From: "Richard Culpeper" <culpeper_at_tbaytel.net> > (I don't know the whys and wherefores. I simply know that when I worked > on one, that is what everyone else called it.) When I asked a naval architect about this years ago, he said: "A ship is a large boat and a boat is a small ship." When I look into two books on hand, I find the definitions of "boat" and "ship" almost as vague as the above. Ship is considered to be a decked vessel with three masts, square rigged, with bowsprit, topmasts and topgallant masts. I guess that makes the carrier USS Enterprise a boat! Bradford's "The Mariner's Dictionary" says that only small submarines are boats while the Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea states that all subs are boats. The latter defines ships as "sea-going vessels", but declines to offer a definition of "sea" nor an opinion as to whether the Great Lakes are an inland sea. The former dictionary suggests that boats are small and undecked - hence a laker is a ship. When in doubt, say vessel and be done with it! Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Dec 30 2001 - 09:49:01 PST
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