I agree, there appears to be a distinction between the "sloop hull" and the "sloop rig." I went back to basics and looked in the Oxford
English Dictionary (11th ed.) instead.
1. A one-masted sailing boat with a mainsail and jib rigged fore and aft.
2. (also sloop of war) historical a small square-rigged sailing warship with two or three masts.
What's our baseline for the term "boat"? A small vessel that is generally open-decked and generally incapable of crossing an ocean independently.
I begin to be baffled trying to imagine why anyone thought it a good idea to append a term used to describe the rig mounted on a small boat to a small warship with two or three masts and up to 20 guns.
So... yes, confusing. * Thanks for your comments. Very enlightening.
Nevertheless, in the wider context of this topic, the conclusion is inescapable. It's not how it moves or how big it is, but how it's equipped that defines how it should be categorised and there appears to be lot of historical precedent for this!
Edit: * for humility
1. A one-masted sailing boat with a mainsail and jib rigged fore and aft.
2. (also sloop of war) historical a small square-rigged sailing warship with two or three masts.
What's our baseline for the term "boat"? A small vessel that is generally open-decked and generally incapable of crossing an ocean independently.
I begin to be baffled trying to imagine why anyone thought it a good idea to append a term used to describe the rig mounted on a small boat to a small warship with two or three masts and up to 20 guns.
So... yes, confusing. * Thanks for your comments. Very enlightening.
Nevertheless, in the wider context of this topic, the conclusion is inescapable. It's not how it moves or how big it is, but how it's equipped that defines how it should be categorised and there appears to be lot of historical precedent for this!
Edit: * for humility
