a difficult thing," said Brian T. Franc , CPYB and manager of United's Emerald Coast Division. "Pre-owned prices are definitely inflated due to lack of inventory, but there are still some great opportunities if you are fast and have someone watching the market daily on your behalf. As someone who has been in the yacht brokerage industry for almost 30 years, I can tell you that working with a professional makes a difference. We can tell almost immediately whether a boat is over-priced, what it will likely sell for, and whether or not it is the right boat for your needs.

Other Related Articles Of Interest :

• Can I Sell My Yacht Without A Broker?
• Why Are Sportfishing Yachts So Expensive?
• What Is The Best Time Of Year To Sell A Boat?
• How Much Should I Pay For A Yacht?

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AirYacht reveals radical 52m airship-yacht crossover concept

Flying yachts, once the stuff of our wildest, most outlandish dreams, are slowly inching closer to a reality. As the industry prepares for the 2022 Superyacht Design Festival , BOAT catches up with  Guillaume Hoddé, co-founder of AirYacht, and Franck Darnet, the yacht's designer, to learn more about an exciting concept that's set to take to the skies in 2026...

Swiss company AirYacht has unveiled a radical new concept that marries the flying power of an airship with the luxury amenities of a superyacht.

Capable of flying between 100 to 3,000 metres above the ground with an autonomous cruising time of around one week, the AirYacht's groundbreaking design is composed of two separate modules: a 200-metre helium-filled airship attached to an ultra-lightweight all-carbon 52-metre superyacht residence.  

The three-storey residence can be landed in its entirety or it can deploy a 12-person elevator to allow guests to disembark for a quick stopover.

Each module has its own complement of crew - the airship will have a crew of three and the residence will have a crew of 12. 

The AirYacht is the brainchild of Guillaume Hoddé and Matthieu Ozanne, who founded the company in 2017 and enlisted the design expertise of Franck Darnet , who most recently worked on the exteriors of 63.8 metre Atomic . Born in Nantes and immersed in the world of Vendée Globe racing boats, Darnet has a masterful knowledge of "weight performance" technology that makes him uniquely suited to the challenges of airborne yachts. 

The residence will have the same layout as a superyacht, with three decks, 750 square metres of indoor space and amenities including a gym, sauna, swimming pool and touch and go helipad.

Accommodation is provided for between ten and 12 guests in a five or six-cabin layout. Terraces, which can be used while the AirYacht is both underway and stationary, flank the starboard and port sides and there is an additional 120 square metre terrace-style lounge on the aft. 

Aerodynamic shape and low weight are crucial to the design of the AirYacht. In order to keep the vessel as lightweight as possible, the residence component won’t be fitted with engines. 

This creates additional space and increased flexibility to tailor the interior layout, while also allowing the residence to be built at AirYachts’ own facility without the need for a shoreside shipyard. When the residence is detached and on water, it will be towed by its tenders. 

The AirYacht aims to give passengers the freedom to roam anywhere in the world, from lakes and seas to deserts and mountains. “On a normal superyacht you have to stay at sea. You can’t cross a hill or a mountain,” said Franck Darnet. “Most of the beautiful things that you see on our planet - some of them are next to the shore [...] but a lot of them are inland.”

In order to conceptualise the residence, Darnet had to rethink various different aspects of design. To this end, the crew quarters are in the forward upper part of the residence - in the section that ‘plugs’ into the airship - in order to give the crew to access the airship module.

The AirYacht also features large sections of glazing in the hull that allows passengers to look down, “because the most spectacular things that exist when you are flying are on the floor,” said Darnet. 

While the AirYacht will be able to fly at dizzying heights of around 3,000 metres, the vessel is designed to cruise at heights of between 100 and 200 metres to allow for crystal-clear views of the world unfolding below. 

The AirYacht will require ‘early adopters’ for it to take off - both literally and figuratively. “This isn’t a new ship, or a new yacht or new plane. This is a completely new thing,” said Guillaume Hoddé, co-founder of AirYacht. ‘New concept, new design. It’s like a dream.”

Currently, the AirYacht is powered by hybrid technology. “In ten years, we hope to have a full hydrogen version,” added Hoddé.

The first AirYacht will be able to achieve top speeds of 50 knots and the first unit is due for completion in 2026.

Guillaume Hoddé will be attending the 2022 Superyacht Design Festival to shed more light on the AirYacht and discuss the future of flying-focused yacht designs. The event will be held in Milan from 22-24 June. Tickets are still available to purchase .

