Description
The image above is from the book by Emily de Forest, A Walloon Family in America, p. 74 and 126
The word yacht is frequently used as a 'generic' term in the documents to mean almost any size and shape of ship with masts engaged in trade and transporting cargo or passengers. This makes it very hard to easily classify ships. Do not confuse this term with the modern 'yacht' which is so prized by the wealthy.
Additional information on the period and merchant trading vessels can be found in the film Broadsides by Docema:
http://www.broadsidethefilm.com/index.php