Why do they call her "She"?

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

Carol & I were sitting around the fire the other night reliving our experiences of the last year aboard Hanalei, drinking a lot of Grog and discussing what we would do and where we would go next year. She asked the question "Why do they always talk about a vessel as "She"? My first response was that boats have broad bottoms and are very expensive to maintain, very similiar to women! Once I finished cleaning up my spilled drink off the couch and me, she said, "No, seriously, why do they call a boat "She".

Anyone got a good (read that: "politically correct")answer to this one? I don't want to loose my 1st. Mate!

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

[Ed Roberts]

My grandfather, who sailed as cook on a lumber schooner between St. John Nfld and Halifax at age 14, told me the politically INcorrect answer: It's because her riggin's worth more than her hull.
Ed

[Annonymous]

Carol & I were sitting around the fire the other night reliving our experiences of the last year aboard Hanalei, drinking a lot of Grog and discussing what we would do and where we would go next year. She asked the question "Why do they always talk about a vessel as "She"? My first response was that boats have broad bottoms and are very expensive to maintain, very similiar to women! Once I finished cleaning up my spilled drink off the couch and me, she said, "No, seriously, why do they call a boat "She".

Anyone got a good (read that: "politically correct")answer to this one? I don't want to loose my 1st. Mate!

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

Not a politically correct reply so the author desires to remain annonymous. I believe I read one time that it stemmed from the the old square riggers. Because a maiden head was made to the bow the busom was said to smooth the seas and make for a safe passage or something like that. Because of that the ships were referred to as "she" as a means of affection. Does anyone know if that is correct? Now you know why this is submitted annonymously.

[Tom Coons]

Carol & I were sitting around the fire the other night reliving our experiences of the last year aboard Hanalei, drinking a lot of Grog and discussing what we would do and where we would go next year. She asked the question "Why do they always talk about a vessel as "She"? My first response was that boats have broad bottoms and are very expensive to maintain, very similiar to women! Once I finished cleaning up my spilled drink off the couch and me, she said, "No, seriously, why do they call a boat "She".

Anyone got a good (read that: "politically correct")answer to this one? I don't want to loose my 1st. Mate!

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

Dave, the politically incorrect answer is that women like boats come in all different sizes, shapes, colors, speeds, and temperments and the maintenance is always a bitch! One politically correct answer is that in the old days sailors went to sea for years at a time and thus were "married" to their ships. They had to depend on the ship to house them, feed them, take care of them in bad times just like their woman did when they were ashore. You might also have heard that a gallon of paint makes a hell of a difference whether you're talking about a ship or a woman. That's one you don't need to share with the first mate (Turn monitor on right side to see smiling face)

TacCambria@thegrid.net

[Bill Coogan]

Judging from the previous responses, the reason we call a boat "she" is to provide us an opportunity to tell misogynous jokes . . . and that ain't good! Let's shift to "it."



coogan@usm.maine.edu

[Peter A. Dion]

Carol & I were sitting around the fire the other night reliving our experiences of the last year aboard Hanalei, drinking a lot of Grog and discussing what we would do and where we would go next year. She asked the question "Why do they always talk about a vessel as "She"? My first response was that boats have broad bottoms and are very expensive to maintain, very similiar to women! Once I finished cleaning up my spilled drink off the couch and me, she said, "No, seriously, why do they call a boat "She".

Anyone got a good (read that: "politically correct")answer to this one? I don't want to loose my 1st. Mate!

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

Dave, the politically incorrect answer is that women like boats come in all different sizes, shapes, colors, speeds, and temperments and the maintenance is always a bitch! One politically correct answer is that in the old days sailors went to sea for years at a time and thus were "married" to their ships. They had to depend on the ship to house them, feed them, take care of them in bad times just like their woman did when they were ashore. You might also have heard that a gallon of paint makes a hell of a difference whether you're talking about a ship or a woman. That's one you don't need to share with the first mate (Turn monitor on right side to see smiling face)

Dear Dave:
There really is no pollitically correct answer to this question, and that in itself is a beautiful thing.
FWAFS
Peter
2/ae USMM



padion@worldnet.att.net