Odyssey Data Dictionary

Fields are free text if not otherwise noted. Authority lists are italics.
[Square brackets] indicate attribute not currently used by History Trust.

ATTRIBUTE = HISTORY TRUST NAME

Accession Number = Accession Number
Address 1 = Address, Street No.
[Address 2] – intended for building designations, an apartment number, for instance
Alternate Forms Available Links = Alternate Form of This Item
Alternate Forms Available Note = Alternate Forms Available Note
[Alumni/ae Organization] – intended for name of university alumni/ae organization
Archival Asset Reference = Archival Asset Reference
[Arrangement] – intended for musical entries
[Arranger] – list based, intended for selecting musical entries
Chapter = Member Group – name of member selected from Member Group list
Chapter Status = Membership Type – Governing or Affiliate organization member status, selected from Member Type list
[City] – intended for naming city as part of an address
Close Date = Close Date
[Composer] – list based, intended for selecting musical composers
Condition = Condition, selected from Condition list
Condition Notes = Condition Notes
Contributor = Contributor – selected from Person list or Organization list
Copyright Date = Copyright Date
Copyright Notes = Copyright Notes
[Copyright Owner] – list based
Country = Country (not USA)
Creation Date/Date Range = Creation Date
Creator = Creator – selected from Person list or Organization list
Credit Line = Credit Line, Authoritative Source, Principle Source, Citations/Other Sources, Image Credit
Date/Date Range = Date/Date Range
Description = Description
Duration = Duration
[Editor] – list based
[Era] = Era?
Extent = Extent, Area (e.g., sq. ft.)
[First Line] – intended for the first line of a poem or song
First Name = First Name, Municipality
[Format] – list based, attribute discontinued along with its authority list because it duplicated other metadata
Historical Context = Historical Context
ISBN = ISBN
[Instrumentation] – list based, intended for musical entries
Item Type = Item Type, 1 of 10 types assigned by Odyssey based on the Template used; cannot be edited
Key Signature = Town/City Name – selected from Place list
LOC Reference = LOC Reference – Library of Congress reference code
Language = Language – selected from Language list
[Language of Materials] – Language list is available instead
[Language of Materials Description] – Language list is available instead
Last Name = Last Name – surname of person (also Feature in Place list), Feature Name
Location = Place(s) Associated – selected from Place list
Location of Originals Note = Location of Originals Note
Lyricist = Boat Associated – selected from Watercraft list
Maiden Name = (Other Surname), State Code (e.g., ME)
[Manufacturer/Retailer] – list based, instead manufacturers and retailers selected from the Organization list
Material = Material – selected from Material list
Middle Name = “Nickname” Middle Name, County
[Music Form/Genre] – list based
Notes = Notes
Open Date = Open Date
Other Descriptive Data = Other Descriptive Data
People Depicted = Person(s) Depicted – selected from Person list
People Mentioned =Person(s) Associated – selected from Person list
Photographer = Photographer – selected from Person list or Organization list
Physical Description = Physical Description
Physical Location = Item Location – selected from Item Location list OR entered in an Item Location free-text field {Other Descriptive Data} as an alternative to this authority list field
[Positions Held] – list based, intended for Greek societies and similar organizations
Preferred Citation = Preferred Citation
Prefix = Prefix, Locality
Print Date = Print Date
Print Edition = Print Edition
Process = Photographic Process– selected from Photographic Process list
Processing Information Note = Processing Information Note
Provenance = Provenance
[Publication] – list based, intended for titles of books, magazines, journals, web articles, etc., made widely available to the public, generally on a specific date
Publication Location = Publication Place – selected from the Place list
Publisher = Publisher – selected from Publisher list
Received Date = Received Date
[Received From] – list based
[Recipient] – list based
Related Materials Links = Related Collection Item
Related Materials Note = Related Materials Note
Restrictions on Access and Use = Restrictions on Access and Use
Revision Date = Revision Date
Rights Statement = Rights Statement
SEO Description = SEO Description
Scale = Scale
Scope and Content Note = Scope and Content Note
See Also = See Also – list entry, container, or collection
Separated Material Note = Separated Material Note
Size or Dimensions = Size or Dimensions
State = State/Province, State Name (e.g., Maine)
Subjects = Subjects – selected from Subject list
Subtitle = Subtitle, Variant Name
Suffix = Suffix, Street Name
Title = Title, Placename
Tune = Public Object ID
Type = Type/Class – selected from vaious authority lists such as Type, Place Class, or Watercraft List Primary Class
Unique ID = Collection ID
[University] – intended for Greek organizations
URL =External URL
Use Date/Date Range = Use Date/Date Range
Value (money) = Value (money)

