Drive a boat?

[nq:1]In English, what verb do people use for a boat? Do people say " drive a boat"?[/nq]
The row rowboats and sail sailboats and perhaps they "operate" bigger boats (anything under 200 feet long is a boat, but anything over that is a ship, at least in the US Navy).
[nq:1]In addition, in English, people say getting on a bus and getting off a bus. Do people say getting on a boat and getting

[nq:1]Dear all, In English, what verb do people use for a boat? Do people say " drive a boat"? In ... a bus. Do people say getting on a boat and getting off a boat, too? Thanks for your reply. Linda[/nq]
A boat is piloted.
Passengers board a boat or "go aboard".

[nq:2]In English, what verb do people use for a boat? ... getting on a boat and getting off a boat, too?[/nq]
[nq:1]A boat is piloted.[/nq]
Not all boats are piloted. Only some are. Tugboats and ferries, for instance.
[nq:1]Passengers board a boat or "go aboard".[/nq]
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor
Native speaker of American English; posting from Taiwan. Unmunged email: /

lu (Email Removed) had it:
[nq:1]Dear all, In English, what verb do people use for a boat? Do people say " drive a boat"?[/nq]
My boat has no motor, so I sail it. I drive the safety boat when it's my turn.
[nq:1]In addition, in English, people say getting on a bus and getting off a bus. Do people say getting on a boat and getting off a boat, too?[/nq]
Depends on the nature of the b

[nq:2]In English, what verb do people use for a boat? ... getting on a boat and getting off a boat, too?[/nq]
[nq:1]A boat is piloted.[/nq]
Here we go again!
[nq:1]Passengers board a boat or "go aboard".[/nq]
People also get on ferries and later get off them.

A. Gwilliam
To e-mail me, replace "bottomless pit" with "devnull"

UC (Email Removed) had it:
[nq:2]Dear all, In English, what verb do people use for ... getting off a boat, too? Thanks for your reply. Linda[/nq]
[nq:1]A boat is piloted. Passengers board a boat or "go aboard".[/nq]
That would sound extremely pretentious if used in relation to my 12 foot dinghy.

David
==

[nq:1]Dear all, In English, what verb do people use for a boat? Do people say " drive a boat"?[/nq]
"steer" or "sail"
[nq:1]In addition, in English, people say getting on a bus and getting off a bus. Do people say getting on a boat and getting off a boat, too?[/nq]
Yes, though there are plenty of other expressions.

Adrian

[nq:1]In English, what verb do people use for a boat? Do people say " drive a boat"?[/nq]
For Englishmen, it depends on the type of boat. You row a rowing boat, sail a sailing vessel, motor in a motorboat etc. Some other words differentiate between yourself managing the boat or just sitting still as a passenger.
[nq:1]In addition, in English, people say getting on a bus and getting off a b

dontbother wrote, in (Email Removed) on Sat, 23 Sep 2006 17:32:33 +00 (UTC):
[nq:2]In English, what verb do people use for a boat? Do people say " drive a boat"?[/nq]
[nq:1]The row rowboats and sail sailboats and perhaps they "operate" bigger boats (anything under 200 feet long is a boat, but anything over that is a ship, at least in the US Navy).[/nq]
Unless it's a submarine which is

[nq:1]Traditionally for ships, get on = embark: so that later coinages included debark, with the prefix for the opposite function, and by analogy embus and debus (for getting on and off a bus: this was 50 years ago standard military nomenclature.)[/nq]
Not to mention the equally dreadful "deplane" and "detrain" that I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't heard them for myself. Eurgh!

A.