"British English" speakers: What do you call a boat propelled by sails?

[NealB]

i was just pointing out the rediculousness of calling something something which it is not . , however it is still a sail boat even when parked up .

The alternative (eg a scrambled egg pan, or a potato boiling pan, etc) seems far more ridiculous to me.

And ..... she's 'she', not 'it'!!

 

[Refueler]

I think because we have become more international with travel and internet etc. - the terms each language uses become blurred and cross borders.

I have various boats ...

Motor sailer - anyone who talks to me about her - usually gets called a yacht or sailing yacht.

Weekender smaller boat - that gets usually called a sailboat (for some reason it seems to give feeling of smaller ...)

Motor day boat - gets called a speedboat or motor boat

It really seems to depend on who you are talking to and if its a non boat person ... as soon as they see a mast for sails - its a sailboat ... or over her Jacht ....

 

[Babylon]

Is this a row boat or an oar boat?

Its a faering.

Interesting to delve into the etymology: As an adjective, seafaring dates from around 1200, a combination of sea and faring, from the Old English fær, "journey or expedition." [word origin]

Here's one designed by Iain Oughtred (for modern ply/epoxy construction) but built by Adrian Morgan using traditional methods: Faering

 

[Iliade]

In our household we call them boats or yachts if propelled by sails and stinkpots if the primary means of propulsion involves the burning of fossil fuels.

 

[NealB]

Is this a row boat or an oar boat?

In my English, she's a rather charming rowing boat, with tholes instead of rowlocks..

 

[JumbleDuck]

how is it a sailing boat when it is sitting at anchor or on a berth , it is not sailing .

By that argument this is not a frying pan

this is not a skipping rope

and this is not a swimming pool

 

[cherod]

things really are getting silly now,, time to get down to the boat and get something done ..

 

[NealB]

things really are getting silly now,, time to get down to the boat and get something done ..

That's, "silly" as in: entirely logical and correct?



Hope you get lots done!!

 

[Sharky34]

Yacht

Isn't that Dutch?

 

[doug748]

It's all getting out of hand:



Rene Magritte

"The Treachery of Images is painted when Magritte was 30 years old. The picture shows a pipe. Below it, Magritte painted, "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" French for "This is not a pipe." The painting is not a pipe, but rather an image of a pipe,

This masterpiece of Surrealism creates a three-way paradox out of the conventional notion that objects correspond to words and images. "


I'm going sailing Monday.

 

[Babylon]

I'm going yacht sailing Monday.

 

[LittleSister]

Contrary to my normal global outlook, this is a poll exclusively for native speakers of "British English". Not 'Strine and *definitely* not American English. Sorry.
Prompted by a recent thread on liveaboard link I just wanted to clear this issue up once and for all so we can in future link back to this poll.

Interesting as this parade of prejudices (and examples of correct terminology by those I agree with ) is, I am afraid it will not fulfil your intention of a definitive reference.

Language is dynamic (at least it is for those who, unlike me, don't not speak proper), and I suspect that with sailing terminally increasingly learnt from YouTube videos made made by those who had, in turn, learnt it from YouTube videos posted by ignorant youth who don't know their futtocks from their elbows, ghastly Americanisms such as 'sailboat' will become increasingly prevalent.

Your survey could, however, help measure quite how quickly the world is going to hell in a hand-basket*.

(* Which phrase may itself be an Americanism! )

 

[alan_d]

Your survey could, however, help measure quite how quickly the world is going to hell in a hand-basket*.

(* Which phrase may itself be an Americanism! )

I thought it was "going to hell in a hand-cart". What's a hand-basket? Should we have another poll?

 

[cherod]

I'm going yacht sailing Monday.

on your boat i presume

 

[cherod]

Interesting as this parade of prejudices (and examples of correct terminology by those I agree with ) is, I am afraid it will not fulfil your intention of a definitive reference.

Language is dynamic (at least it is for those who, unlike me, don't not speak proper), and I suspect that with sailing terminally increasingly learnt from YouTube videos made made by those who had, in turn, learnt it from YouTube videos posted by ignorant youth who don't know their futtocks from their elbows, ghastly Americanisms such as 'sailboat' will become increasingly prevalent.

Your survey could, however, help measure quite how quickly the world is going to hell in a hand-basket*.

(* Which phrase may itself be an Americanism! )

sorry to burst your bubble honey but the term sailboat has been around for much longer that either youtube or the yoofs which which populate it , or perhaps you are referring to " youths " like " Emerald Steel " or " Follow the Boat " etc etc .

 

[JumbleDuck]

sorry to burst your bubble honey but the term sailboat has been around for much longer that either youtube or the yoofs which which populate it , or perhaps you are referring to " youths " like " Emerald Steel " or " Follow the Boat " etc etc .

I'm interested to note that "sailing <anything>" is generally quite a recent usage, mostly from the mid 19th century onwards. Presumably that's because the need to distinguish didn't exist before. See also "electric car". The earliest usage of "sailing dinghy" the OED knows of is only 1930.

For comparison

 

[LittleSister]

sorry to burst your bubble honey but the term sailboat has been around for much longer that either youtube or the yoofs which which populate it , or perhaps you are referring to " youths " like " Emerald Steel " or " Follow the Boat " etc etc .

Whoooshh!!!

 

[[159032]]

See post #63? Also the question was intended to determine what British speakers use, not what is "better".

Ah but. As the political experts on here tell us populism is not proof of correctness.

 

[gordmac]

Tricky thing English, no logic or consistency to it.
A boat with sails would be a sailboat, when using them it would be a sailing boat and when under engine a motoring boat.

 

[25931]

Tricky thing English, no logic or consistency to it.
A boat with sails would be a sailboat, when using them it would be a sailing boat and when under engine a motoring boat.

Strange that so many use boat when the Oxford Companion to Ships andThe Sea says " the generic name for small open craft, without any decking and usually propelled by oars" and our forum hosts "Yachting and Boating". Once again it is demonstrated that the purpose of language is communication and we use the term which best communicates our idea at the time.