Is there a 75-foot threshold for the length of the yacht?

Are there any restrictions that make it inconvenient or expensive to use after more than 75 feet?

What I have learned is that some ship locks in the United States are limited to 75 feet in length. Some yacht club charge a 30% surcharge on mooring fees.

I am not sure if there are any other disadvantages beyond this length. I am designing a double-deck yacht, which is about 79 feet in length. However, this length allows some changes. If there are too many disadvantages, I might shorten it to less than 75 feet.

Thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.

 

I think that the main 'limiting factor' (for want of a better term) in some jurisdictions (like Europe - I am not too sure if it is applicable in the USA?) is a maximum loadline length of 24 metres - above this the rules become more onerous re the need for professional crew.

 

as far as regulations, check with the USCG. Is this a pleasure yacht or commercial (passenger)???

 

http://www.mantamaritime.com/downloads/compliance_chart.pdf

 

I spent most of my 34 years with the Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety. I have never heard of such a limitation on locks. Then again, we didn't have anything to do with them. That's usually the Army Corps of Engineers. The locks here in Seattle are big enough to take ocean going ships. I looked up the Erie Canal and there are 35 locks and only two might have some sort of length restriction but most of them are over 100 feet in length. Of course they may have depth restrictions because they were intended for mule drawn barges. On the TVA the largest lock is 1000 feet long. All of the locks are large enough to take commercial tug and barge traffic. The Columbia river has locks to get past the dams but they are big enough for ship traffic. Can't think of any other systems with locks off hand that someone would want to take a large yacht on.

As for yacht clubs and marina's, they general charge by the length of the boat. However, in some marinas here on the west coast they take even mega yachts. The yacht master would simply have to shop around. Yacht clubs, I don't know. Never been a yacht club member, but some of them cater only to the wealthy and they certainly have yachts longer than 75 feet.

 

I'll 2nd @bajansailor. There are increased regulations over 24m or ~75ft, both operational and building standards. I believe you are required to have a licensed captain, for example, vice unlicensed owner-operators at lessor lengths. Many building spec's (like ISO or DVN-GL) have different applicable requirements for >24m, such as Ballasting requirements. You need to review the applicable design requirements, like CFRs in the USA along with ABS. What specifications are you designing to?