2707200X From United States of America, joined Mar 2009, 6945 posts, RR: 1 Posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 1167 times:
We all know that a boat is rather small and a ship is rather large in the prospective of size akin to the difference between a plant and a tree. We know that a ship can carry a boat and a boat can carry another boat as they often do but a boat cannot carry a ship. From the research that I have done I have not been able to get a defined answer. Lake going vessels in the Great Lakes are referred to as boats even those that exceed 1,000 feet in length and small rigging vessels like the Santa Maria which was and is in replica 70 feet long are considered ships so is their a true definition or does it vary from industry to industry.
"And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by." John Masefield Sea-Fever
Maverick623 From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 4744 posts, RR: 6 Reply 1, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 1160 times:
Quoting 2707200X (Thread starter): From the research that I have done I have not been able to get a defined answer.
Quote: The sorites paradox (from Ancient Greek: σωρείτης sōreitēs, meaning "heaped up") is a paradox that arises from vague predicates. The paradox of the heap is an example of this paradox which arises when one considers a heap of sand, from which grains are individually removed. Is it still a heap when only one grain remains? If not, when did it change from a heap to a non-heap?
I think there are only arbitrary definitions somewhere in the law. I would define a ship as a vessel that is commanded by a professional, very much like a 747 is an airliner, and a 172, this' a plane.
[Edited 2012-02-11 06:12:28]
[Edited 2012-02-11 06:12:49]
Even a letdown, if it is thoroughly and final, is a step forward.
SmittyOne From United States of America, joined Feb 2012, 902 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (1 year 3 months 2 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 1003 times:
Technically the word "Ship" refers to a sailing rig with three or more masts, where all the masts are square-rigged, as opposed to a cutter, barque, schooner, sloop etc. That is the only formal definition that I'm aware of.
Quoting Maverick623 (Reply 1): No, there is no legal difference between a "ship" and a "boat" for purposes of maritime law. The legal term is "seagoing vessel".
Yep, the COLREGS don't care what you call it, just size, how it is powered and what kind of special work it might do...
Quoting czbbflier (Reply 3): A boat is what you get into when the ship is sinking.
Another version of this is a boat is something you can hoist up on the deck of your ship...
The US Coast Guard defines anything smaller than 65' as a 'boat', and anything 65' or longer a "cutter", harking back to the rig of the original vessels that sailed for the Revenue Cutter Service. Which gets crazy when you consider that Coast Guard Cutter EAGLE, America's tall ship, is a barque! If that doesn't hurt your head I don't know what would.
jamincan From Canada, joined Aug 2006, 764 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 3 months 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 907 times:
QI asked this question. It became quite clear that there is a very large grey area, but apparently within the Royal Navy, ships sail above the surface and boats below (as others have mentioned here). A submarine is certainly not a ship in most people's vernacular despite having a clear chain of command.
SmittyOne From United States of America, joined Feb 2012, 902 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (1 year 3 months 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 901 times:
Quoting jamincan (Reply 10): QI asked this question. It became quite clear that there is a very large grey area, but apparently within the Royal Navy, ships sail above the surface and boats below (as others have mentioned here). A submarine is certainly not a ship in most people's vernacular despite having a clear chain of command.
This might come from the German use of the word. The U-Boot/U-Boat was the submarine, and the Allies and the Germans called them, "U-Boote", "U-Boats" or simply "boats". (Why are there no "U-Schiffe" or "U-ships"?)
In German, we have "Boot" and "Schiff". The military meaning set aside, with "Boot" we designate things that are privately used (a rowing boat, a sail boat, a fishing boat). Then, with "Schiff" we mean mostly commercially used vessels, like fish trawlers, ferries, tankers and so on.
David
Even a letdown, if it is thoroughly and final, is a step forward.
KingairTA From United States of America, joined Feb 2009, 445 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (1 year 3 months 1 week 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 823 times:
Is a 747 really an airliner if its privately owned and not flying a "line"? To me it would be a plane and not an airliner.
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13343 posts, RR: 64 Reply 14, posted (1 year 3 months 1 week 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 791 times:
Quoting flyingturtle (Reply 12): This might come from the German use of the word. The U-Boot/U-Boat was the submarine, and the Allies and the Germans called them, "U-Boote", "U-Boats" or simply "boats". (Why are there no "U-Schiffe" or "U-ships"?)
Possibly because the first military submarines in wider use during WW1 were quite small compared to the standard battleships of the day, with a crew of only about 20-30 men and a total length of less than 70 meters.
Even the most built German WW2 submarine, the type VIIc, was only 67 meters long, with a crew of 50 men.
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