Are we such a bunch of snobs ??

Applescruffs

Applescruffs

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SO: why is it that we 'rent' a car... or..... we 'rent' a villa or caravan for our holidays...

but us Yotties will always 'Charter' a yacht.

Are we such snobs?, is there a difference 'twixt renting and chartering?

Thoughts?

Is there any other other boatie related snobbery that you can think of?

apart form, clothing, electronics, clothing, ropes, clothing....etc..

Cheers.
 
Applescruffs said:
SO: why is it that we 'rent' a car... or..... we 'rent' a villa or caravan for our holidays...

but us Yotties will always 'Charter' a yacht.

Are we such snobs?, is there a difference 'twixt renting and chartering?

Thoughts?

Is there any other other boatie related snobbery that you can think of?

apart form, clothing, electronics, clothing, ropes, clothing....etc..

Cheers.
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Ships are chartered, so I guess it comes from there.
 
One of my American Speedway riding mates had a tee shirt with the slogan "If it flies, floats f*cks or drives its cheaper to rent it!" Does'nt have quite the same ring when you put charter in place of rent.
 
I don't think snobbery comes into it does it? I think it's an historical term, ships/vessels have been 'chartered' since before motor cars were a mere glint in Herr Daimler's eye..:D :D
 
Americans rent cars, in British English we hire them.

Chartering has a specific legal meaning, normally in connection with seagoing craft, but you can hire a boat by the hour or the day, on the Thames for example, and indeed these boats and similar ones are known as hire-craft. I have never heard of anyone chartering a canal -boat.
 
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How would you describe snobbery ?

To me it is this strange human desire to try and be better, and think that you are, better than someone else. Most odd to me and always has been.

Snobbery has always been equated with being rich. I have lived & worked with such people and IMO they are so busy trying to ever increase their material wealth that they live in a blinkered world which actually ruins their lives. But they can't & never will see it.

Oh yes back to the question :D Snobbery in sailing.............those lazy hoo hars who own a boat/yachit and park it in the most expensive marina they can afford purely to entertain and impress their friends but never go to sea.
 
Once upon a time boats always came with crew.

Chartering was hiring the boat and crew for a specific task. Hence the difference.

Aircraft are similarly chartered - generally involving crew - you don't charter a 737 to fly holiday makers to Spain without crew (Although I'm sure it's possible).
 
zzyyxx said:
Aircraft are similarly chartered - generally involving crew - you don't charter a 737 to fly holiday makers to Spain without crew (Although I'm sure it's possible).
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Yes aircraft are chartered, in fact the industry has its own association BACA, the Baltic Air Charter Assc.
 
alan_d said:
Americans rent cars, in British English we hire them.
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Forgive me if this is an old joke but it was told to me as a true story by a friend of mine the other day:
Many years ago he was sent to the USA for the first time by his work (can't remember which state). After spending the first night in his hotel he realised in the morning that the place was bigger than he'd anticipated and that he'd need a car. He found the number of a local garage offering rentals in the phone book and gave them a call.
- "I need to hire a car"
- "I'm sorry, excuse me?"
- (A bit more slowly and clearly) "I need to hire a car"
- "I see......er.....isn't it high enough already?"

:D Gotta love em...!
 
rotrax said:
One of my American Speedway riding mates had a tee shirt with the slogan "If it flies, floats f*cks or drives its cheaper to rent it!" Does'nt have quite the same ring when you put charter in place of rent.
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It's a quote from Tommy Earl Bruner in Dan Jenkins' novel Baja Oklahoma; "if it flies, floats or f*cks, rent it, don't buy it."

To go back to the basic premise of this thread, somebody please explain why using the correct word is snobbish. It may seem like mere semantics to you, but the richness of the English language depends upon this sort of distinction. Call it rental if you like; to all intents and purposes it's the same thing, and we'll all understand what you mean, but our language will be impoverished as a result.
 
rotrax said:
One of my American Speedway riding mates had a tee shirt with the slogan "If it flies, floats f*cks or drives its cheaper to rent it!" Does'nt have quite the same ring when you put charter in place of rent.
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No, but being a charter boy, doesn't sound quite as bad as the alternative.
 
There are - I'm told - young men from less well-educated backgrounds who 'charter' themselves out to City gents... :eek:

Is that a form of inverted snobbery?
 
Applescruffs said:
but us Yotties will always 'Charter' a yacht.
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You would be better asking why we call a small sailing boat a yacht. A contract to rent a yacht is governed by the same maritime law as one to charter a supertanker and thats where the word comes from. Just like you refer to deckhead rather than ceiling and to deck rather than floor. Has no social connotations whatsoever - but the word yacht definitely does.
 
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