excellent – new or like-new state with little sign of use and no visible damage.

good – structurally sound; materials not actively deteriorating and in good working order; can be handled with due care; any repair can be conducted onsite.

fair – minor damage or aesthetic deterioration; physical integrity may be slightly compromised; can be handled but with caution.

stable repair – prior intervention or remediation has stabilized the item but assessment disqualifies it from being “good” or “fair.”

poor – shows wear, damage, deterioration, and loss to a large proportion of the item; may be actively deteriorating and require significant intervention; physical or chemical state may be physically compromised.

very poor – candidate for de-accessioning due to extreme deterioration, instability, and very extensive loss or damage which greatly affects the item’s integrity.

Not Rated

common name – proper noun by which the organization is usually known

• abbreviate proper noun modifiers: Company (Co.), Incorporated (Inc.), Limited (Ltd.), Society (Soc.), etc.
• use ampersand (&) only when part of the formal name, for instance, for railroad companies

formal name – proper noun by which the organization was incorporated or otherwise officially formed

organization class – classification of the entity as non-profit, for-profit, religious, or government

person associated – person(s) who played a key role in the formation or operation of the organization

• Select from Person list

principle location – any place(s) tied to the identity of the organization, e.g., a museum/headquarters

• Select from Place list

other place(s) associated – any other designated place(s) where the organization operates

• Select from Place list

boat(s) associated – any watercraft tied to the identity of the organization, e.g., craft built at a boatyard

• Select from Waterecraft list

founding date — record of the beginning of an administrative entity. AKA: org open date

• Separate open/start and close/end fields are needed in order to properly display the data on an online archive
• Enter ’00’ for any month or day that should not be included in the date. E.g., 00/00/1974 indicates just the year 1974

disolution date – record of the end of an administrative entity. AKA: org close date

• Separate open/start and close/end fields are needed in order to properly display the data on an online archive
• Enter ’00’ for any month or day that should not be included in the date. E.g., 00/00/1974 indicates just the year 1974

See main dictionary entries for details about the following metadata:
– description
– source
– external URL
– last updated by
– aliases

Before adding to the Person list always Search Person List on the History Trust online archives. The public search is “fuzzier” than the search within Odyssey and there are helpful facets to filter results.

last name, REQUIRED – an inherited family name (or patronym or matronym), by which an individual is most commonly known as an adult. AKA: surname.

• Enter the individual’s surname, following capitalization as found in the data source.
• When the surname is missing and other name elements are known, enter the provisory name, “undetermined” as the {Last Name}.
  • Enter “undetermined” in lowercase and in quotation marks.

first name – first of the given names that is chosen for an individual at birth and is not their surname; could be multiple or hyphenated names.

“nickname” middle name | nickname – a name that is a substitute for or added to a person’s proper name and is commonly used to address or refer to them. For example: Springsteen, Bruce “The Boss” Frederick Joseph. | middle name – second given name that is chosen for an individual at birth and is not their surname; could be multiple or hyphenated names. Not all cultures employ middle names.

• Enter nickname in the same field as middle name so that it is included in the {Formatted Name} (an Odyssey work-around), with no punctuation between names.
• Enter every nickname in its own set of quotation marks so that each will be seen as a separate name.

prefix – a title or honorific that is used before a person’s name, like Dr., Sir, Col., Saint.

