Ships are People

["William S. Buehler" <roslinne@fone.net>]

Subj: Ref to Sinclairs in ships.

If anyone does a serious article for publication you will confound and amaze your readers with your saltiness by dropping the article modifying the ship. Rather than say "...he was on the RANGER" just say "...he was in RANGER." Also noting that a person is not "on" a ship anymore than he/she is "on" a car; a person is "in" a ship. The article could be used if the ship's name isn't the object, as "...the USS RANGER"  which is to say: "...the United States' Ship, Ranger." Otherwise a ship's name is used as a person's name. We wouldn't say "She was named the Susan Myers" unless a title is used as the object. Then it might be: "She was named the Most Reverend, Archbishop Susan."

Its a misused terminology even in the Navy but then nobody ever listens to the old fudds and it doesn't make a whole lot of difference anyway. We reform our language daily and maritime language has always been an arcane source of wonderment in itself. 

"...me hairs are hemp, me bones are yar, for I is tough I is I are." Under weigh with no weigh on,

Bill Buehler,
Commander, USN (Retired)