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Orcas sink sailing yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain’s maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years.

The vessel Alboran Cognac, which measured 15 metres (49 feet) in length and carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also known as killer whales, at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Sunday, the service said.

The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the ship. After alerting the rescue services, a nearby oil tanker took them onboard and transported them to Gibraltar.

The yacht was left adrift and eventually sank.

The incident is the latest example of  recurring orca rammings  around the Gibraltar Strait that separates Europe from Africa and off the Atlantic coast of Portugal and northwestern Spain.

Experts believe them to involve a subpopulation of about 15 individuals given the designation “Gladis.”

According to the research group GTOA, which tracks populations of the Iberian orca sub-species, there have been nearly 700 interactions since orca attacks on ships in the region were first reported in May 2020.

Researchers are unsure about the causes for the behaviour, with leading theories including it being a playful manifestation of the mammals’ curiosity, a social fad or the intentional targeting of what they perceive as competitors for their favourite prey, the local bluefin tuna.

Although known as killer whales, endangered orcas are part of the dolphin family. They can measure up to eight metres and weigh up to six tonnes as adults.

2 rescued from sinking 80-foot yacht off St. Augustine Beach, Florida

Two people were rescued Saturday after the luxury yacht they were on started sinking three miles off St. Augustine Beach, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.

The boat's operator reportedly told the Coast Guard the 80-foot Atlantis motor yacht took on water after striking an object. St. John's County Fire Rescue said in a Facebook post the yacht struck a dredge pipe piling .

According to the Coast Guard, the yacht's operator activated an emergency position indicating radio beacon which helped validate the vessel’s position.

St. John's County Fire Rescue and St. Augustine Police Department marine units assisted the Coast Guard by responding to the scene and rescuing both occupants from the yacht.

One of the boat's occupants was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries, St. John's County Fire Rescue said.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partner agencies for their invaluable assistance during this case," U.S. Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Ricardo Santacana said.

“With the weather improving and mariners heading out onto the water, it's imperative for everyone to verify the presence of all necessary safety equipment aboard their vessel. This ensures that responders, as demonstrated in this case, can swiftly locate you and render assistance when an emergency arises.”

The boat's owner will arrange salvage, the Coast Guard said.

The incident is under investigation.

Boating accidents in Florida

Florida led the nation in registered boats , with 1,035,911 registered in 2023, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife report.

Collisions with fixed objects were named as the leading cause in 659 boating accidents reported in Florida in 2023. The accidents resulted in 56 fatalities.

More recently, 15-year-old Ella Riley Adler was struck and killed by a boat in a hit-and-run while wakeboarding in Key Biscayne on May 11, 2024.

The driver of the boat was later identified as 78-year-old Carlos Guillermo Alonso , of Coral Gables. Alonso's attorney told USA TODAY he did not know he struck anyone on the water.

Killer whales ram, sink boats: Scientists now may know why, report says

Florida boating safety tips

Florida Fish and Wildlife has these safety recommendations for Florida boaters:

• Wear a life jacket
• Be aware of your surroundings
• Designate a sober driver
• Take a Boating Safety Course
• Check your safety gear
• File a Float Plan
• Watch the Weather
• Stay with the boat
• Report boating violations and dangerous or irresponsible vessel operation to the Wildlife Alert Program .
• Know and follow the rules .

Support local journalism by  subscribing to a Florida news organization .

80-foot yacht sinks off the coast of St. Augustine

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (WSVN) — A relaxing boat day turning dangerous after an 80-foot yacht sends an emergency alert to the coast guard. It happened early Sunday afternoon off the coast of St. Augustine.

Local police were the first to reach the boat and rescued the two people on board. The official cause of the sinking remains under investigation.

That boat is still underwater as recovery operations are being coordinated.

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Orcas Sink Another Boat Near Iberia, Worrying Sailors Before Summer

Two people were rescued on Sunday after orcas damaged their boat near the Strait of Gibraltar, where the animals have caused havoc in recent years.

By Isabella Kwai

Summer is on the way, meaning that the orcas are out to play near the Strait of Gibraltar — which is bad news for sailors.

Two people were rescued on Sunday after an attack by a group of orcas caused enough damage to sink their boat, according to the Spanish maritime rescue service. It was the fifth such sinking in waters off the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa in recent years.

The Alboran Cognac, a sailing yacht about 50 feet long, was approached by the animals on Sunday morning, some 14 miles off Cape Spartel in Morocco, the rescue service said. Crew members onboard reported that the animals had slammed the hull, damaged the rudder and caused a leak.

