A boaty grammar query.

[NealB]

I think use of good English is important: nothing too interlekchewall, just basic stuff.

I'm currently helping a friend write an advert for a boat that he wants to sell.

Should she be described, as "a 27 foot bermudan cutter", or as a "27 feet, bermudan cutter"?

And is she bermuda, bermudan or bermudian rigged?

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Your first description is the one that's most commonly used.

 

[reeac]

" 27 foot" would be customary useage. " Bermudan" looks and sounds better to me than "Bermudian" which seems a bit precious.

 

[NealB]

Your first description is the one that's most commonly used.

Thanks: but are you referring to the "foot" or "bermudan", or both?

 

[Jamie Dundee]

If the measurement is used as an adjective use the singular. “I ran 100 meters” - meter as noun. “I ran a 100 meter race” - meter as adj.

 

[NealB]

" 27 foot" would be customary useage. " Bermudan" looks and sounds better to me than "Bermudian" which seems a bit precious.

I agree with you about "foot", but it offends my sense of plurals (1 foot is correct, but 27 foot seems wrong!).

I prefer 'Bermuda'!

 

[awol]

Call it a "Marconi" rig and it solves one of your problems.

 

[Moodysailor]

a 27 foot LOA bermudan cutter

 

[NealB]

If the measurement is used as an adjective use the singular. “I ran 100 meters” - meter as noun. “I ran a 100 meter race” - meter as adj.

Thank you: food for thought, there!

 

[Kukri]

Since most boats are Marconi/Bermuda/Bermudian/Bermudan/leg of mutton/pointy/triangular mainsail rigged I think it is only necessary to state the shape of the mainsail if it is a gaff/sprit/junk/lateen/lug sail. Saves a word.

 

[NealB]

No mate (Moodsailor #8)! She's 27 feet on deck: then there's a wooden pole what sticks out over the pointed end, and a couple of wooden bits what stick out the back (they help to keep the mast up, I'm told).

 

[Jamie Dundee]

Thank you: food for thought, there!

Very common in everyday speech. “She has brown eyes”, ”she is a brown eyed woman”.

 

[awol]

If the measurement is used as an adjective use the singular. “I ran 100 meters” - meter as noun. “I ran a 100 meter race” - meter as adj.

But surely you have to define what kind of "meter" it is ...... or did you mean "metre"?

As for the OP, why not include pictures and an inventory - I'm sure the Mods won't mind!

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Thanks: but are you referring to the "foot" or "bermudan", or both?

Both.

 

[Wing Mark]

27 foot.
we say '12 inch ruler' not 'a 12 inches ruler'.
A 3 storey house.
A ten man team.
I'd say Bermudan, but you can mostly assume that, anything else people will be very quick to say it's gaff rig or whatever?

 

[NealB]

Very common in everyday speech. “She has brown eyes”, ”she is a brown eyed woman”.

Oooh .... you're confusing me now, by introducing the 'd'!

 

[Wing Mark]

Very common in everyday speech. “She has brown eyes”, ”she is a brown eyed woman”.

She has five and a half feet?

 

[NealB]

Both.

Thank you!

 

[johnalison]

‘27 feet’ only works with a full stop, so the first reads better.

’Bermudian’ is charmingly old-fashioned but would probably confuse today’s trendy sailors. Quite a few terms have changed over the years. I rather like the alternative spelling ‘spinaker’ which I occasionally use to annoy people.

 

[NealB]

But surely you have to define what kind of "meter" it is ...... or did you mean "metre"?

As for the OP, why not include pictures and an inventory - I'm sure the Mods won't mind!

I supect they (those groovy mods) might well object, so .......... no pics, no details, no inventory.