How Big is Big Enough ?

[sail7seas]

How big is a boat when it becomes ship instead of boat?

Is there a fixed size that determines when it's not a boat but a ship?

(Always catches my ear when I hear someone refer to a 55,000 ton ship as a boat. :D)

[prescottbob]

Ahoy!

During basic training in the USN in the late 60's I understood a boat to be (by strict defintion) a relatively small water borne vessel that can be carried aboard a ship, such as a tender.

Certainly any smaller recreational vessel (e.g., fishing, sailing) or smaller utility vessel (e.g. tug, lauch, fire, etc.) would be considered a "boat".

Any relatively large vessel (ocean / fresh water) able to carry a "boat" is considered a "ship".

There may be a tonnage differential of some sort but I don't know. I'm sure John and others will clear things up.

Bon Voyage & Good Health!
Bob:)

[Cruzman]

My understanding is that if the vessel is too large to be carried on another vessel, it is a ship.

[CowPrincess]

From here:

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/facts/faqs/what-is-the-definition-of-a-boat-versus-a-ship

What is the definition of a boat versus a ship?
The Historic Ships Committee have designated a vessel below 40 tons and 40 feet in length as a boat. However, submarines and fishing vessels are always known as boats whatever their size.

[esther e]

We had a strict Norwegian captain on a ship once who was getting annoyed at people calling it a "boat." He made the announcement that "a boat will fit on a ship. A ship will not fit on a boat."

[shipwreck1]

40 or 45ft is a boat(i think) anything larger is a ship(except a submarine, which is always a boat,go figure). Also any boat over 26ft.(used to be) is considered a yacht by insurance company standards.

[Pettifogger]

More than fifty years ago, my elder brother, who was a quartermaster in the Navy, told me that if one could not row it with oars, it was a ship.

[ANSalberg]

A "boat" is a shoe size over 10.....A ship is anything that carries people from point A to point G and maybe a little beyond; And has people like Bayu & Merdy that spoil you rotten. Definition; Piece of CAKE!
Anne ;)

[suse]

:D Does that count?

[shipwreck1]

We are having to much fun with this!!LOL

[pms4104]

Ships and boats ... then there are yachts and dinghies. Reminds me when my former company, an air freight forwarder, was charged with exporting the dinghy for the personal or royal yacht of King Juan Carlos of Spain back in 1979/80 or thereabouts. We ended up charterig a semi to New York to haul the dinghy for export, as we were unable to secure air cargo space from ORD. Yep, the dinghy, and I think that was how the export docs described it, pretty much filled the 48-footer. Some dinghy, huh?

[SDHALFAN]

More than fifty years ago, my elder brother, who was a quartermaster in the Navy, told me that if one could not row it with oars, it was a ship.

I love your brother's definition, and cannot dispute it, but can tell that he was never a member of "The Silent Force". Just how does anyone row a submarine?

This post is meant strictly for laughs. My late husband was a submariner and, as has been said before, they always refer to their "ships" as "boats". Being an Air Force "Fledgling" I was unfamiliar with Navy terminology when we were newly married and had to be corrected several times, to my total embarrassment. My husband's rolling of his eyes didn't make me feel any better either.

Valerie:D

[sail7seas]

So....... some of those gorgeous mega yachts we see tied up in Fort Lauderdale, are they ships? or are they boats? :D

[mamaofami]

So....... some of those gorgeous mega yachts we see tied up in Fort Lauderdale, are they ships? or are they boats? :D



I would guess they are yachts.

[leoandhugh]

those are just what you called them - yachts:)

[esther e]

I'm having a vision of Little Toot being called a Tug Ship. Doesn't work for me! (Do you row a tug?)

[jtl513]

So....... some of those gorgeous mega yachts we see tied up in Fort Lauderdale, are they ships? or are they boats? :DI think most pleasure craft are commonly called boats regardless of the size ... and many of them carry good size boats! Larry Ellison's "boat" the Rising Sun is (I think) the 2nd largest privately-owned yacht in the world right now at 454 feet. That's 63% of the length of the Maasdam! :)

[flag fan]

I heard somewhere that ships are ocean-going vessels while boats are confined to rivers and lakes, regardless of the size of the vessel.

[shipwreck1]

I wonder how you can get an up-grade on Larry Ellison's BOAT!!!LOL. It's like HAL--smaller ships with less people and better service.

[jtl513]

I heard somewhere that ships are ocean-going vessels while boats are confined to rivers and lakes, regardless of the size of the vessel.Except as noted above for fishing boats and submarines. And many privately owned sailboats. And many Baltic and Mediterranean ferry boats. :)

[usha]

I heard somewhere that ships are ocean-going vessels while boats are confined to rivers and lakes, regardless of the size of the vessel.
Unless it's an ocean-going Carnival vessel.
Then it's a boat.;):D

[sail7seas]

Fun answers....... Thanks.

[TTFromSommersTown]

More than fifty years ago, my elder brother, who was a quartermaster in the Navy, told me that if one could not row it with oars, it was a ship.

So was the Trireme just a very large three level row boat?:)

[Himself]

People say I like to go on the Boats and I correct them and say no I am going on a SHIP. Our ship carries boats on it in case of an emergency.

[Pettifogger]

Whether or not a trireme was a ship or a boat depended on whether or not it had its sails up.

[Tamaracboy]

Fun answers....... Thanks.



No one has mentioned a Launch ? ? :confused:

And an "Ocian-going Tug" . . . . does that make it a Tug-Ship ????? :rolleyes:
(ditto barges :) )

Of course we all know that the Titanic could fit on the Flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan; would that make her a boat ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? :eek:

These things need to be asked (and answered :p )