A nearby oil tanker quickly maneuvered toward the boat and evacuated the two sailors, who were taken to Gibraltar, the rescue service said. The boat was left adrift, and the Moroccan authorities reported that it eventually sank.

It’s the first boat to sink in those waters this year after an orca-related mishap. A group of orcas that traverse the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby waters has plagued sailors and intrigued marine biologists , who are studying the population. Since 2020, orcas have disrupted dozens of sailing journeys in these high-traffic waters, in some cases slamming vessels hard enough to cause critical damage.

Last November, orcas slammed a yacht’s rudder for 45 minutes, causing its crew to abandon the vessel, which sank near the Tanger Med port.

The group is more likely to appear in the busy lanes around the Gulf of Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar between April and August, the Spanish government said in a news release, and sailors have spotted some of the orcas there in recent weeks.

Researchers do not know why the pod is targeting boats, but they have theorized that the behavior is a form of play for the curious apex predators. The interactions have become so frequent that they are now a multinational issue, involving scientists and officials from Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Online, anxious sailors have gathered to share advice on navigating “orca alley,” and biologists are tracking the orcas’ movements and testing methods that could deter them.

In the event of an orca encounter, the government advised in its release, boats should not stop but instead head toward shallower waters near the coast.

But the number of incidents may be declining: Researchers at the Atlantic Orca Working Group said on Monday that the number of orca interactions with boats between January and May had dropped some 40 percent, compared with that of similar periods in the past three years.

Isabella Kwai is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news and other trends. More about Isabella Kwai

Judge sides with Florida man who complained neighbor’s yacht was too big for lot

• Susannah Bryan South Florida Sun Sentinel (TNS)

FORT LAUDERDALE — Say your neighbor has a yacht so big that it dwarfs the dock behind his home. Do you call the city to complain?

Michael Meldeau did. It wound up getting him sued by one Steven Howell, owner of the yacht.

The two men live on Delmar Place in Fort Lauderdale’s upscale Las Olas Isles , just north of Las Olas and west of the Intracoastal.

The yearslong feud isn’t your run-of-the-mill neighborhood dispute . The lawsuit, filed four years ago, touched on not only property rights but also, in the case of the defendant, the right to free speech.

Reed Tolber, Meldeau’s attorney, attempted to get the lawsuit thrown out, accusing Howell of trying to muzzle Meldeau from complaining to Fort Lauderdale code officers if he notices anything amiss on Howell’s property.

The case was heading to trial in June, but all that changed Thursday when Broward Circuit Judge Martin Bidwell signed an order granting summary judgment in favor of Meldeau, saying there was no need for a trial.

“The record evidence firmly establishes that (Howell) knowingly and routinely moored his yachts behind his home in violation of the city’s code,” Bidwell wrote in his order. “Although it must be vexing to have (a neighbor) constantly report one’s code violations to the city, these actions by (his neighbor) cannot be said to be unreasonable.”

It remains unclear whether Howell and his legal team plan to appeal.

Howell, 64, declined to comment. His attorneys, Brent Gordon and Brian Gottlieb, could not be reached for comment.

Howell’s lawsuit had accused Meldeau, 77, of embarking on a campaign of harassment and urged the court to require him to employ an attorney licensed to practice law in Florida to report any future potential code violations on Howell’s property.

To keep the peace, Howell was forced to rent out dock space and pay dockage fees, his lawsuit says. Those dockage fees, according to the lawsuit, are special damages that Howell would not have to pay if the boat were docked behind his home.

A matter of size

Meldeau bought his three-bedroom home on Delmar Place in 2000 for $825,000, according to the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office. Howell moved into the neighborhood a decade later, paying nearly $2.7 million for a four-bedroom home two houses away, appraiser records show.

The trouble began when Howell started docking his yacht on the 100-foot lot behind his waterfront home in late 2018, both parties say. The boat, named #OMG, was sometimes docked behind the homes of neighbors with their permission, according to the lawsuit.

Most waterfront homes in Fort Lauderdale have a 10-foot setback on either side for boat dockage. So a property that’s 100 feet wide like Howell’s would be prohibited from docking a boat bigger than 80 feet in length.

Meldeau and his attorney say the #OMG is just shy of 105 feet in length — 25 feet too long for Howell’s property.

A former attorney of Howell’s told a city board the yacht is 96 feet long. And Howell testified during a deposition that he’s not quite sure how long the boat is, records show.