• Do not use gender-based prefixes, so no {Prefix} should include titles such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., Master, etc.

generational suffix – part of a person’s name that distinguishes individuals who share the same name within a family such as Sr. (senior), Jr. (junior), III (the third), and IV (the fourth), etc.

• Enter {Suffix} with no comma and a period after abbreviations.
• Do not use other suffixes, such as degrees (MD, PhD, MA, DDS, etc.).

(other surname) – any last name officially used by an individual, other than the one entered in {Last Name}, which is the one by which they were known last in their life.

• An individual’s name might change due to marriage, adoption, or other legal name changes.
• Order such surnames sequentially in separate parentheses, starting with their birth surname if that has changed, such as by marriage. So, if the fictional Miss Marple had married Hercule Poirot and then Sherlock Holmes, she would be, “Holmes, Jane (Maple) (Poirot).”
  • Using separate parenthesis enables distinction in a formatted name between a person’s given names and any alternate surnames, and between multiple alternate surnames.

alternate first name – any other first name by which an individual was generally known in their community other than their given or nickname, or a name part that the individual may have preferred such as a middle name.

birth date

• Full date of birth preferred: mm/dd/yyyy.
• Enter ’00’ for any month or day that should not be included in the date. For example, 00/00/1974 indicates just the year 1974.

birth place

• Select from Place list.

death date

• Full date of death preferred: mm/dd/yyyy. Enter ’00’ for any month or day that should not be included in the date. For example, 00/00/1974 indicates just the year 1974.

place of death

• Select from Place list.

grave/memorial – cemetery or columbarium where remains are interred or where a memorial erected.

• Select from Place list.

father

• Select from Person list.

mother

• Select from Person list.

notable siblings – name of brothers or sisters who had a prominent role in the world, either locally or more broadly, or who are on the Person list for reasons related to a group’s collections.

• Select from Person list; multiple entries allowed.

spouse/partner(s) – name of husband, wife, or life partner.

• Select from Person list; multiple entries allowed.

marriage date/date range – date of marriage start and end.

• Full date preferred: mm/dd/yyyy. Enter ’00’ for any month or day that should not be included in the date. For example, 00/00/1974 indicates just the year 1974.
• Create a separate entry for each marriage using {Marriage Date2}, etc.

children

• Select from Person list.

notable education – attendance at local schools or noteworthy advanced degrees.

occupation – general statement about the person’s work.

childhood home – primary home while growing up, especially if local.

• Select from Place list.

adult residence – primary home.

• Select from Place list.

seasonal residence

• Select from Place list.

principle data source – documentation for sources of data recorded in other fields.

• Chicago Manual of Style formatting preferred; multiple entries allowed.

digital image – photo or other image of the person.

• Image is only required when a biography is published.

image credit line – citation for where was the biography image found.

biosketch – concise narrative (250-500 words) capturing the individual’s activities in or related to Hancock County, Maine.

• Link to a more complete biography as as a reference work, if desired.

formatted name – record title comprised of name elements arranged automatically by Odyssey in the following order: Last-name Suffix, Prefix First-name “Nickname” Middle-name (Other-surname).

• Review the {Formatted Name} to be certain that quotation marks enclose any Nickname, that every (Other-surname) is enclosed in separate parentheses and in the correct chronological order, and for any other readability issues. Correct as needed.

profile filter – tag to display this person’s profile on a group’s online archives or the ALPHA tag for display on the History Trust parent account. Also see: How to Set Up An Odyssey Biography Page.

• Select group name from the Biography Filter – Groups list or ALPHA tag from Biography Filter – parent.

general note – Supplemental information about dates and circumstances of name changes, namesakes, noteworthy physical characteristics, etc.

See main dictionary entries for details about the following metadata:
– source
– alternate form of this item
– alternate available forms note
– related collection item
– related materials note
– external URL
– LOC reference
– profile compiler/editor
– aliases

Before adding to the place list always search for the placename at the History Trust online archives Places tab. The public search is “fuzzier” than the search within Odyssey and there are helpful facets to filter results by geographic location and place class.

feature – a proper name that is officially designated or commonly used by a local community or family to reference a prominent or distinctive discreet, part, quality, or characteristic of the Earth’s surface, whether natural or artificial.

