How To Refer To A Boat By Name?

[Radiomariner]

 

Dead right, but for example I'm sure the media referred to Amoco Cadiz as "The Amoco Cadiz". They should have correctly used "The tanker, Amoco Cadiz", as I, ahem, suggested earlier.

Seafarers, working for Amoco would have referred to it as "The Cadiz"

 

All the ships in the fleet began with Amoco.

Edited June 11, 2014 by Radiomariner

[Guest]

I think the practise of calling a boat "the Percy Verance" (for example) is simply the way it was done 100 years ago and has now fallen into disuse.

 

I find it totally charming and shall in future refer to my boats as "the REGINALD" and "the ALDEBARAN", in the vain hope of reviving the practise.

 

"the SICKLE", "the FULBOURNE", "the THE DOG HOUSE" all sound beautifully evocative of an age gone by*.

 

 

 

MtB

 

 

* Ok, not that last one

Given there were not many working boats called Dog House that is not surprising is it?

[John Williamson 1955]

I think it partly depends on how formal the identification is. My boat is called "The Lair" and that is what's painted on the side. To call it just "Lair" would be wrong and possibly confusing, as there are a number of "Lair"'s, usually with Dragon's or Bear's in front of the word. In the same way, the boat in the "Kingfisher" example would normally just be called "Kingfisher" unless extra identification were needed, in which case it she would be MC Kingfisher or SS Kingfisher. The style of printing used would be part of the book style, which may be dictated by the house style of the publisher or the editor's preference.

 

If I'm on a river or at sea, using VHF, then my boat would be "Narrowboat The Lair" or "Motor cruiser The Lair" when initially calling any other station, to give them an idea of the size of vessel. If I just call as "The Lair", they've no way of easily knowing if the mayday is to rescue myself and maybe the dog, or 2000 passengers on a cruise liner. (Exaggerated, but you get the idea, I hope)

[Pete & Helen]

Don't know if this helps?

 

"Concorde also acquired an unusual nomenclature for an aircraft. In common usage in the United Kingdom, the type is known as Concorde without an article, rather than the Concorde or a Concorde.^[28][29]"

^{From Wiki}

 

^{I know its an aircraft, but aircraft often follow boating language. i.e. the chief pilot is The Captain etc....}

 

Not a good example as its spelt two different ways to start with, Concord and Concorde depending if your French or English. That aside I think that the answer to the OP question is in the posts here in, the name is as its displayed on the boat but in inverted comers, " " if you want to add The to the name it is normally outside the inverted comers.

[Radiomariner]

Although prefixing the name with "The" sounds grand on say "The Queen Mary" or "The Majestic" it indicates these are special vessels,but completely stupid on Kingfisher. there are so many of them!. My boas named "Peppers Paw" would not sound right at all prefixed with "the".

By the way, I have given up exlaining that Pepper was a very much loved dog tha loved running up and down a narrow boat, I now answer the question "Who is Pepper?" with, jn as strong a Scots accent as possible, "My Daughter"!

Edited June 11, 2014 by Radiomariner

[Theo]

 

Not a good example as its spelt two different ways to start with, Concord and Concorde depending if your French or English. That aside I think that the answer to the OP question is in the posts here in, the name is as its displayed on the boat but in inverted comers, " " if you want to add The to the name it is normally outside the inverted comers.

If you're entering the building walking on your hands then I suppose you are an inverted comer.

 

Just a thought...

 

N

[cheshire~rose]

I think Radiomariner has a point. Perhaps before using the prefix "the" we need to check on Jim Shead site to see how unique the name is.

 

The Fulbourne feels right. I have no idea if there is more than one Fulbourne but if I see that name the visual image of the boat pops into my head - just as it would do if someone mentions The Ark Royal.

 

Turning back to Python there are two Pythons! One is a hire boat at Norbury Wharf. The other is a historic vessel. Therefore usig that argument Python cannit be The Python.

 

 

Of course referring to Kingfisher again - if you cannot use "the Kingfisher" because there are so many of them should you then use "a Kingfisher" - that becomes more confusing because it is not a Kingfisher - it is a boat!

[Ray T]

 

Not a good example as its spelt two different ways to start with, Concord and Concorde depending if your French or English. That aside I think that the answer to the OP question is in the posts here in, the name is as its displayed on the boat but in inverted comers, " " if you want to add The to the name it is normally outside the inverted comers.

 

The plane, model name is spelt with an "e"

 

Naming[edit]

Reflecting the treaty between the British and French governments which led to Concorde's construction, the name Concorde is from the French word concorde (IPA: [kɔ̃kɔʁd]), which has an English equivalent, concord. Both words mean agreement, harmony or union. The name was officially changed to Concord by Harold Macmillan in response to a perceived slight by Charles de Gaulle. In 1967, at the French roll-out in Toulouse the British Government Minister for Technology, Tony Benn, announced that he would change the spelling back to Concorde.^[26] This created a nationalist uproar that died down when Benn stated that the suffixed 'e' represented "Excellence, England, Europe and Entente (Cordiale)." In his memoirs, he recounts a tale of a letter from an irate Scotsman claiming: "[Y]ou talk about 'E' for England, but part of it is made in Scotland." Given Scotland’s contribution of providing the nose cone for the aircraft, Benn replied, "t was also 'E' for 'Écosse' (the French name for Scotland) — and I might have added 'e' for extravagance and 'e' for escalation as well!"^[27]

Edited June 11, 2014 by Ray T

[RLWP]

Thanks Ray, beat me to it

 

Richard

[muddywaters]

Usage tends to favour the prefix "the" for big ships - the Queen Mary - but no prefix for smaller craft. But I don't think there is a hard and fast rule, unless CART have just invented one.

