Why do they call it midships?

[windango]

I noticed on our last cruise the pursers desk repeatedly asking people to "Please report to the Purser's Desk, deck 5, midships". Why the plural?? Shouldn't it be midship? I'm only beginning to learn ship terms and this one has me curious...

[ehfl]

It's not plural. That's just the way it is.

[Putterdude]

Midships is not plural, in is a shortened version of the nautical word amidships which is technically the middle of the ship longitudinally or latterly.

[fnewman]

As it represents the middle in two directions, I suppose I can see why it would be considered plural.

[OldBaldGuy]

It's a salior thing. Like you walk on a deck, not a floor, walls are bulkheads, left is port, right is starboard, etc etc etc. Those sailers talk their own talk...

[TucsonRick]

It's a salior thing. Like you walk on a deck, not a floor, walls are bulkheads, left is port, right is starboard, etc etc etc. Those sailers talk their own talk...

I have always thought of the front of the ship as the bow, but in some novels (Clive Cussler) it is refered to as the bows. Why is that? Which is correct?

[DanJ]

I've also heard them say midship.

[smeyer418]

Its one of four things.

 

1. the person pronouncing it has a lisp.

2. It goes back to the time when ships were tied together and when they said amidships you had to guess which one.

3. Would you prefer they would say "half aft" think about some one with a lisp saying that one..

 

and 4 you have too much time on your hands cause no one really cares....whether its midship a midship or ships....just as they don't call you late for eating.

[6rugrats]

Its one of four things.

 

1. the person pronouncing it has a lisp.

2. It goes back to the time when ships were tied together and when they said amidships you had to guess which one.

3. Would you prefer they would say "half aft" think about some one with a lisp saying that one..

 

and 4 you have too much time on your hands cause no one really cares....whether its midship a midship or ships....just as they don't call you late for eating.

 

Exactly my thoughts when I read this thread!

[OldBaldGuy]

"...Clive Cussler)...Why is that?..."

 

I suspose that if I say because Cussler writes junk, you will hate me, huh???

[TucsonRick]

"...Clive Cussler)...Why is that?..."

 

I suspose that if I say because Cussler writes junk, you will hate me, huh???

Thank you! That was a very helpful and informative response to my question.

[Aquahound]

I have always thought of the front of the ship as the bow, but in some novels (Clive Cussler) it is refered to as the bows. Why is that? Which is correct?

 

That one is incorrect. "Bows" would refer to several ships rafted off to each other. While "midships" or "amidships" is proper for one vessel, "bows" is not.