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Meldeau took exception to the yacht extending into his property line when it was docked behind the home of a different neighbor whose home sits in between his home and Howell’s, according to court records.

He called the city to report the yacht for violating the setback code in late 2018.

The city’s inspectors found the yacht to be in violation and ordered Howell to remove it, Meldeau’s attorney wrote in his motion to dismiss the case. When they returned to verify compliance, the yacht was gone and the complaint was closed.

But once the case was closed, the yacht was back at the dock, according to Meldeau’s motion to dismiss the case.

“This ‘dance’ occurred several times,” Tolber wrote.

Meldeau complained again and again. But when the city’s inspectors would show up, the yacht would be gone, Tolber wrote.

Then one day, a code inspector spotted the yacht docked behind the house in between Howell’s and Meldeau’s and found it to be in violation of the city’s setback code.

“It’s time to stop it”

A hearing was scheduled before a magistrate, who agreed the yacht was too big for the lot.

Howell took his case to the city’s Board of Adjustment in January 2020 to request a variance that would allow him to keep the yacht behind his home.

The board denied his request, citing its failure to meet the code’s hardship requirement.

Before the board’s vote, Meldeau spoke up against the variance. He told the board that Howell “started bragging” that it was saving him $8,000 a month in dockage fees to keep his yacht docked behind his home.

“So this is not a hardship,” Meldeau told the board. “This is an economic benefit. And I say we’re not for sale. It’s time to stop it. If you can’t bring a boat in your neighborhood that doesn’t meet the code, don’t bring it in.”

In February 2020, the following month, Howell filed suit against Meldeau.

During a deposition last year, Meldeau’s attorney asked Howell to explain the timing of his lawsuit.

“I don’t know the exact dates of how all this timed out,” Howell said. “But the truth of the matter was that there were all sorts of challenges all around this at different times. We had to manage different risk levels while all this stuff was going on. And that’s why I escalated this to where we are now because I just decided I wasn’t going to live like this any longer. We did everything we could to try to mitigate this and not end up where we are right now.”

In March 2020, the magistrate fined Howell $14,000.

The fine remained unpaid as of Tuesday, city officials said. During last year’s deposition, Howell said he hadn’t paid the fine because it was “not correct” and he didn’t consider the matter resolved. The yacht was moved from his home in late 2021 and was docked at the RMK Marina, Howell testified.

Howell told Meldeau’s attorney he doesn’t remember details about the boat being moved around after Meldeau started making calls to code officers.

“I don’t recall its movement, but boats come and go,” Howell said. “That’s what they do.”

When asked to confirm that the #OMG yacht is 105 feet long, Howell said he was under the impression the boat was 105 feet when he bought it. But during last year’s deposition, he testified that he was no longer sure.

“When we bought the boat, we thought that it was 105 feet,” Howell said during the deposition. “We’ve since learned, since all this started with Mr. Meldeau, that it’s a Model 105, not 105 feet. And I have multiple documents that confused us all about the exact size, including certifications from the manufacturer. We never measured our boat. We tried and we can’t figure it out.”

The lawsuit, which was amended in 2022, accused Meldeau of making repeated complaints to code enforcement about Howell’s property.

Twice in 2019, Meldeau called the city to report that sewage from the yacht was possibly being dumped into the canal, according to the lawsuit. The city came out to investigate but found no evidence to support the claim, the lawsuit says.

“Plainly, Meldeau is obsessed with Howell,” the lawsuit said, “and he shows no signs of stopping with his continued social media posts (though he subsequent to this lawsuit removed or made such posts private), his unsupported accusations to the president of the local homeowners association, and complaints to the marine patrol just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic on or about as of February 9, 2020.”

“I don’t want him to do that”

According to the lawsuit, Meldeau “spread lies” on Facebook that Howell was dumping sewage in the canal and renting out dock space to other boat owners. The lawsuit references this comment posted on Meldeau’s Facebook account: “Las Olas Isles will turn into a Commercial Marina full of supersized yachts looking to rent docks on the ‘Cheap.’ And so goes the Venice of America.”

In his order, the judge makes mention of a Facebook post where a relative of Meldeau’s commented, jokingly suggesting he shoot holes in the yacht. “I am ready,” Meldeau replied under the comment.

“The record further establishes that Defendant at one time made a Facebook post suggesting that he would shoot holes into the OMG,” the judge wrote. “However, the record does not show that (Meldeau) has ever pointed the gun at someone, made threats towards anyone, or otherwise caused (Howell) to suffer irreparable damage.

