capnsensible
Well-known member
There are two sorts of ships. Submarines and targets.
A submarine is a boat.
A submarine is a boat.
Pompous Boat Terminology and Boat Owners
- Thread starter Irish Rover
- Start date
dunedin
Well-known member
Therefore there must be two types of boat - pleasure craft and submarines !There are two sorts of ships. Submarines and targets.
A submarine is a boat.
Porthandbuoy
Well-known member
QED
WoodyP
Well-known member
Just to pick you up, I think you meant that clarity matters for vessel safety. Ambiguity is the problem.
Bristolfashion
Well-known member
Yep, you can call a halyard a splunket so long as everyone concerned knows exactly what you mean.
Imagine on those huge sailing boats of yor, with their multiple sails, if the mate had cried, "raise the futtock sheet" and everyone had stood around arguing which one that was!
KevinV
Well-known member
Or language - my siblings sail in Dutch, I sail in English - a bit awkward when shouting "mind the boom!"
LiftyK
Well-known member
I’ve noticed this. It seems they are all Captain This and Captain That. I’ve often wondered what they think qualifies them to use this term in an official manner. I don’t mind but it’s clearly a different culture to U.K. tradition.
For big ships, the Navy, tugs, all commercial stuff backed up by industry qualifications, I can see why it makes sense. For everyone else, I’m not sure. I would never refer to myself as captain.
By the way, I recently attended a brilliant talk on this history and development of British children’s television. The very knowledgeable and highly entertaining speaker assured us that any innuendo attached to Captain Pugwash is entirely false and does not stand up to scrutiny.
Blue Seas
Active member
People incorrectly describing a Yacht as a Boat (Sandy has it nailed) should retire themselves to the Practical Boat Owners section and leave us Yachties in the 'Yachting Monthly (Scuttlebutt) section.
If 'Yachting Monthly', 'Yachting World', and 'YBW.Com' is too embarrassing for you, then 'Das Boot' is your natural destiny. Talk about trunnels and seacocks to your hearts content and leave us yachties to talk about the fine art of yachting.
If 'Yachting Monthly', 'Yachting World', and 'YBW.Com' is too embarrassing for you, then 'Das Boot' is your natural destiny. Talk about trunnels and seacocks to your hearts content and leave us yachties to talk about the fine art of yachting.
Irish Rover
Well-known member
obmij
Active member
I always thought yacht was a fairly simple term for a pleasure vessel. Why would it be pompous or embarrassing to describe an object correctly? Let's face it if I'm rocking up in something with sails and a mast I'm not kidding anyone that I'll be engaging in dredging operations anytime soon or carrying 100000 cubic meters of LNG anywhere at all.
I think that outside of the British Isles 'captain' is a fairly widely understood and simple term which means 'the person in charge'. It is also very accurate and there shouldn't really be any pretention or awkwardness attached to the word. The day skipper heading out to see with family or a few mates is wholly responsible for their safety as well as the safety of the vessel & marine environment. Therefore he or she is the captain of the vessel.
On the other hand - a Master Unlimited with 20 years on the briny but circling the globe as a C/M is NOT the captain. The captain is the person they report to when the waste hits the macerator.
I think that outside of the British Isles 'captain' is a fairly widely understood and simple term which means 'the person in charge'. It is also very accurate and there shouldn't really be any pretention or awkwardness attached to the word. The day skipper heading out to see with family or a few mates is wholly responsible for their safety as well as the safety of the vessel & marine environment. Therefore he or she is the captain of the vessel.
On the other hand - a Master Unlimited with 20 years on the briny but circling the globe as a C/M is NOT the captain. The captain is the person they report to when the waste hits the macerator.
Irish Rover
Well-known member
So would you describe my powercat as a "yacht" and me as "yachtsman" - please bear in mind, before hitting the post reply button, that I'm a very sensitive person, and forum rules require you to be kind and considerate towards me.
MisterBaxter
Well-known member
Rightly or wrongly, I've always used the term 'yacht' to refer to a sailing vessel built for leisure and pleasure. Pleasure craft with no sails are 'motor boats' or 'powerboats' in my mind; the prefixes 'big', 'enormous' or similar get used to distinguish the vast gin palaces from the Nelsons or whatever.
I think the word 'yacht' comes from the Dutch, originally a fast sailing boat for hunting pirates, the type later being taken up as a fun boat for rich people to sail in their spare time.
I think the word 'yacht' comes from the Dutch, originally a fast sailing boat for hunting pirates, the type later being taken up as a fun boat for rich people to sail in their spare time.
Neeves
Well-known member
I'm hoping this post is permitted - I'm trying to keep below the parapet.
This all makes a complete and refreshing change from anchors, no wonder I like YBW.
Tend to feel a complete charlatan when large commercial vessels, bulk carriers, cruise ships, etc and our volunteer Marine Rescue radio stations call me 'Sir' or 'Captain'.
Jonathan
This all makes a complete and refreshing change from anchors, no wonder I like YBW.
Tend to feel a complete charlatan when large commercial vessels, bulk carriers, cruise ships, etc and our volunteer Marine Rescue radio stations call me 'Sir' or 'Captain'.
Jonathan
Sticky Fingers
Well-known member
In my mind, and sometimes in conversation, my 42’ sailing boat was a yacht; my 42’ sports cruiser was a motorboat; and my 48’ flybridge is a motor yacht. I’ve no rationales for his. And I’d refer to myself as ‘skipper’.
Last edited:
lustyd
Well-known member
We're bordering on boaty pronouns here.
Do you identify as:
Let's hope JK Rowling isn't a boater...
Do you identify as:
Skipper | Yacht | |
Captain | Of a | Motor boat |
Crew | Boat | |
Mate | Ship |
Let's hope JK Rowling isn't a boater...
benjenbav
Well-known member
Like me: someone addressed me as ‘Mr benjenbav’ recently. I thought they must have meant my late father.
Fr J Hackett
Well-known member
What's wrong with "Master under God alone"
RobbieW
Well-known member
Sir or Ma'am are simply honorifics in common use by professional radio users, eg VTS. The operator doesnt know and cant see the sending user so needs to use something simple and polite.
Last edited:
Neeves
Well-known member
The common 'title' for anyone in Australia is 'Mate'. 'Captain' and 'Sir' do seem a bit 'contradictory'. But I do understand the reasons.
Jonathan
Jonathan
Bristolfashion
Well-known member
Yes, but "mate" is inflected in Australia, it can mean best friend, random person I'm talking to or that you're about to lose your teeth!