• Enter landforms and ecosystems (mountains, lakes, streams, valleys, freshwater wetlands, islands capes, bays, etc.).
• Enter human constructions (buildings, bridges, highways, railroads, airports, dams, stone walls, cemeteries, trails, etc.).

street no. – a unique identifier (usually a number) assigned to a building or other location that is used to deliver letters and parcels and to direct visitors to a location when associated with a street. AKA: street number, house number.

• Enter {Street No.} and {Street Name} in separate fields then manually reunite them when editing the {Placename} (e.g., 10 Sample Street) to aid facet filtering.

street name – a proper noun that denotes a public way such as in a town or or village. AKA: lane, road, highway, etc.

• Enter {Street No.} and {Street Name} in separate fields then manually reunite them when editing the {Placename} (e.g., 10 Sample Street) to aid facet filtering.

locality – the name of any area that embraces a geographic feature or, more specifically, an area with a permanent human population that is within a larger civil division.

• Decide how fine a distinction to make in recording this placename element: for instance, whether to break a village into neighborhoods. Washington Junction, East Blue Hill, Bernard, Town Hill, Pretty Marsh, Manset, and downtown Bar Harbor—that is, populated places—are localities where a house might be situated. Named archaeological sites, battlefields, crossroads, ghost towns, and ruins are examples of historical resource localities. In our region, Acadia National Park is a locality. The locality for an island is logically the surrounding pond, bay, or ocean.
• Modifiers may be needed to distinguish a {Locality} from a similarly named place that is part of the formatted {Placename}. For example, “Hancock (village), Hancock, Hancock County, ME” or “Seal Harbor, Seal Harbor (pop.place), Mount Desert, Hancock County, ME.”

• populated place – an area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (settlement, town, village, neighborhood) recorded as a {Locality} within the place hierarchy.
  • A populated place has no legal boundaries. However, a populated place may have a corresponding {Town/City} record, the legal boundaries which may or may not coincide with the perceived populated place. For instance, “Bar Harbor (downtown) and Bar Harbor (Town of).”
  • Add “(pop.place)” or similar modifier such as “(downtown)” to every populated place entered in {Locality}. Then, edit for readability in the formatted {Placename}. Use a period and no space for “pop.place” in the parenthetical modifier to correct for default capitalization in Odyssey.

[key in city, town, plantation, territory: e.g., Ellsworth] – a proper noun denoting the administrative name of a minor civil division such as town, city, unorganized territory, or plantation.

• Minor-civil-division names are usually entered without any parenthetical modifiers.
• However a civil modifier in parentheses is added in the {Placename} if the record is for the entire geographic area of a town or city; e.g., “Boston (City of)” or “Bar Harbor (Town of).” Thus, in the latter case the {Placename} would appear as, “Bar Harbor (Town of), Hancock County, ME” indicating that the entire geographic area of the town is named.
• To streamline entries, a civil modifier is not normally used in a formatted {Placename} when the local governments is preceded by a {Locality}, {Street}, or {Named Feature}, e.g., “Bar Harbor Ferry Terminal, Bar Harbor, Hancock County, ME.”

town/city – select the minor civil division from the drop-down list. This will repeat information that was keyed in in the prior field, but is needed for facets.

county – a proper noun denoting a geographic region where local government functions are often administered; counties are typically the largest local civil units formed by states in the U.S.A..

• The full administrative name is always entered, that is append the word “County” or appropriate other adjective in {County}.
• Counties have fewer administrative duties in New England than elsewhere in the country yet they remain helpful in defining a geographic area.

state code (e.g., ME) – officially designated state or provincial abbreviation.

state name (e.g., Maine) – proper noun denoting a civil division occupying a definate territory of a nation having a federal government, such as the provinces of Canada or the states of the United States.

• Type full country name and see further guidance: placename, formatted.
• The full state name, in addition to the abbreviation, is used in facets to filter search results.

country (not USA) – full name of any country if not the United States of America, historical kingdonms, or the high seas if the location is in international waters (such as aboard a ship in the North Atlantic Ocean).

