After returning from my Galapagos trip I learned the following interesting fact. I traveled on the mid-size motor yacht, the Yolita II. It was 115 feet long, 26 feet wide and carried 16 passengers, 7 crew members and a naturalist guide. I wouldn't call it roomy but it was quite comfortable, notably better than the 75-foot Floreana, which we traveled aboard two years ago when we first visited the Galapagos.

The HMS Beagle, which was the vessel Darwin traveled aboard on his five year voyage around the world and through the Galapagos Islands, was smaller than the Yolita II and carried around 65-74 passengers. The Beagle was 90 feet long and 25 feet wide. It also carried 6-10 guns and seven smaller boats for surveying expeditions.

Of course the Yolita II needed room for two diesel engines, a hot water heater, a bar with leather couches, and lots of deck chairs. Take away all that and I suppose you could fit another fifty crew members on board.

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