The lawsuit alleged that Meldeau set out two chairs on his dock turned east toward the Howell property, then sitting in one and leaning a rifle against the other. In a motion for summary judgment, Meldeau’s attorney says the “rifle” Meldeau was holding was actually a pellet gun his client used to kill iguanas on his sea wall.

The matter came up during Howell’s deposition last year.

“I think sitting with a rifle and looking down at my house is, especially in today’s culture, no, I don’t think that’s acceptable and I don’t want him to do that,” Howell told Meldeau’s attorney. “I wouldn’t sit with chairs and a rifle facing his house.”

But in his findings, the judge noted that Meldeau maintains the device was an air-powered pellet gun used to kill iguanas.

“Regardless, (Howell) last witnessed (his neighbor) on his dock with the device about three years ago,” the judge wrote.

Toward the end of last year’s deposition, Tolber asked Howell whether he had any plans to bring the yacht back and dock it behind his house.

“It’s undetermined right now,” Howell said.

Tolber asked again, rephrasing the question.

“It will not go back behind my house,” Howell replied, “but it’s possible that it could come back here to a neighbor’s.”

©2024 South Florida Sun Sentinel. Visit sun-sentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.

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Orcas again sink yacht near Strait of Gibraltar as high-risk season looms

Two people were rescued after orcas hit the roughly 50-foot Alboran Cognac 14 miles off the coast of Morocco, the 26th orca encounter in the region this year.

The boat-sinking orcas are back.

Around 9 a.m. Sunday near the Strait of Gibraltar, two people on board the roughly 50-foot Alboran Cognac reported blows to the vessel’s hull and saw damage to the rudder as water flowed into the ship, Spain’s maritime rescue agency said.

An unknown number of killer whales had struck again, after hundreds of such encounters in recent years.

Over the radio, responders told the two individuals to put on their life jackets, make sure their GPS locaters were turned on and prepare for emergency evacuation. In the meantime, Spanish and Moroccan rescue agencies began urgently working to save them, locating a nearby oil tanker and electing not to dispatch a helicopter.

After about an hour, that tanker rescued the pair 14 miles off Cape Spartel in northern Morocco, the Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Agency (SASEMAR) said in a news release. The boat was left adrift and soon sank.

Spain-based Alboran Charter confirmed its ownership of the sunken vessel and said the individuals were customers. The company declined to say more about what happened or who the clients were.

Iberian orcas sinking a ship is not new. Over the past four years, at least 15 orcas have interacted with hundreds of boats sailing in the waters off Portugal, Spain and Morocco, sinking a handful of vessels in seemingly coordinated ambushes. Some ships have been found with teeth marks; others appear to have been rammed by an orca’s head or body.

On average, there have been 168 interactions each year since 2020, according to Grupo de Trabajo Orca Atlántica, or GTOA, a research group studying the region’s killer whales. GTOA has tracked 26 interactions so far this year, down from 61 through a similar time frame in 2023.

It’s not clear why the orcas have recently bumped, bitten and sunk vessels. Some scientists say they are simply being playful, or maybe are curious, or perhaps are coming after boats because of a loss of prey. A handful say the actions could actually be gratifying to the whales.

A leading theory, though, is one of vengeance.

This idea, advanced by a scientist who has studied the encounters, posits that a female orca suffered a traumatic run-in with a boat that led her to start attacking the vessels. And because orcas are intelligent marine mammals that learn behaviors like hunting together, others followed.

But there is disagreement over this theory.

Some scientists argue that the incidents shouldn’t be called “attacks” without knowing the whales’ motives. They fear that label could prompt retaliation by boaters, calling it potentially “harmful” to the critically endangered species with just a few dozen members.

“Science cannot yet explain why the Iberian orcas are doing this, although we repeat that it is more likely related to play/socialising than aggression,” a group of more than 30 scientists wrote in an open letter last summer. “ … When we are at sea, we are in the realm of marine life. We should not punish wildlife for being wild.”

The letter explained that orcas have been observed developing “cultural ‘fads,’” including carrying dead fish on their heads, and the incidents with the boats may be nothing more than a “fashion trend.”

SASEMAR warned that the risk of the encounters is highest between May and August, recommending that boats avoid the area between the Strait of Gibraltar to the Gulf of Cádiz to its west. It added that if a boat comes across orcas, it should not stop moving, and instead should head toward the coast and shallower waters. People should not approach the side of the boat and are barred from using measures that could injure or kill the whales.

“It is possible the behaviour, as previous fads have,” the scientists wrote, “will disappear as suddenly as it appeared.”