> > > She is the 50,000 ton Norweign Wind...
> >
> > Typically nouns don't have gender in English, yet large ships are refered to as 'she' rather than 'it'. Anyone know why?
> >
> > aolfreak "I'm on my lunch break, if anyone's wondering why I'm posting at this hour" 123
>
> I'm sure there's a better reason, but I like this one.
>
> "A ship is always referred to as 'she' because it costs so much to keep one in paint and powder" - Admiral Chester Nimitz
>
> -Kelly

I've always heard that you call a ship "she" because they are beautiful and graceful, a lot of fun to be around, expensive to maintain and if you don't treat them right they will kill you.
Howard