Cabin

What it means

A cabin is an enclosed compartment below or within the deck, used for sleeping or shelter. On smaller boats it may be a single space with a berth and standing headroom only at the entrance; on larger ones cabins are separate rooms, sometimes with their own heads.

What the number does not tell you

A count of cabins says nothing about their size or their privacy. A boat listed with two cabins may have one proper double and one space suitable for a child, and a convertible saloon that becomes a bed at night is counted differently by different builders. Headroom is the figure that decides whether a cabin is habitable and is almost never published; ask for it.

Why it matters

Cabins are what separate a day boat from a cruiser, and on an electric boat they bring a hidden cost: an occupied cabin draws power all night for lights, ventilation, water heating and the fridge, none of which appears in a range figure measured underway.