# Difference between a "ship" and a "boat" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 18, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303 "2012-05-18T11:47:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LairBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@LairBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LairBob)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/1 "2012-05-18T11:47:23Z")
As far as[today’s “classic” column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/754/whats-the-difference-between-a-boat-and-a-ship) 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. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/2 "2012-05-18T18:57:58Z")
That makes all naval vessels “boats” and all river transports “ships”. It won’t do. ---
**Author:** ![MadNotAngry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@MadNotAngry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadNotAngry)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/3 "2012-05-18T21:05:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/4 "2012-05-18T21:42:47Z")
Except on the Great Lakes, where bulk transporters the size of aircraft carriers are referred to as ‘boats’. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/5 "2012-05-18T21:55:25Z")
> [@MadNotAngry](#): > > 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. Not really-who every heard of a “tugship”? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Raven\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Raven\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven_1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/6 "2012-05-18T21:57:06Z")
I always thought ships could have boats on them, but not vice versa… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/7 "2012-05-18T22:02:04Z")
Any watercraft carried upon another watercraft is a boat. Any submarine is a boat. Any freshwater-only vessel, irregardless of size, is a boat. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/8 "2012-05-18T22:20:43Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > 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](http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/facts/faqs/ships-and-vessels/what-is-the-definition-of-a-boat-versus-a-ship) of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. (except in the case of fishing boats and submarines as noted in the column) > [@](#): > > The Historic Ships Committee have designated a vessel below 40 tons and 40 ft in length as a boat. However, submarines and fishing vessels are always known as boats whatever their size. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/9 "2012-05-20T07:00:01Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/10 "2012-05-20T07:34:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/11 "2012-05-20T18:59:03Z")
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”. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/12 "2012-05-25T16:19:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/13 "2012-05-25T19:20:27Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/14 "2012-05-28T18:23:34Z")
An earlier thread, since rebumped: [The Difference between a Boat and a Ship - Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=485222) ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/15 "2012-05-28T20:22:03Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Wow. You really should have applied this reasoning to pornography. No way I’m taking that job. ick ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/16 "2012-05-28T22:40:21Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > 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. > [@Derleth](#): > > Wow. You really should have applied this reasoning to pornography. whatever floats your boat. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/622303/17 "2012-05-30T18:00:22Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > No way I’m taking that job. ick I believe Derleth was referring to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famous quotation on hardcore pornography: > [@](#): > > I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that. > **[I know it when I see it](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it)** > > The phrase "I know it when I see it" was used in 1964 by United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart to describe his threshold test for obscenity in Jacobellis v. Ohio. In explaining why the material at issue in the case was not obscene under the Roth test, and therefore was protected speech that could not be censored, Stewart wrote: > I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description \["hard-core pornography"\], ... Powers &8^]