# Boats.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 21, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469 "2006-07-21T13:23:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DuhCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@DuhCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DuhCow)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469/1 "2006-07-21T13:23:00Z")

</div>

Why are boats referred to as female?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469/2 "2006-07-21T13:54:04Z")

</div>

WAG- They are expensive to keep, yet fun to be around. 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469/3 "2006-07-21T13:59:14Z")

</div>

On a more serious note, the figurehead on sailing ships might have some role. Superstition held that a female baring her breasts to the sea would calm rough waters.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469/4 "2006-07-21T14:58:01Z")

</div>

Russian sea vessels are referred to as male.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469/5 "2006-07-21T18:01:11Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> Why are battleships referred to as “she?” Because it costs so much to keep them in paint and powder.
> 
> (Attributed to Chester Nimitz)

::d&r::

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469/6 "2006-07-22T00:34:34Z")

</div>

Because they have smooth bottoms.

Eh, I got nothin’.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469/7 "2006-07-22T00:45:03Z")

</div>

During WWII, the Kriegsmarine referred to its ships as female - except for the _Bismarck_, which was male.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boats/365469/8 "2006-07-22T02:25:45Z")

</div>

My WAG:

Historically, boat people were virtually all male (sailors, military, fishermen, pirates, ocean liner crews, etc.). They lived a good part of their lives on the water, and had to deal with many potentially life-threatening catastrophes. The best metaphor they could come up with was their relationships with women, who were often thought of as unpredictable and stormy.