Why are Boats Considered “Feminine”?

The exact reason why boats are considered “feminine” and are often referred to as “She is lost to history. Some boat owners may say that it because they are expensive to maintain, difficult to handle, unpredictable, and can easily become the focal point of someone’s life.

The exact reason why boats, at least in English, are called “She” is among the only inanimate objects that are given a specific and consistent gender. Home and automobile owners generally don’t refer to their homes or their automobiles as either “he” or “she” and assign to them certain human traits.

One theory is that boats are given female names because they typically are named for any important woman in a owner‘s life: a mother, wife, daughter, sister or lover; which can reflect the same “need for attention” required by their “owner”.

Another theory is that all ships were once dedicated to goddesses, and later to important women – how many ships named “Queen Elizabeth” have there been? Historically, captains and sailors were primarily male occupations, and the bowsprit of a sailing ship was often decorated by effigies of women, attributed to the spirit of a benevolent female, even when women aboard a ship were considered to be bad luck.

But females also give a sense of nurturing and protection, and any sailor braving the unpredictable elements of wind and water needs a place of refuge and protection, and some link with loved ones far away on dry land.

In any case, good sailors know that their boat needs protection, as well as some “Tender Loving Care”. Good sailors protect their boats like they protect their family. CMC Canvas LLC is dedicated to provide high quality premium canvas products that provide protection for your boat and other possessions exposed to wind and weather with both style and functionality.