The short answer to this question is that, yes, they do, but it’s more complicated than that.

Just like cars and motorcycles, boats also have understood norms when it comes to certain facts and numbers on the spec sheet. In the world of land vehicles, there are certain ‘benchmark figures’ – for example, a car that can go from 0 – 100 km/h in 3 seconds (or less) is a really fast car, or a motorcycle with around 200 horsepower is a very, very fast bike. What about the world of boating? Do boats also have ‘benchmark figures’ like cars and motorcycles? Yes, they do. Here are some things that boaters intuitively know when they read the specification sheet of any sea-going vessel.

A motorboat that can hit 35 knots is a fast boat

35 knots equals to about 65 km/h, and this is a figure most boaters generally consider to be fast out on the water. Now, landlubbers will raise an eyebrow at this seemingly low speed, but bear in mind that the relationship between water and hull is more akin to tyre and off-road gravel with unexpected undulations, and this speed begins to make a little more sense.

What about a wind-powered sailboat? They are considered fast if they can hit 20 knots, which is about 37 km/h.

Of course, just like in a car, the speed of the boat is highly related to the utility of the vessel. It would be dangerous for a ferry (not to mention highly uneconomical) to hit 30 knots while carrying so many passengers, but yachts that are built for speed, like Pershing’s yachts, will hit 50 knots easily during full send.

Yachts of 30 feet are ‘good-sized’ boats for weekends

So automobiles come in certain sizes, or segments, that are easily understood – for example, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class is in the compact executive segment, which is a sub-division of the D-segment, while a smaller car like the Honda City is located in the B-segment.

For boats, the segments are split into multiples of 10 feet, which means that one may be looking for a 30-foot or a 40-foot boat. 30 feet is the commonly held good size for a weekend boat, because at this size the boat can carry more water and fuel, and have a cabin or two in which to spend the night. Certainly, outliers exist, but by and large if you are in the market for a weekender, start looking at this size first.

200 horses is not a lot on a boat

In cars, having 200 hp is the start of a sporty vehicle –  just look at the Volkswagen Golf GTI and the Toyota GR86. However, on a boat, power is often more complicated than that and inextricably connected to the weight of the boat, which should include the weight of the passengers she carries. Many factors affect the power requirements of a boat, which we detail here in this article, but, generally speaking, a boat should have 1 horsepower for every 12 – 20 kg she carries.

Which means that a boat like the Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095, which measures at 34 feet and displaces 4638 kg without passengers, is given 600 hp via twin 300 hp engines as standard. This is a ratio of 1 hp to 8 kg, which is why boaters can choose to upgrade the engines if they so wish.

Adding more power onto a boat is also a more complicated process, as more power usually comes from larger engines, and larger engines weigh more, which will affect the overall weight balance of the boat. Most boat manufacturers also have a rating for the maximum power that the vessel’s hull can take.

RM1 million is the start of a good boat

For cars, RM1 million will purchase some of the best cars out there today. In the boating world, this figure is the one we give to prospective boaters who want to dip their feet into this world, and the way to do that is through a good boat. After all, bad equipment will erase any budding interest in a new hobby, and it is similar in boating too.

New boats are more expensive, just like new cars, and if you are interested to purchase a good vessel brand new, this is our recommended starting price without factoring in other costs like maintenance, insurance, docking, and more. The aforementioned Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095, with its 34-foot hull and 3 cabins, can be had for about this price – though there are cheaper vessels in the range as well, but they are smaller too, which will affect their utility.

There’s nothing wrong with the Jeanneau MF1095, but if more luxury is wanted, then, really, the sky’s the limit. Italian craftsmanship and design can be found in Ferretti Yachts, and mind-blowing performance can be found in Pershing, but they, of course, come at a price.

However, preowned yachts are cheaper to purchase, as the initial owner(s) have already borne depreciation of the vessel. There are always fantastic vessels entering the preowned market. We highly recommend getting a broker (hey, that’s us!) who knows the ins and outs of buying and selling a boat, not to mention the many connections to other professionals within the industry to source the right yacht, for the right price.