Posted by Jonathan Labaree on December 06, 2002 at 14:23:13 from 207.5.234.19 user JLabaree.
In Reply to: Sorry, forgot one! (was Tonnage) posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on December 06, 2002 at 12:38:50:
Wow! What an outstanding answer to John’s question. Andrew’s posts are consistently interesting and insightful (wish I could say the same for myself), but he’s outdone himself this time. I hereby nominate Andrew for the Order of the Green Feather for excellence in a Tarboard post.
I have never been able to keep all those variations of tonnage straight – this is a very helpful explanation. In the US, documented vessels also display their net tonnage on the main beam (or its equivalent). They only reason I know is that my parents’ modest sailboat somehow got documented and its number and tonnage are proudly displayed.
I also appreciated the reference to Patrick O’Brian’s anachronism.