Give them time and they will

[Phil Ambrose]

Motor Yacht, would that be SSR registration Paul?

Phil

[Pete & Helen]

I think Radiomariner has a point. Perhaps before using the prefix "the" we need to check on Jim Shead site to see how unique the name is.

 

The Fulbourne feels right. I have no idea if there is more than one Fulbourne but if I see that name the visual image of the boat pops into my head - just as it would do if someone mentions The Ark Royal.

 

Turning back to Python there are two Pythons! One is a hire boat at Norbury Wharf. The other is a historic vessel. Therefore usig that argument Python cannit be The Python.

 

 

Of course referring to Kingfisher again - if you cannot use "the Kingfisher" because there are so many of them should you then use "a Kingfisher" - that becomes more confusing because it is not a Kingfisher - it is a boat!

 

Would that be "The JIm Shead" site

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Motor Yacht, would that be SSR registration Paul?

Phil

Well spotted Sir Phil,

Yes (Well part 1 full registration).

Don't know why it's worded like that, but I guess it's of times gone by.

[MtB]

 

Would that be "The JIm Shead" site

 

 

Oi, I was gonna say that!!

 

 

MtB

[Nightwatch]

What gets my goat a little is when people refer to one of her majesty's ships as,say, 'The Her Majesty's ship Ark Royal'.

 

Does it make sense?

 

Not to me it don't.

 

Martyn

[Neil2]

There's a similar issue in the locomotive world, for example, how many times have you heard people refer to Flying Scotsman as "The Flying Scotsman" but "Mallard" is always just Mallard, not "The" Mallard.

 

Nations too - Ukraine is not "The" Ukraine as it is so often referred to.

 

Of course if you hail from God's county of Yorkshire you don't have to worry about any of this. I haven't used "the" for well over 50 years.

[bizzard]

Das Boot = The Wellington.

[YamYam]

There's a similar issue in the locomotive world, for example, how many times have you heard people refer to Flying Scotsman as "The Flying Scotsman" but "Mallard" is always just Mallard, not "The" Mallard.

 

Nations too - Ukraine is not "The" Ukraine as it is so often referred to.

 

Of course if you hail from God's county of Yorkshire you don't have to worry about any of this. I haven't used "the" for well over 50 years.

 

 

Think you'll find THE Black Country is actually God's county

[Quinafloat]

If I'm on a river or at sea, using VHF, then my boat would be "Narrowboat The Lair" or "Motor cruiser The Lair" when initially calling any other station, to give them an idea of the size of vessel. If I just call as "The Lair", they've no way of easily knowing if the mayday is to rescue myself and maybe the dog, or 2000 passengers on a cruise liner. (Exaggerated, but you get the idea, I hope)

 

Same here, "The" is intentionally part of the name and runs much better, and clearer as "Narrowboat The Beech Nuts" over VHF. Mind you, the normal reply is "Beech Nuts go ahead".

 

It also works well as people referring to us tend to miss out the word Beech, but do remember to use the "The".

[Iain_S]

There's a similar issue in the locomotive world, for example, how many times have you heard people refer to Flying Scotsman as "The Flying Scotsman" but "Mallard" is always just Mallard, not "The" Mallard.

(snip)

 

Not even possessing an anorak, but I always thought the Flying Scotsman was a train, like the Inverness Sleeper, while Mallard was a locomotive.

 

Iain

[Purple Fairie]

Just to be awkward, our nb is called Fairies Wear Boots but most people (me included) call her The Fairie.

 

Not over the radio though!

[Neil2]

 

Not even possessing an anorak, but I always thought the Flying Scotsman was a train, like the Inverness Sleeper, while Mallard was a locomotive.

 

Iain

Quick - pass me the oxygen.

 

No anoraks here either, but I didn't use those two examples at random. Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive to officially break the 100mph barrier and Mallard as every self respecting schoolboy knows holds the world record for a steam locomotive at 126mph.

[Old Stoker]

What gets my goat a little is when people refer to one of her majesty's ships as,say, 'The Her Majesty's ship Ark Royal'.

 

Does it make sense?

 

Not to me it don't.

 

Martyn

Ah haaa.. obviously an ex matelot!! I am always infuriated by newsreaders anouncing:- "The HMS Massive" is returning to Portsmouth (quarterdeck party just letting go in Gib) etc

Mark

[cheshire~rose]

Just to be awkward, our nb is called Fairies Wear Boots but most people (me included) call her The Fairie.

 

Not over the radio though!

 

But is that the boat you are referring to or "The Smudge"

[John V]

Ah haaa.. obviously an ex matelot!! I am always infuriated by newsreaders anouncing:- "The HMS Massive" is returning to Portsmouth (quarterdeck party just letting go in Gib) etc

Mark

 

Just a little The Japanese merchant fleet are "female" and have maru after their name, Naval ships are "male" and do not