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rupertbear

By rupertbear
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DHutch Veteran II

DHutchDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

You get people refereding to 'The ######' and there are some male named boats, but I think its fairly to say there are more female named boats, and an assumption that if applying a gender to a boat with genderless name it will be female

 

 

Daniel

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Derek R. Veteran

Derek R.

Posted
Posted (edited)

A narrow boat is just a narrow boat. A motor or a butty.

 

However with ships - here's one comment I like a lot:

 

"It is because they are similar to women : They are expensive, need a lot of paint - and they always have a lot of men around them ! "

Taken from here: http://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-15935,00.html

 

Another:

http://www.wisegeek.org/why-are-boats-called-she.htm

 

. . . and: http://www.marinebuzz.com/2007/10/06/10-reasons-to-classify-ship-as-feminine/

 

The idea of a vessel in which to safely travel the seas does compare with the womb in which we travel for the first nine months of our lives, does sound like the most plausible origin. It's basic, and it's natural.

 

Another twist might that seamen are often seeking a womb to travel in . . . .

Edited by Derek R.
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David Schweizer Veteran II

David Schweizer

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Posted (edited)

I am sure that Alan Fincher will confirm this, but my recollection is that when working Boatmen chose to asign a pronoun to a boat the word they normally used was "it".

 

Having said that I usually refer to our boat either as "her", or "the boat" or by the name.

Edited by David Schweizer
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Steilsteven Rising Star

Steilsteven

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Posted

I've always referred to PETRA as she because that's how I've been led to believe is the correct way.

 

I don't know whether she was named after a lady or after the ancient city ( I prefer to think the latter ). As far as I know, her original name was The Five Brothers ( but in Dutch of course ) then Ali, then Petra and when I bought her she carried the name The New Time ( again in Dutch ) but was still registered as Petra.

 

I could never refer to her as it, whatever name she had, because, somehow, that seems disrespectful.

 

Keith

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Starcoaster Veteran

Starcoaster

Posted
Posted

Aren't they normally referred to by working boaters and old boating families as "the?" As in, "the Reginald," "The Sickle?"

 

I think metal boats are boys. Wooden boats are girls. Tenders can be either gender (otherwise how would boats reproduce?) Tupperware is gender-neutral, as you can't tell.

  • Greenie 1
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Sea Dog Veteran II

Sea DogDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I've always referred to PETRA as she because that's how I've been led to believe is the correct way.

 

I don't know whether she was named after a lady or after the ancient city ( I prefer to think the latter ). As far as I know, her original name was The Five Brothers ( but in Dutch of course ) then Ali, then Petra and when I bought her she carried the name The New Time ( again in Dutch ) but was still registered as Petra.

 

I could never refer to her as it, whatever name she had, because, somehow, that seems disrespectful.

 

Keith

Maybe she was renamed after the Blue Peter dog? Fortunately, 'she' still applies should that be the case. Write in - you might get a badge! :)

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patty-ann Rising Star

patty-ann

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I've always seen referring to a boat as 'her' as a middle class affectation.

Patty Ann is most definitely a her as is Horror House....I like to think of them as trying to be soft n feminine, amenable like wot all us women are....

So guess that makes me supper duper middle class.

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X Alan W Rising Star

X Alan W

Posted
Posted

I am sure that Alan Fincher will confirm this, but my recollection is that when working Boatmen chose to asign a pronoun to a boat the word they normally used was "it".

 

Having said that I usually refer to our boat either as "her", or "the boat" or by the name.

My time with the commercial/ working boats the usual reference was Me/my/The Motor , Me /My/ The Butty or more commonly pointing at the particular boat & referring to said boat as "it"

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koukouvagia Influencer

koukouvagiaDonate to Canal World

Posted
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Well it's from yer Latin, innit? (where navis is feminine, BTW).

There's a narrow boat called Tertius Navis. I'd always assumed that the person who named it had a very scanty knowledge of Latin because there is a feminine noun with a masculine adjective.

 

I now suppose it's because the owner couldn't decide whether a narrow boat is masculine or feminine.laugh.png

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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

He if he is a sodding great town class.

When I see one of those heading for us through a bridge-hole on a blind bend, a slightly (though only slightly) longer word than "he" tends to rise to my lips.

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