No longer calling ships ‘she’ is an insult to sailors, says ex-sea lord
‘Our history and traditions cannot be held hostage by people who choose to be perennially offended’
THE Royal Navy and a former first sea lord last night condemned proposals to scrap the custom of referring to ships as “she”.
Admiral Lord Alan West intervened in response to plans by the Scottish Maritime Museum to end centuries of tradition by referring to ships as “it” to appear more gender neutral.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph today, Lord West says: “I would be the first to complain if I felt women were being denied a fair shot at forging a career at sea because of outdated, sexist attitudes, but to suggest that is happening because ships are called ‘she’ is palpably absurd.”
He adds: “[You] cannot let a vocal minority of right-on fools, often utilising the power of social media, push the rest of us around. Our history and traditions cannot be held hostage by people who choose to be perennially offended.”
On BBC Radio 4, he called the proposal “political correctness gone mad”, adding: “It’s a sort of insult to generations of sailors – the ships are seen almost as a mother to preserve us from the dangers of the sea and from the violence of the enemy. To change it in this trite fashion is absolutely stupid.
“We’ve done it for centuries as that’s how we refer to them. We have to be very careful with little tiny pressure groups that make people change things. It’s a very dangerous road we are going down.”
He was backed by a Royal Navy spokesman who said: “The Royal Navy has a long tradition of referring to its ships as ‘she’ and will continue to do so.”
But the National Maritime Museum in London confirmed it referred to ships as “it” and would continue to do so. A spokesman said: “Historically ships have been referred to as ‘she’.
“The reason is unclear. Some suggest it is because the ship is provider and sanctuary for seafarers. In this interpretation, the ship is motherlike and thus ‘she’. This is similar to the earth being referred to as Mother Earth. A less palatable suggestion is that ‘she’ is a reflection of the patriarchal societal structure of the time.
“In recent years, the National Maritime Museum’s position has been to use ‘it’ to refer to ships in the collection in its new gallery.”
Richard Meade, editor of Lloyd’s List, the weekly shipping publication, responded to Admiral Lord West’s comments: “Back in 2002 Lloyd’s List made the call to bring the paper into line with most other reputable international business titles and stop referring to ships as ‘she’. I can’t believe that’s still a controversial decision.”
Martin Bellamy, editor of The Mariner’s Mirror, a journal of the Society for Nautical Research, agreed with the change, tweeting: “Lloyd’s List rightly adopted this policy in 2002. Others very slow to follow suit.”
The row began after the Scottish Maritime Museum near Troon changed its policy after vandals scratched out references to vessels as “she” on signs.