Let's clarify the difference between seaman or merchantman and SAILOR.

[ddeclue]

Attention on Deck:

This is your Cap'n speakin:

Sailor either means someone who operates a vessel powered by sail as in a sailboat OR it means a member of the United States Navy. Seaman is a rank that a sailor may hold in the Navy but unless you are referring to his rank it would be best to call him "sailor".


Someone who serves abour a civilian vessel is known as a "seaman" or "merchantman" (or if the vessel is a fishing boat a fisherman.)

That is all.

:P

[Sanity Claws]

1. What's a merchant marine?

You might as well clear up all the terms "floating" out there.

[ddeclue]

2. merchantman - I guess someone who attended the merchant marine academy

I forgot mariner which is a general term for a civilian who goes to sea.

[marketcrazy1]

4. in less time

than it took you to ask this question you could have googled it yourself..... you are sitting in front of the most powerful information gathering tool ever devised by man...................... USE IT!!

[rucky]

11. Google "social skills" while you're at it.

[marketcrazy1]

13. it bothers me

that posters are too lazy to look up the answer to even the most simple and basic questions. that they would rather rely on someone else to do their work for them speaks volumes as to why this country is so fucked up........

[Control-Z]

23. I think a lot of us

treat internet conversations pretty much the same way we treat real life conversation. Someone says something, and in response we ask a question, sometimes just to show we are interested and good listeners. You've never studied communication skills?

[marketcrazy1]

25. point taken

I guess i need to lighten up.......

[Control-Z]

28. ...

:hi:

[Stephanie]

32. here you go

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=merchant+marine

[BeatleBoot]

5. That would be me Da'

in WWII

sunk by the German Wolf Pack 9 miles out to sea from Baltimore, MD

He still has a scar on his lower back from shrapnel.

Now a shut in at 90, I had him over for a nice turkey dinner this Easter.

[Kat45]

17. I used to work with someone whose boyfriend was a merchant marine.

They basically are on cargo ships, I guess to protect them somehow.

[HooptieWagon]

21. Not "Marine" as in armed, "marine" as in mariner.

The Merchant Marine are the seamen that operate US Merchant vessels. Recently, though, they are pretty much officers educated at the US Merchant Marine Academy. Crews are usually manned by foreigners (being cheaper- typically Phillipino) on the ocean voyages, but the few US crews are considered the best trained. IIRC, US law requires US crews in voyages originating and ending in domestic ports.

[Arctic Dave]

3. Wrong on the "rank" part.

Enlisted personnel have "rate", rank is term for officers.
A "seamam" is a E-3

Seaman Recruit=E1
Seaman Appretice= E2
Seamen= E3
Petty Officer= E4 and above

[ddeclue]

6. Mea culpa... that's a pretty technical (but valid) distinction...

I'll settle for people not calling the Alabama's crew "sailors".

[Arctic Dave]

7. Good enough for me.

[aquart]

14. What are they again?

I know you think you made it clear, but to the rest of us, the army has soldiers and the navy has sailors and there's an end to it.

[Blue_In_AK]

35. The merchant marines are not soldiers or sailors.

They don't fight - they man cargo ships. My husband was a merchant marine engineer for 25 years. He told me today (when I asked why they weren't armed) that they are not allowed into foreign ports with any guns on board.

[razors edge]

8. I held the rank of corporal in the USMC.

E-4 was my pay rate.

Officers also go by rate for pay purposes.

[Arctic Dave]

10. Navy has a different system. Just like the names of the personel

E-4 for the navy, army, air force are all different.

Pay rate isn't same as NCO/CO standings.

Hence, the E to the O. Yo.

[razors edge]

19. The Marines are Department of the Navy.

Even so, both use different names for the enlisted and commissioned ranks.

You stated that enlisted have rates and officers have ranks, I was just pointing out they both have ranks and rates.

[bertman]

16. When I was in the Army I was a soldier. My friend who was in the Corps was a marine.

My cousin who was in the Navy was a sailor. The guys in the Air Force were airmen.

Just sayin'

[razors edge]

22. Leathernecks, Jarheads, Squids, Rust pickers,

Pukes, Flyboys, Grunts, Airwingers... Hey whats in a name?

:toast:

[bertman]

27. You forgot Ground Pounders and Snake Eaters.

:toast:

[guardian]

26. Not quite

"Rate" refers to an enlisted Sailor's profession or job skill. "Rank" refers to their level up the food chain, whether enlisted or officer. So you can have for example two Sailors with the same rank (e.g., E-4) but have different rates (e.g., cook, data systems tech).

[Arctic Dave]

38. Go to the foot note on the chart a couple pages down.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/navy.htm

[hlthe2b]

9. So ya wanna "splain" the French Foreign Legion, now?

:)

[Kali]

12. I won't remember that, but thanks for posting it.

I'm pretty land locked and don't know much about the seas and boats and shit (jk)

[DavidDvorkin]

15. Nope. A crewman on any kind of ship is a sailor.

Here's a simple definition from Merriam Webster Online:

1 a: one that sails ; especially : mariner b (1): a member of a ship's crew (2): seaman
2: a traveler by water



A lengthier one from Wikipedia:

A sailor or mariner is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses. Etymologically, the name preserves the memory of the time when ships were commonly powered by sails, but applies to the personnel of all vessels, whatever their mode of locomotion.

[ddeclue]

18. I'm right - wiki's wrong.

[DavidDvorkin]

29. And the dictionary?

[ddeclue]

30. I'm right. Don't care if you don't like it.

Doug D.

[DavidDvorkin]

37. It's a not a question of whether I like it

It's a question of who or what determines the meaning of a word. That's not you. It's general usage, varying over time, and recorded in the dictionary.

You're wrong.

[Blue_In_AK]

36. My husband who was a merchant marine

would be offended if you called him a sailor. It's not the "term of art" for people who work on cargo ships.

[Mr. Hyde]

20. seaman? isn't that what you...nevermind

[Control-Z]

24. Ew, Mr. Hyde! n/t

[Touchdown]

31. So what's Popeye? Never saw him on a boat. Just fighting Bluto.

... and trying to get into Olive's panties.:shrug:

[Touchdown]

33. Oh' yeah and Yosemite Sam too!

Is he a cowboy? "Reach for the sky, Varmint!"



Or a sailor? "Ahoy! Rabbit!"



A Knight? "Dragons is so stupid!"




A French General? "Well Monseur Tough Guy! I'm going to pul your cork!"



He can't be all of them!

[Blue_In_AK]

34. This is a very good point.

My husband who was a merchant seaman (marine engineer) for 25 years is quick to point that out to anyone who confuses the two. It's a completely different thing.