Yacht Vessels
9,053 yacht vessels tracked worldwide
Yachts (AIS type 36–37) are recreational and luxury watercraft that range from small sailing yachts and coastal cruisers to motor superyachts exceeding 100 meters in length. Under SOLAS Chapter V, all vessels over 300 GT on international voyages—and in practice most yachts over 24 meters—are required to carry AIS transponders, making them visible in vessel tracking systems alongside commercial traffic. Superyachts represent some of the most technically sophisticated private vessels afloat, often featuring advanced stabilization systems, dynamic positioning, helicopter landing pads, and submarine garages. Many large yachts are commercially registered and available for charter, in which case they must comply with the Large Yacht Code (LY3/REG) covering construction standards, safety equipment, manning levels, and crew certification. The superyacht sector is concentrated in Mediterranean and Caribbean waters seasonally, with major refit and build yards in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Turkey.
Track yacht vessels worldwide
See 9,053 yacht ships on a live map, follow journeys, and get alerts when one moves.
Subtypes within the Yacht Category
Yachts span an enormous size range. Sailing yachts include daysailers under 10 metres, cruising yachts of 10–20 metres for coastal and offshore voyages, and large sailing superyachts of 30–100+ metres often with computer-assisted rigging. Motor yachts dominate AIS-trackable traffic, ranging from 12-metre coastal cruisers up to motor superyachts exceeding 100 metres. Explorer and expedition yachts have ice-strengthened hulls and extra fuel range for remote-area cruising. Sportfishing yachts are optimised for offshore game-fishing with tuna towers, fighting chairs, and high-speed pursuit capability. Day-charter yachts and gigayachts sit at the upper end. Examples of the largest yachts in service exceed 180 metres. Below 24 metres yachts are usually exempt from SOLAS but most large yachts class voluntarily.
How Yachts Operate
Most yachts are privately owned and used seasonally — by the owner, family, or charter guests. Fleet management for superyachts is a specialised industry: captains, chief engineers, chief stewards, and rotating crew of 15–60 are common on 50-metre-plus boats. Many large yachts are placed on commercial charter when not in owner use, generating €100,000–€2,000,000 per week depending on size and itinerary. Seasons are well-defined: Mediterranean summer (May–September), Caribbean winter (December–April), with crossings in spring and autumn. Some explorer yachts pursue high-latitude itineraries — Svalbard, Antarctica, Northwest Passage. Refit and maintenance happen at major yards in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, and Florida.
Tracking Yachts with AIS
AIS visibility for yachts depends on size and registration. SOLAS requires Class A AIS for vessels over 300 GT on international voyages, which captures most yachts above 35–40 metres. Smaller yachts often carry Class B AIS voluntarily for safety. Some superyacht owners suppress AIS for privacy reasons — possible in international waters but generally required when entering busy ports or transiting traffic separation schemes. Charter yachts virtually always transmit AIS to give guests real-time position visibility. Yacht movements often follow predictable seasonal patterns easily detectable in AIS history — summer Mediterranean rotations, autumn transatlantic crossings, winter Caribbean cruising.
Where Superyachts Cruise
The Mediterranean dominates superyacht traffic from May to October — Cote d'Azur (Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Antibes, Monaco), the Italian Riviera and Sardinia, Croatia's Dalmatian coast, the Greek islands, and Turkey's Aegean coast. The Caribbean is the winter alternative — the Bahamas, BVI, St. Barth, Antigua, St. Maarten. Other significant cruising grounds include Florida and the U.S. East Coast (transition season), the Pacific Northwest including Alaska (Jul–Aug), French Polynesia and the Pacific (year-round), the Maldives and Seychelles (Indian Ocean), and Patagonia and Antarctica for explorer yachts. Yacht "show" events like Monaco Yacht Show (September) and Fort Lauderdale Boat Show (November) draw fleets to specific locations.
Regulations and the Large Yacht Code
Large commercial yachts are regulated under the Large Yacht Code (REG / LY3) administered by the Red Ensign group of UK and Crown Dependency flag administrations and adopted by other major yachting flag states (Cayman Islands, Marshall Islands, Malta). The Code covers construction, structural fire protection, lifesaving equipment, manning levels, and crew certification — relaxed compared to passenger-ship SOLAS but stricter than private-yacht standards. Privately registered yachts under 24 metres face lighter requirements. Crew certifications follow STCW, including yacht-specific endorsements. Major flag states for large yachts include the Cayman Islands, Marshall Islands, Malta, Isle of Man, and Bermuda. Class society oversight comes from Lloyd's, Bureau Veritas, RINA, and ABS.