As far astoday’s “classic” column on the difference between a “ship” and a “boat”, I had always understood the difference to be much more straightforward:
[ul]
[li]A “ship” is a vessel that is intended to travel between ports[/li][li]A “boat” is a vessel that is basically intended to go in and out of the same port[/li][/ul]
Obviously, a sea-worthy “boat” could travel between ports, and no one’s going to force you to take your “ship” out of port if you stay there too long, but that’s the distinction I learned, and it’s the one that seems to make the most sense to me.
That makes all naval vessels “boats” and all river transports “ships”. It won’t do.
This is too simple. In the USNavy we were taught a simple rule: While standing on the dock, look at the vessels deck. If you look up, it’s a ship; if you look down, it’s a boat. Works everytime.
Except on the Great Lakes, where bulk transporters the size of aircraft carriers are referred to as ‘boats’.
Not really-who every heard of a “tugship”?
I always thought ships could have boats on them, but not vice versa…
Any watercraft carried upon another watercraft is a boat.
Any submarine is a boat.
Any freshwater-only vessel, irregardless of size, is a boat.
So a jet-ski carried upon a hovercraft is a boat?
Regardless, size does seem to matter to the Historic Ships Committee of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. (except in the case of fishing boats and submarines as noted in the column)
Simple: A “boat” is one type of craft with properties similar to but distinct from the craft you classify as “boats”, and a “ship” is the other type.
Really, people, it’s an inherently argumentative recursive definition, like the ones for “Socialism” and “Love”; the world runs on the damn things.
Way back, when I was working on a deep sea research vessel, I was taught the “ships can carry boats” rule cited in Cecil’s column.
And the captain used to get* really* annoyed if we got the terminology wrong.
So we did, as often as possible.
My brother served on an aircraft carrier, as a member of the airwing. All the airwing people made it a point to call it “the boat”. It’s how they distinguished themselves from the regular ship’s crew (the ones who would be required even if there were no aircraft aboard) who all called it “the ship”.
I think the solution is obvious. Anything I call a boat is a boat Anything I can a ship is a ship. Any other standard that disagrees with the one I put forth is void. So bring forth your marine vessels and I will judge them for you.
Wow. You really should have applied this reasoning to pornography.
An earlier thread, since rebumped: The Difference between a Boat and a Ship - Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports - Straight Dope Message Board
No way I’m taking that job. ick
whatever floats your boat.
I believe Derleth was referring to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famous quotation on hardcore pornography:
Powers &8^]