Feminine or Masculine

C

C-Hawk

New member
This could get interesting :lol:

Why are boats typically referred to in the feminine sense?

"A ship is referred to as a 'she' because it costs so much to keep
one in paint and powder." Chester W Nimitz
 
From a website:

According to Yarns of the Sea, Legends, Myths, and Superstitions: Although women were considered to bring bad luck at sea, mariners always use the pronoun "she" when referring to their ships. Whether its proper name is masculine, or whether it is a man o'war, a battleship, or a nuclear submarine, a ship is always referred to as "she."

This old tradition is thought to stem from the fact that in the Romance languages, the word for "ship" is always in the feminine. For this reason, Mediterranean sailors always referred to their ship as "she", and the practice was adopted over the centuries by their English-speaking counterparts.

One source suggests that a ship "was nearer and dearer to the sailor than anyone except his mother." What better reason to call his ship "she"?

On another note, when Rickover was asked why he is now naming submarines after politicians and states instead of fish, he quipped

"FISH DON'T VOTE"
 
Patty here. This is a quote from the christening ceremony we have used when naming our C-Dories: These ships will nurture and care for us through perilous seas, and so we affectionately call them "she."
 
Pat Anderson":3exzqvdn said:
will nurture and care for us through perilous seas, and so we affectionately call them "she."
Click to expand...

Yeah, and if you don't nurture and care for the "she" as well, there WILL BE "perilous" seas! :disgust
 
GRAMPA TOLD ME MANY YEARS AGO THAT IN THE BEGINNING OF BOAT BUILDING TIME, THE EARLY NATIVES, IN AN EFFORT TO PLEASE THE GOD'S OF THE SEA, WOULD SACRIFICE A VIRGIN, AT THE LAUNCHING OF A NEWLY BUILT VESSEL. THEY WOULD PLACE THE SACRIFICIED VIRGIN'S HEAD ON THE BOW PULPIT AND WHEN THE HEAD FELL OFF AND INTO THE SEA IT WAS A SIGN THAT THE GOD'S OF THE SEA WERE PLEASED AND FROM THAT POINT ON THE VIRGIN'S SOLE BECAME PART OF THE VESSEL, THERE, FOREVER MORE BEING KNOWN AS SHE.
NOW GRAMPA WAS KNOWN TO BE A DRUNK, CHEAT AND LIER SO, I WOULDN'T NECESSARLY TAKE THIS INFORMATION TO THE BANK!
I'D B CAPT. PAT
 
I thought pleasure boats were named feminine and work boats could have either male or female name. And that all should be referred to as "she".

I wounder how far across the bay you would get with the virgins head out on the bow of the Dory.... hm? cool story thanks. :D
 
...the next time you have your boat out of the water, when 'she' is the most vulnerable...run your eyes along 'her' smooth lines...the rises and falls...the width and narrowness... the perfect geometric proportions. To call 'her' anything other than HER is an insult.
 
Look how long hurricanes were named after woman. I guess they had their reasons. The real reason they named boats after women is after the divorse they will own the boat anyway. Saves time and money rechristening etc. How does that saying go? Hell has no fury like a woman scorned, or something like that. Here are a couple names that might be middle ground, Butch, Sheman, Ellen,Rosie. :dog I got to go now.
D.D.
 
Will-C":jdz8yj4s said:
Look how long hurricanes were named after woman. I guess they had their reasons. The real reason they named boats after women is after the divorse they will own the boat anyway. Saves time and money rechristening etc. How does that saying go? Hell has no fury like a woman scorned, or something like that. Here are a couple names that might be middle ground, Butch, Sheman, Ellen,Rosie. :dog I got to go now.
D.D.
Click to expand...


yeah i am totally agree with you. :thup :smiled
 
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