There are many theories to this question, we always call a ship a “she” and not without a reason
One plausible theory is that boats are called ‘she’ because they are traditionally given female names, it has also been surmised that all ships were once dedicated to goddesses, and later to important mortal women. Interestingly, although male captains and sailors historically attributed the spirit of a benevolent female figure to their ships, actual women were considered very bad luck at sea.
This old tradition is thought to stem from the fact that in the Romance languages, the word for “ship” is always in the feminine. For this reason, Mediterranean sailors always referred to their ship as “she”, and the practice was adopted over the centuries by their English-speaking counterparts.
A more romantic but maybe slightly sexist explanation is this!
A ship is called a ‘she’ because there is always a great deal of bustle around her
There is usually a gang of men about
She has a waist and stays
It takes a lot of paint to keep her looking good]it is not the initial expense that breaks the bank it is the upkeep!
She can be all decked out
It takes an experienced man to handle her correctly and without a man at the helm she is absolutely uncontrollable
She shows her topsides, hides her bottom and when coming into port she always heads for the buoys
Because you have to treat them like a lady or they will act up and cause havoc
What do you think – sexist or that there is some truth to this! ??