2007-02-17 09:25:31 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Boats & Boating
There is a complicated volume formula for tonnage that is used for documentation .A 27 foot sailboat does not qualify.
The Navy designates a ship as a vessel that is meant for ocean crossing and a boat is not.(with the exception of submarines and tugs which are boats)
2007-02-18 05:50:25 · answer #1 · answered by science teacher 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Weight does not determine whether a boat becomes a ship or vice-versa. A ship is considered a vessel of a considerable size, propelled by an engine, or sail, intended for deep water navigation. The Coast Guard considers "Cutter" or ship as a vessel 65 ft. in length or greater. While the types of ships vary, it is always about size. An good example of this is the use of the term dispalcement. When you consider wieght, you are talking displacement. That is the amount of water that the vessel whether it be a boat or ship displaces in tonnage from the hull down into the water. The empty spaces or compartments on a boat or ship will determing tonnage. Barges are NOT ships but many displace the same amount of water as many commercial ships today. But a barge is usually propelled by another vessel called a tug boat and some are self-propelled. While self-propelled, they meet the basic definition of a ship, the difference is that 99% of the time, they travel near-shore. Usually 20 miles or less from land.
Now for something more complicated; a ship can be a boat but a boat can not be a ship. Why? The English language. Technically, a boat, yacht, trawler, tanker, steamer, sailing ship regardless of how many masts (they hold up the sails), are ALL ships. Because a boat is anything that displaces water. Thus the reason the English language is one of the most the most imperfect laguages on earth. Rubber liferafts, lifebopats, etc. All fall into this category.
So you may be asking, "How does this answer my question"? Stick to the above definition and you cannot go wrong.
2007-02-17 10:16:15 · answer #2 · answered by sailorbme 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The definition was once explained to me by an old salt... You can carry a boat on a ship but you can't carry a ship on a boat. The caveat? All submarines are boats, whether they float or sink...
2007-02-17 12:51:51 · answer #3 · answered by Gordon B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the only thing size has to do when it comes to boats is over 40 feet is a yacht, a ship has 2 decks that run continuous from bow to stern, wieght has nothign to do with it either
2007-02-17 17:06:49 · answer #4 · answered by sevenout7 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The correct definition of a ship is "Any vessel which is fully rigged
on three masts or more"
2007-02-20 03:56:52 · answer #5 · answered by rockdodger 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