Is a submarine a boat or a ship?

Most often the difference between boats and ships is based on size and whether the vessel is ocean-going. A boat is generally a smaller vessel that can be carried by a ship. A ship cannot be carried by a boat. Other vessels that are generally too large to be carried may also be referred to as boats such as ferry boats, tour boats and fishing boats.

By this definition, submarines such as the Pampanito are technically ships. However, the original submarines were boats by the formal definition. They were carried to the point of attack and were not suitable for lengthy ocean transits. As a result, by tradition, all submarines are still referred to as boats even though some of the newer ones are huge in comparison. Submarines can be referred to both as ships and boats, with “boats” being far more common.