Boat

From ArticleWorld

A boat is a water craft that is smaller in size than a ship. It is usually used for personal purposes, although you may rent it or, in rare cases, even live in it. There are several types of boats. Common examples can be given in the: canoe, barge, dhow, dory, ferry, inflatable boat, kayak, raft, yacht and so on.

The parts of a boat – Common Terms used

Any boat has a deck. This is a structure that is horizontal and spans the hull. When talking about a boat you will only find one deck, while ships have more, sometimes even dozens. This is one of the biggest differences between the two, as it directly impacts the size of the water craft. A boat will also have several internal spaces separated by bulkheads. Many of these are very important to the structure itself. Other terms you have to be familiar with are: starboard (the right side of the boat), port (the left side), the bow or prow (the front) and the stern (the rear). Some boats also have toilets. Concerning them you have to know that there are chambers housing the toilets, called heads.

When it comes to sailing boats new terms that should be known appear. First of all, the rope used to sail it is called line and not rope as you would imagine. This is because, when yachts were first built, the cordage used for steering was actually linen or cotton. If you want to talk about all the lines, you will have to refer to them as rigging. Several types of rigging can be found depending on areas and types of boats.

Other meanings of the term “Boat”

The term boat is also used for other purposes than its main dictionary meaning. For instance, we can talk about the Bathtub Boat, which is actually used in special competitions called Bathtub Races. Also, in rowing, you will hear that an institution's first boat won a competition. This means that its main team won it as the term refers to the actual crew, while the water craft used is referred to as being the shell.

Special Boats - Submarines

The most talked about boat is the submarine. This is because many people consider that it isn't even a boat. The truth is, nowadays, submarines are becoming bigger and more powerful. The proper term that should be used is ship. This is because the size of the craft is comparable to one of a destroyer and, in rare cases, even a battleship. The term boat has become common when talking about submarines ever since they first appeared.