• Type full name of country, in English, with no modifiers.
• See additional guidance below: placename, formatted.

placename, formatted – up to six proper nouns that denote or identify a geographic location regarded as a place.

• The elements in a formatted placename sit within a specific-to-general hierarchy: named feature {Feature}; street address {Street No.} {Street}; village name {Locality}; minor civil division name {Town/City}; county name {County}; state abbreviation {State Code (e.g., ME)}; and country name if not USA {Country if not USA}.
• Every {Placename} must be edited for readability and final formatting, even though Odyssey creates a formatted tag from the metadata elements entered.
  • check for commas between all name elements.
  • retype the street number, the number entered in {Street No.}, in the {Placename} in front of the street name; e.g., 39 Hodgdon Road.
  • add “(Town of),” “(City of),” etc. if the record refers to the entire geographic area of a minor civil division {Town/City}, with no subordinate place elements such as {Locality}, {Street Name}, etc. For example: Hancock (Town of), Hancock County, Maine.
  • add or delete parenthetical modifiers for {Feature}, {Locality}, or {Town/City} ; e.g., Hancock (village), Hancock, Hancock County, Maine to aid readability.
  • re-type country name in {Placename} if the place is located outside the U.S.A. and is not Canada, i.e. include “Canada” in the {Country if not USA} field but do not type “Canada” in the formatted place name.
  • add “(unspecified)” following the state or country name in {Placename} if only the state or country are identified (i.e., there are no subordinate jurisdictions in the name). This indicates that the place is somewhere in the state or country but no more specific location is known.
  • add the appropriate state or national flag as an asset of all “(unspecified)” records of states or countries (Wikipedia is a good source).

alternate item title – a proper noun indicating an alias placename that is so synonymous it is displayed as a subtitle for the record title.

person(s) associated

place class – groupings of discrete natural phenomena or human-made constructions found at the Earth’s surface that are taken from the U. S. Geological Survey’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), with additions by The History Trust. See: Place class filters, with descriptions in following “Place class filters” drop-down.

area (e.g., sq. ft.)

distance (e.g., miles)

route (e.g. trail)

elevation

dimensions

latitude (decimal)

longitude (decimal)

stream source latitude (decimal)

significance – recitation of any designation of a natural, historical, or cultural place for holding unique and important qualities.

GNIS/GNS feature ID – identification number assigned by the Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey (domestic placenames) or Geographic Names Server, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (foreign placenames).

CGNDB feature ID – identification number assigned by the Canadian Geographical Names Database, Natural Resources Canada.

NRHP property ID – identification number assigned by the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Seruvce.

ACAD trails ID – identification number assigned by Acadia National Park, National Park Service.

authoritative source – the origin of the information in a list record, usually consisting of the citation for a print or online publication that was created directly by an service provider or governing regulator, or the name of an individual who experienced an event or process first hand.

• Use an “official” source, if available, to help maintain consistency in list entries. Additional sources are cited in the description text or noted in the {Source}. Authoritative sources for History Trust placenames include the U. S. Board on Geographic Names and its Canadian counterpart, and the National Register of Historic Places.

related materials – a category of metadata for referencing items in a group’s collection or a reference work.

• Place authority list entries often have items that amplify the description or historical context text, some of which are held in members collections and some that are not. Hence {Related Materials} replaces the usual {Related Collections Item} in the Place list .

general note

last updated by

See main dictionary entries for details about the following metadata:
– profile filter
– description
– historical context
– creation date/range
– use date/range
– source
– alternate form of this item
– alternate available forms note
– related materials note
– external URL
– LOC reference
– profile compiler/editor
– profile filter
– aliases

If accompanying illustrations are desired for a place record, add them as reference works in the History Trust List-Related Records collection and link as a Related Collection Item. The only assets to be added to place records are state and national flags for “unspecified” location records.

