What is the difference betweena ship and a boat?

Question

No one has given me a sensible answer!

Answer 1

ship = big

boat = small

Answer 2

The difference between a ship and a boat is size. Generally, a boat is a smaller craft than a ship. Ship is the more broad term for any oceangoing craft. A boat is a small vehicle for traveling on water. A boat can have oars, paddles, sails, or a motor to make it move. A ship is a large boat that can travel across deep water, such as a sea or ocean. A ship is built to carry people or goods for a long distance. A ship is propelled by sail or power only. However, there are two notable exceptions: submarines are officially boats and ore-carrying vessels that traverse large lakes are also called boats.

Answer 3

It depends on the footage of the craft. For example- a 26 foot PT Craft is called a PT Boat. Then you start getting larger in length is when you call them Ships. You can have a Frigate or a Coast Guard Cutter those are ships, even though they are not that big. Every craft you see at a Lake is a boat. More than likely anything that is capable of sea going is called a ship. This can be abit confusing because like most the old Pirate ships had sails but were sea going and were called ships. Not a pirate boat. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

A ship is a large, sea-going watercraft. A ship usually has sufficient size to carry its own boats, such as lifeboats, dinghies, or runabouts. A rule of thumb saying (though it doesn't always apply) goes: "a boat can fit on a ship, but a ship can't fit on a boat". Consequently submarines are referred to as "boats", because early submarines were small enough to be carried aboard a ship in transit to distant waters. Another type of large vessel which is traditionally called a boat is the Great Lakes freighter. .

Answer 5

I believe that boat refers to most small pleasure/fishing boats and ships carry cargo and are much larger even if they are a pleasure craft with lots of human cargo, they are still considered a ship. Most ships have to keep in a shipping lane so as not to collide with another ship. A boat which is much smaller doesn't have to stay in a shipping lane. But don't listen to me, I am making an unedumacated guess.

Answer 6

A ship is a large powered boat with many sophisticated equipment on board. There are many categories of ships, e.g. luxury cruisers, military aircraft carriers, scientific duty ships which have the ability to cut ice in places like Antarctica. In the good old days there were ships with sails alone, without any power engines and they used to take advantage of steady winds, e.g., trade winds, etc.

Boats, on the other hand, are considerably smaller and are powered by human beings using oars, manual radar (for direction steering), and, sometimes they add sails, too.

Answer 7

Answer is a ship carries boats yet a boat doesn't carry ships. I.e A ship is big enough to carry things like lifeboats and tenders, yet a boat is something around the size of a lifeboat, more of an "accessory" to a ship if you like.

Trust me, i'm a seaman!

Answer 8

I doubt that you will ever resolve this one entirely.

I tend to say that you can put a boat on a ship but not a ship on a boat.

But submarines are always classed as boats.

We had a small yacht some years ago which was advertised as a 'proper little ship'

So - you'll have to make your own mind up!

Answer 9

ship

a. A vessel of considerable size for deep-water navigation.
b. A sailing vessel having three or more square-rigged masts.

boat

a. A relatively small, usually open craft of a size that might be carried aboard a ship.
b. An inland vessel of any size.
c. A ship or submarine.

Answer 10

Let me give you sensible answer; A ship can carry cargo and passenger from one country to another, A boat is for pleasure and domestic use.

Answer 11

Put simply - a boat can fit on a ship but a ship can't fit on a boat.