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Ship vs. boat?

Honolulu Blue

By Honolulu Blue,
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Honolulu Blue

Posted
Posted

One of the first thing I learned here is that the behemoths cruising the seven seas are "ships", and the lifeboats attached to them are "boats".

 

But is there a specific bright line where those above are ships and those below are boats? The two obvious measures are passenger/crew capacity and gross tons, but I'm sure there are many others.

 

Links are appreciated. Thank you very much for indulging my curiosity.

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John Bull

John Bull

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Very very broadly - if it's big enough to carry boats, it's a ship. Main exception is submarines, which are boats.

 

But it's fun to talk to cruise ship crew about their "boat" & watch them wince :D

Try to also use words like floor instead of deck, room instead of cabin (OK, "stateroom" has been around a while), front & back instead of bow & stern, left & right instead of port & starboard.

But if you ask some crew where the "heads" are, they won't know what you're talking about.

 

JB :)

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hallasm

hallasm

Posted
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Historically, a "ship" was a sailing vessel with at least three square-rigged masts and a full bowsprit.

Today ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size, shape and cargo or passenger capacity.

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john watson

john watson

Posted
Posted
Very very broadly - if it's big enough to carry boats, it's a ship. Main exception is submarines, which are boats.

 

But it's fun to talk to cruise ship crew about their "boat" & watch them wince :D

Try to also use words like floor instead of deck, room instead of cabin (OK, "stateroom" has been around a while), front & back instead of bow & stern, left & right instead of port & starboard.

But if you ask some crew where the "heads" are, they won't know what you're talking about.

 

JB :)

 

I was on a cruise where the quiz asked a nautical question which everyone seemed to mishear:

 

WHAT IS A DECKHEAD?

 

Apparently it is the equivalent of a ceiling in a hotel for example.

 

Lol John

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
I was on a cruise where the quiz asked a nautical question which everyone seemed to mishear:

 

WHAT IS A DECKHEAD?

 

Apparently it is the equivalent of a ceiling in a hotel for example.

 

Lol John

 

Technically, a deckhead (not the other thing) is the underside of a deck. A deckhead may or may not be covered by ceiling. Ceiling is the actual term for all non-structural coverings inside a ship, so both the walls and ceiling of your cabin are actually ceiling. Confused yet?

 

A bulkhead is a structural "wall" in the ship. May or may not also be covered by ceiling.

 

A "floor" in a sailing vessel is used to connect the ribs to the keel, and in modern usage are the vertical frames within the double bottom of the ship.

 

So there are floors and ceiling on a ship, just not where you are used to finding them.

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OCruisers

OCruisers

Posted
Posted
Just remember this. All ships are boats but not all boats are ships.

 

Absolutely!

 

Also on river cruises they are called River BOATS!

:rolleyes: On a river cruise I mentioned it was a nice ship ... was quickly corrected: not a ship, a boat! :D

 

LuLu

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

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Posted

Ships are ocean going vessels while boats, for the most part, are smaller vessels capable of being carried on board a ship. The two obvious exceptions are submarines (clearly not capable of being so carried) which were originally designated as submersible torpedo boats - to distinguish them from torpedo boats - which were capable of being carried aboard ships - the "boat" part stuck; and ferry boats- which are clearly not ocean going - and which gradually evolved from row boats and small poled craft for crossing narrow waters.

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
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During dry dock the ship is left in place and the water under the ship is removed, ships can not be lifted. happy cruising

 

that is true for a "graving" type drydock. Norwegian Star was just lifted out of the water on a floating drydock in Portland, Oregon. Ships can be lifted. Also, the Dockwise Vanguard, a ship, was considered to lift not only the Costa Concordia, but all the water inside her and the added weight of the parbuckling sponsons.

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

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Errrr, no.

Ship floats in, gates closed, water pumped out.

 

JB :)

 

True in the case of a "graving dock" - a fixed drydock. However, there are floating drydocks which can be towed to where needed, then flooded so a ship (of virtually any size) can be floated in, after which the water is pumped out of the floatation caissons thereby lifting the dock - including the ship - out of the water.

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Capt_BJ

Capt_BJ

Posted
Posted

got ya beat by a decade

 

points of interest

 

The oxford companion to ships and the sea addresses the term ship over 10 pages; and boat over a quarter of a page .....

 

SO size matters?

 

As Captain I called this my boat

 

scan0002.jpg

 

which did not mean you should . . .

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Aquahound

Aquahound

Posted
Posted
...ships can not be lifted.

 

A boat can be lifted out of the water. A ship cannot.

 

A certain service calls everything over 65' a ship (or cutter). I have personally seen a 65' ship and a 110' ship hauled out of the water on a travel lift. So yes, a ship can be lifted.

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whogo

whogo

Posted
Posted
Very very broadly - if it's big enough to carry boats, it's a ship. Main exception is submarines, which are boats.

 

But it's fun to talk to cruise ship crew about their "boat" & watch them wince :D

Try to also use words like floor instead of deck, room instead of cabin (OK, "stateroom" has been around a while), front & back instead of bow & stern, left & right instead of port & starboard.

But if you ask some crew where the "heads" are, they won't know what you're talking about.

 

JB :)

Pointy end, rounded end.

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