How to Self-Host Yacht with Docker Compose

What Is Yacht?

Yacht is a lightweight Docker container management UI designed for self-hosters. It provides a clean web interface for deploying, managing, and monitoring containers, with built-in app templates that let you deploy popular self-hosted apps in a few clicks. Think of it as a simpler alternative to Portainer — fewer features, but faster to learn.

Note: Yacht has not been updated since January 2023. The project appears to be abandoned. Consider Portainer or Dockge as actively maintained alternatives.

Prerequisites

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04+ recommended)
Docker and Docker Compose installed (guide)
512 MB of free RAM
1 GB of free disk space

Docker Compose Configuration

Create a directory and docker-compose.yml:

mkdir -p ~/yacht && cd ~/yacht

services:
  yacht:
    image: selfhostedpro/yacht:latest
    container_name: yacht
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - yacht-data:/config
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
    environment:
      PUID: 1000
      PGID: 1000
      # Secret key for session encryption — change this
      SECRET_KEY: "your-random-secret-key-change-me"
      # Disable telemetry
      DISABLE_ANALYTICS: "true"

volumes:
  yacht-data:

Start the stack:

docker compose up -d

Security note: Mounting the Docker socket (/var/run/docker.sock) gives Yacht full control over your Docker daemon. This is equivalent to root access on the host. Only expose Yacht on trusted networks.

Initial Setup

Open http://your-server-ip:8000
Log in with the default credentials:
- Email: [email protected]
- Password: pass
Change the password immediately — go to the user icon in the top right and update your credentials.

Configuration

Adding App Templates

Yacht’s template system lets you deploy apps from curated lists:

Go to Templates in the sidebar
Click Add Template

Enter a template URL. The default SelfhostedPro template:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SelfhostedPro/selfhosted_templates/master/Template/yacht.json

Click Submit

You can now deploy apps from the template library with pre-configured settings.

Deploying a Container

From the template library:

Browse templates and click Deploy on the app you want
Review and adjust port mappings, volumes, and environment variables
Click Deploy

Manually:

Go to Apps > New Application
Fill in the image name, ports, volumes, environment variables, and restart policy
Click Deploy

Container Management

From the Apps page you can:

Start, stop, restart, and remove containers
View container logs in real-time
Inspect container details (ports, volumes, environment)
Access container shell (exec into running containers)

Advanced Configuration (Optional)

Using Compose Projects

Yacht supports Docker Compose projects for multi-container stacks:

Go to Projects in the sidebar
Create a new project with a docker-compose.yml definition
Yacht manages the entire stack lifecycle

Custom Templates

Create your own template JSON files for apps you deploy frequently. Host them on a web server or GitHub and add the URL to Yacht.

Theme Customization

Yacht supports dark and light themes. Toggle via the theme switcher in the top navigation bar.

Backup

Back up the config volume:

docker compose stop yacht
docker run --rm -v yacht-data:/config -v $(pwd):/backup alpine \
  tar czf /backup/yacht-backup.tar.gz /config
docker compose start yacht

The /config volume contains Yacht’s database (user accounts, templates, settings). Container data for apps deployed through Yacht lives in their own volumes.

See Backup Strategy for a comprehensive approach.

Troubleshooting

Cannot connect to Docker daemon

Symptom: Yacht shows “Cannot connect to the Docker daemon” or no containers appear.

Fix: Verify the Docker socket is mounted correctly and the socket file exists:

ls -la /var/run/docker.sock

Ensure the user running the container has access to the Docker socket. If using rootless Docker, the socket path differs.

Symptom: [email protected] / pass is rejected.

Fix: The credentials are only set on first startup. If the config volume already has data from a previous installation, the old credentials persist. Remove the volume and recreate:

docker compose down -v
docker compose up -d

Template deployment fails

Symptom: Deploying from a template shows an error.

Fix: Check that the template URL is reachable from the server. Some templates reference images that may not exist for your architecture (ARM vs x86). Check container logs:

docker logs yacht

Port conflicts

Symptom: Container fails to start with port binding errors.

Fix: Change the host port in your docker-compose.yml:

ports:
  - "8001:8000"  # Use 8001 if 8000 is taken

High memory usage

Symptom: Yacht uses more memory than expected.

Fix: Yacht’s memory usage increases with the number of containers it monitors. For servers with 50+ containers, consider using Portainer which handles scale better.

Resource Requirements

RAM: ~80 MB idle, ~150 MB with 20+ managed containers
CPU: Low — web UI is lightweight
Disk: ~200 MB for application, plus template cache

Verdict

Yacht is a solid choice if you want a simple, clean Docker management UI and don’t need Portainer’s enterprise features. The template system is its killer feature — it makes deploying new self-hosted apps almost as easy as an app store. However, Yacht’s development has slowed significantly, with the maintainer working on a full rewrite (Yacht Next). For active development and more features, Portainer is the safer bet. For Docker Compose-focused management, Dockge is better.

Use Yacht if you want template-based app deployment and a clean UI for basic container management. Skip it if you need active development, Swarm/K8s support, or Compose-file editing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Yacht still maintained?

The current version (v0.0.x) receives minimal updates. The developer is working on a rewrite called Yacht Next, but there’s no stable release date. For production use, consider Portainer or Dockge instead.

Can Yacht manage Docker Compose stacks?

Yes, through the Projects feature. However, the Compose support is basic compared to Dockge or Portainer. You can’t edit Compose files directly in the UI as easily.

How does Yacht compare to Portainer?

Yacht is simpler with better app templates. Portainer is more feature-complete with Swarm/K8s support, RBAC, and active development. See our Portainer vs Yacht comparison.

Does Yacht support ARM/Raspberry Pi?

Yes. The selfhostedpro/yacht image is available for both amd64 and arm64 architectures.