Can I refer to my catamaran as a ship?

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by MikeDofFreo

I think that you have misunderstood the cases under consideration.

The point was whether or not there is a guarantee of free speech, in the constitution, which would prevent parliament from reducing that right. Laws such as those against defamation can be seen, by some, as against free speech.

It was suggested, in the cases, referred to in the article to which you refer, that 2 sections of the constitution guaranteed free speech and prevented the government from legislating against it. if correct, that would mean that defamation laws did not apply.

The situation is now controlled by the High Court decision in Lange which held that those 2 sections of the Australian Constitution only refer to political debate in the context of the electoral system.

Hence, the decisions do not remove the common law assumption of free speech, they simply say that there is no bar to parliament legislating to curb some areas of free speech by passing defamation laws. However, the there is a restriction on that curb where it would interfere with speech in respect of the electoral system.

I see. So that means he can, or can't, refer to his cat as a ship?

[MikeDofFreo]

Growley Monster,

It means that, if he is in Australia, he can call it what he likes, subject to defamation limits, because, contrary to the assumptions of some, the common law guarantees him a freedom of speech which would allow him to call it what he wants.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by MikeDofFreo

Growley Monster,

It means that, if he is in Australia, he can call it what he likes, subject to defamation limits, because, contrary to the assumptions of some, the common law guarantees him a freedom of speech which would allow him to call it what he wants.

LOL indeed I was just stirring the pot. But a lot of folks don't realize that many of the rights codified in the U.S. Constitution are directly derived from English Common Law. I think at the time it was felt that since so many of these rights had been trampled on and disregarded by heads of various nations that they needed to be spelled out in black and white. And so, we have a Bill of Rights, but most other countries originally part of the British Empire do not, but do have more or less the same rights, just not legislated. With some few glaring exceptions that nobody except we Americans really care about, anyway.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by Stonecutter36

In the navy the only boats they have that are called BOATs are submarine

Uh PT boat

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Uh PT boat

Mike boats and papa boats and a few others.

[SV_Harbinger]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

You can call it anything you want but real yachtspersons and professional mariners will think you are a pretentious jerk if you call your personal vessel anything but my "boat" no mater its size.

In the Navy large vessels, except submarines, are usually called ships. Submariners call all submarines boats, even the largest missile and attack boats . Don't ever call a submariner's boat a ship.

I totally agree the Kentucky (SSBN 737, I was part of the Gold Crew in the mid-late 2000s) was a boat when I was aboard and I still refer to her as a boat when I talk about her and she was something like 560 feet, but by tradition still a boat. And when I was on the Elrod (FFG 55 early 2000s) she was a ship despite being over 100 feet shorter than Kentucky.
In the real (civilian) world I draw the line as needing a captain with an unlimited license, exemplified by the short time I worked for HOS on the Gemstone, we referred to her as the boat and she was 240 feet.
But it's your boat call her what you like.
For what it's worth Harbinger is a boat when I talk about her (occasional flovoring with expletives)

[SV_Harbinger]

A supplement for Stone Cutter, would be SWIC Boats, and the myriad of others grouped as small boats, launches, tenders, boom boats, diver tenders, tugs, testing and recovery craft, mine vessels (of all varieties) there are actually more things in the Navy called boats than there are those called ship....MM1(SS/SW)

[oldtom]

Originally Posted by Whiz-Bang

Just wondering what qualifies as a ship. Can a sailing yacht be a ship? Does it have anything to do with the size of the vessel?

A Ship has decks as apposed too a boat the deck is just a covering of the hull a submarine is not a ship but a boat so if you have fly bridge cruiser of xx' feet carry a tender then you got a ship