"SHIPS," "BOATS." AND "VESSELS"

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21051, 30 December 1933, Page 17

"SHIPS," "BOATS." AND "VESSELS"

The. habit ol calling a .ship .. "boat' is an extremely common one, and though the st offenders are frequently shipbrokers and those wnose l-.nowledge of the shipping world should make them immune, it comes as rather a surprise to find that that habit '"or ignorance) recently landed the United States National Recovery Administration in trouble, savs the "Dailv Commercial News and Shipping "List" 'Sydney). For a circular issued, under their puspices has led to boatbuilders to assume that they are not to be inelu d in a wages and hours code, me code in question had been drawn up for shipbuilders and ship-repairers. Consistently one hears passengers refer to the "boat" the}- came out from England "on," instead of the "vessel" they came out "in." which recalls the story—and quite a recent one, too—of the jsew York shipping man who referred to the Berengaria as the "boat" he had come over "on." The dictionary meaning of a boat is a "small open vessel or watercraft, usually moved by oars or paadlc-, but often by sail or power mechanism." The "ship" is described as «1 > "any large seagoing vessel" in a general sense, and (2) nautically it is "a vessel with a bowsprit nad three masts, main, fore, and mizzen." In (3) the general sense is widen, ', and makes the distinction of "any vessel intended or used for navigation, and not propelled by oars or -addles." In matters of maritime and international law, ns with reference to salvage, the word "ship" may mean "any vessel used for navigation." Unuer the heading "vessel" we find "any structure, especially a hollow one, made to float upon the water for purposes of navigation: a craft for navigation of the water, larger than a common row boat, such as war vessel, or passenger vessel." This latter, then, is the embracing 'title, ihe words "ship" and "boat" being used for conveying the distinction required. I'EHSONAJ. Captain C. G. Watson, formei'lv of flu: Waikouaiti. arrived in Wellington last, Saturday on holiday love. Mr D. M. Keith has rejoined the R.M.S. Aorangi as chief officer, relieving Mr E. M. Anderson, who is going on holidays at Sydney. The Kiwitea, which is recommissioning at Wellington next week, will have the following engineers:—Chief, Mr O A. Dillner; second, Mr H. Pike; third" Mr .J. bummers. '