I thought about that a little bit and concluded that ore carriers were not likely to be stowed on the deck of something larger and hence shouldn’t be referred to as a “boat”.
I am in complete agreement with your observation. However, on the Great Lakes, 1000 foot ships that can carry 50,000 tons of coal or iron ore are called boats-it is a long tradition going back many many years. Even the officers and unlicensed mariners call them ore boats or “lakers” in contrast to ocean going ships, aka “Salties” that load or discharge cargo at Great Lakes ports.
The big ore boats are too big to pass through the Welland canal and also were never built to sail on the oceans.
As any submariner will tell you, USS Louisiana SSBN 743, at almost 19,000 long tons submerged, is a boat ...
You may not like it, but the Great Lakes bulk carriers are called “boats” by the mariners who sail them.
I wouldn’t argue ...