What's the difference between a boat and a ship?

Question

How do you know whether to call a large vessel a boat or a ship?

Answer 1

boat-- a small vessel for travel on water

ship--  a vessel that carries passengers or freight

Answer 2

boat under $100,000.00

Ship over

Answer 3

In the Navy (Australian) a boat is a submarine, a ship is mostly everything else. There are many exceptions to this though. (Patrol boat, mine sweeper, frigate, etc.)

I spent a lot of years in the Navy, I referred to absolutely everything as a 'big' or 'little' 'boat', much to the annoyance of others, but that's me :-)

Answer 4

well its probaly a ship cause of the size difference.  not to sure

Answer 5

BOAT: A small vessel used to travel on the water, powered either by wind, power or oars. Also any small vessel carried on a larger ship. Also an abbreviation for; “Break Out Another Thousand”.

SHIP: A larger vessel usually thought of as being used for ocean travel. A vessel able to carry a "boat" on board. A large watercraft capable of deep water navigation

Answer 6

Ships are ocean going vessels that are too large to travel on navigable rivers with out assistance from a tugboat.

Answer 7

I think that a ship is bigger.

Answer 8

As a old Navy man once told me when I asked HIM this question..."A boat fits ON a ship!"

Answer 9

a boat is under 100 ft over that its a ship