IT'S A YACHT, NOT A SAILBOAT !

[Caraway]

It's a boat . It has sails. That makes it a sailboat as opposed to a motor boat (for do you prefer motoring boat?)

I don't think the Americans can lay claim to either the word boat or sail. Even so, why are all you Little Englanders concerned about the entymology of a word or phrase?

Sail
Known in Old (se(e)l) and Medieval English (saeil, seile, seyle, saile and sayle among other forms), it shares roots with the Germanic languages including Old Saxon, Middle High and modern German (segal), Middle (zeghal)and modern Dutch (zeil), Old Norse (segl), Swedish (segel) and Danish (seil).

Boat
From Middle English bot, boot, boet, boyt (“boat”), from Old English bāt (“boat”), from Proto-Germanic *baitaz, *baitą (“boat, small ship”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to break, split”). Cognate with Old Norse beit (“boat”), Middle Dutch beitel (“little boat”).


Yacht come from Dutch
1550s, yeaghe "a light, fast-sailing ship," from Norwegian jaght or early Dutch jaght, both from Middle Low German jacht, shortened form of jachtschip "fast pirate ship," literally "ship for chasing," from jacht "chase," from jagen "to chase, hunt," from Old High German jagon, from Proto-Germanic *yago-, from PIE root *yek- (2) "to hunt" (source also of Hittite ekt- "hunting net").

No American references there.

You shouldn't say sailing yacht. Do you say mortorcyling bike? or motoring boat?

Why are people so happy to use Dutch words but not American ones? Is this xenophobia? Or racism?

 

[madabouttheboat]

Cabin cruiser was the usual term for motor yachts on the Broads, where sailing boats were usually called sailing yachts. Motorboat doesn’t really cover the type well, and the usual image it brings to mind is an open boat such as the type used for fishing. Speedboat has been used for yonks to mean the sort of boat used in waterskiing and is still the most unambiguous term. Larger motorboats of the type that are planing or semi-planing are invariably called powerboats in my experience. Sports cruiser sounds like ad-speak.

Ooh, I forgot about power boat. I would use that if I was talking to a petrol head.

Sports cruiser works when talking to another MoBoer in the same way that Ketch, centre cockpit, Bilge keel, Bermudian rigged or one of those other specific types of yacht might be used among sailors, and could be replaced with flybridge, aft cabin etc. They both know much more about the exact type of boat it is, beyond just sailing or motor, but a non boating type would have little to no idea.

 

[ryanroberts]

I have knocked yacht down to sail-ing boat on er, crewing application profiles as the y word can create unfortunate expectations, including very unladylike behaviour such as asking me how big it is.

 

[ryanroberts]

I seem to remember starting a similar thread a while ago.

Another Americanism that's creeping is is "docking" rather than mooring.

I regularly use parking, I think due to years on the canal where it is all a little less dramatic

 

[laika]

It's a boat . It has sails. That makes it a sailboat as opposed to a motor boat (for do you prefer motoring boat?)

*sigh*. Do we have to do the whole thing again?
"British English" speakers: What do you call a boat propelled by sails?

The etymology is different. A motorboat is a boat with a motor. A sailing boat is a boat used for sailing, just like a fishing boat is a boat used for fishing, gardening gloves are gloves used for gardening and running shoes are shoes used for running. "sailboat" (boat with a sail) is a reasonable term and widely used in north america (as well as a literal translation of the preferred term in other european languages) but it just isn't the accepted British English usage.

 

[Kukri]

The one that gets me is “docking”, because in the day job “docking” is “dry docking”, with connotations of Class Society Surveys, “pulling” large lumps of equipment, trying to get paint to stick in the rain, and bills in at least six figures of dollars.

“Parking” on the other hand is fine. I have known VLCCs to be “parked” - carefully.

 

[Robin]

I sailed and raced dinghies then had a very brief flirtation with a small cabin cruiser. We then saw sense and had yachts with flappy things most of our boating lives, but then we went west and lived on a 47 ft motor yacht in the USA before downsizing again to a 36 ft sailboat, selling that, returning to UK and living on a mobo cum motor yacht cos SWMBO wasn't happy about flappy rag and stick stuff after my stroke.

Digressing somewhat I was a Skipper before foolishly going west and getting promoted to Captain, now just a lowly Skipper once more.

In La la land our home was on G dock with the motor yacht and F dock with the sailboat, now home in civilisation we are locked in and 'berthed' on 'A' pontoon, port side to the finger.

 

[RichardS]

Or racism?

I claim Godwin.

Richard

 

[JumbleDuck]

You shouldn't say sailing yacht. Do you say mortorcyling bike? or motoring boat?

I have walking boots, a swimming costume, some welding goggles, a sewing machine, a reefing handle, reading glasses and a sailing boat. I use them for walking, swimming, welding, sewing, reefing, reading ... and sailing.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Could those that are navigating their vessels into harbours with an irrational concern about what the terminology is for their craft be called 'pompous pilots' ? ?

Only if they cant pwonounce their Rs

 

[MADRIGAL]

I don’t care what they call my little sailing boat, as long as they put a “u” in harbour.

 

[Caraway]

*sigh*. Do we have to do the whole thing again?
"British English" speakers: What do you call a boat propelled by sails?

The etymology is different. A motorboat is a boat with a motor. A sailing boat is a boat used for sailing, just like a fishing boat is a boat used for fishing, gardening gloves are gloves used for gardening and running shoes are shoes used for running. "sailboat" (boat with a sail) is a reasonable term and widely used in north america (as well as a literal translation of the preferred term in other european languages) but it just isn't the accepted British English usage.

It is here. Why do you wish to proscribe me from using a term that I consider to be precise and correct?

"A motorboat is a boat with a motor. A sailing boat is a boat used for sailing with sails."

 

[KenF]

Brilliant JumbleDuck - game, set and match I think.

 

[Greenheart]

I wonder if a poncy-arsed pilot has ever been referred to quickly in that way before. I'm sure my divinity teacher did. ?

Do you say mortorcyling bike?

Mortar-cycling, as below, perhaps? I love the fact that whatever you put into Google, there's a photograph of something like it.
Perhaps I should volunteer 'phortograph' or 'fartograph'.

Not to be divisive, ?, but with the deep gravity and sincerity of today's theme, here's a quick lesson for people who don't know...

bouy, pronounced boo-ey, is wrong. It is spelt buoy, and pronounced 'boy'.

...this, (as far as I can tell) is just ingrained, self-contented illiteracy. I wonder how they pronounce their spelling of 'buoyancy'?

 

[Forty_Two]

And why are folks calling 'Swinging Moorings' 'Swing Moorings', i hate it, just doesn't sound right?

 

[Greenheart]

Husbands and wives, d'you mean?

I have walking boots, a swimming costume and welding goggles, a sewing machine...

Okay, I think that has foxed the internet. I can't find a picture of anyone wearing all that kit. At least, not while sewing as well.

 

[laika]

It is here. Why do you wish to proscribe me from using a term that I consider to be precise and correct?

Actually it isn't. If you click on the link you'll see the poll results. No-one is "proscribing" you from using the american term if that's what you want to do

 

[Bobc]

Husbands and wives, d'you mean?



Okay, I think that has foxed the internet. I can't find a picture of anyone wearing all that kit. At least, not while sewing as well.

He's not a real welder you know...

 

[ProDave]

I don’t care what they call my little sailing boat, as long as they put a “u” in harbour.

And don't start talking about boooeeeeeys

 

[Greenheart]

bouy, pronounced boo-ey, is wrong. It is spelt buoy, and pronounced 'boy'.

Pay attention, at the back there. ?