A boat is a watercraft, usually smaller than most ships. Some boats are commonly carried by a ship or on land using trailers.
A boat consists of one or more buoyancy structures called hulls and some system of propulsion, such as, oars, paddles, a setting pole, a sail or a motor.
 Indonesian transport on Seram, Maluku |
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Boats
Unusual uses of the word "Boat"
- Often in rowing as a racing-type competitive sport, "boat" means the crew and "shell" means the craft. So a university might refer to its first boat, meaning the rowers who make up their best team, rather than their best piece of equipment.
- A submarine is generally referred to as a boat rather than a ship.
- A ship can be informally known as a boat, especially by its crew. This use is uncommon in the case of a warship.
- In cockney rhyming slang, "boat" means face, from "boat race".
- In UK English the term "gravy boat" is used to describe a small jug used to dispense meat gravy at the dining table.
Unusual types of boats
Bathtub racing on a pond in
Leipzig, Germany in 2003
Unsuitable floating vehicles have been used for sports purposes as well. For example, the Bathtub Boat is used in "bathtub races" in many cities, although it originated in Nanaimo, BC, Canada.
Nautical Terminology
Directions
A specialized set of terms is used to designate directions relative to a boat or ship.
The bow is the foremost point on the ship: the point that is ahead when the vessel is underway. The stern is the rear. The adjectives fore/forward and aft mean towards the bow and stern, respectively.
The left and right sides of a ship, relative to a person facing forward, are termed port and starboard.
The side of the ship towards which the wind is blowing is referred to as the windward side and the side away from the wind is termed the leeward side.
More specific directions can be given using "the points of the compass". There are 8 points in each quarter of a circle surrounding the boat, so a direction can be described in the following manner, "two points off the starboard bow" or "three points aft of the port beam".
Parts of a Boat
The horizontal portions of the boat that can be stood upon are referred to as the "deck", regardless of the level of the boat. The term deck is also used to denote the level, e.g. first deck, gun deck, etc. Horizontal surfaces above a compartment are known as the "overhead". The vertical surfaces thought of as walls or partitions in a building are called "bulkheads".
The command area of a large boat is known as the "bridge".
The compartments housing a toilet, and the toilet itself, are known as the "head", and a trip to this area is a "head call".
Cordage used to control a sailing boat is referred to as "line" rather than rope. Most have specific names, but generally lines used for hoisting sails are called "halyards" while those used for adjusting the position of the sail are called "sheets". All the lines collectively are referred to as "rigging", and fixed line or cable supporting a mast is referred to as "standing rigging" while all adjustable line is "running rigging".
History
External Links
See also