airport – man-made facility maintained for the use of aircraft (airfield, airstrip, landing field, landing strip); obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

arch – natural arch-like opening in a rock mass (bridge, natural bridge, sea arch)

area – any one of several areally extensive natural features not included in other categories (badlands, barren, delta, fan)

arroyo – colloquial usage in southwestern United States for the valley of an ephemeral stream with a flat floor and steep banks or the ephemeral stream flowing through a valley with a flat floor and steep banks (draw, wash, gully)

bar – natural accumulation of sand, gravel, or alluvium forming an underwater or exposed embankment (ledge, reef, sandbar, shoal, spit)

basin – natural depression or relatively low area enclosed by higher land (amphitheater, bolson, cirque, depression, hole, pit, sink)

bay-harbor – indentation of a coastline or shoreline enclosing a part of a body of water; a body of water partly surrounded by land (arm, bahía, bight, cove, estuary, gulf, inlet, sound); local harbors are included here

beach – sloping shore along a body of water that is washed by waves or tides and is usually covered by sand or gravel (coast, shore, strand)

bench – area of level to gently sloping land on the flank of an elevation such as a hill, ridge, or mountain where the slope of the land rises on one side and descends on the opposite side (first bottom, flood-plain step, level, terrace, tread)

bend – curve in the course of a stream or the land within the curve; a curve in a linear body of water (bottom, loop, meander)

bridge – man-made structure carrying a trail, road, or other transportation system across a body of water or depression (causeway, overpass, trestle); obsolete in GNIS as of 2021.

building – relatively permanent construction created to shelter any form of human activity; buildings usually have four walls and a roof (houses, barns, garages, churches, hotels, or similar constructions). — may be a functional collection of buildings such as a boatyard or manufacturing complex; lighthouse reclassified by History Trust; building obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

boulder – large, detached, and rounded or much-worn mass of rock (e.g., glacial erratic); class added by The History Trust

camping-picnic area – tract of land set aside for the purpose of camping or a designated area with picnic tables but no camping facilities; from CGNDB classes*

canal – waterway, primarily man-made, used by watercraft or for drainage, irrigation, mining, or waterpower (ditch, lateral, sluice)

cape – projection of land extending into a body of water (lae, neck, peninsula, point)

cave – GNIS includes caves  but the entries are not publicly available from GNIS in response to the 1988 National Cave Management Resources Act; not included in History Trust data

cemetery – a place or area for burying the dead (burial, burying ground, grave, memorial garden); obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

census – not included in History Trust data

channel – linear deep part of a body of water through which the main volume of water flows and is frequently used as a route for watercraft (passage, reach, strait, thalweg, thoroughfare, throughfare); not a Stream or Valley

church – building used for religious worship (chapel, mosque, synagogue, tabernacle, temple); obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

civil – political division formed for administrative purposes (borough, county, incorporated place, municipio, parish, town, township); distinct from Census and Populated Place

cliff– very steep or vertical slope on one side (bluff, crag, escarpment, head, headland, nose, palisades, precipice, promontory, rim, rimrock, scarp)

crater – circular-shaped depression at the summit of a volcanic cone or one on the surface of the land caused by the impact of a meteorite; a man-made depression caused by an explosion (bowl, caldera, lua, maar)

crossing – place at which a river or stream may be crossed (ferry, ford)

dam – water barrier or embankment built across the course of a stream or into a body of water to control and (or) impound the flow of water (breakwater, dike, jetty); obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

falls – perpendicular or very steep fall of water in the course of a stream (cascade, cataract, waterfall)

flat – relative level area within a region of greater relief (clearing, glade, pan, park, playa lake, salina, upland)

forest – bounded area of woods, forest, or grassland under the administration of a political agency (see “woods”) (national forest, national grasslands, State forest)

gap – low point or opening between hills or mountains or in a ridge or mountain range (col, notch, pass, saddle, water gap, wind gap)

garden – plot of land where herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables are cultivated for enjoyment or self-sustenance rather than producing for market, often with design elements such as statuary, trellises, or water features; class added by The History Trust

glacier – body or stream of ice moving outward and downslope from an area of accumulation; an area of relatively permanent snow or ice on the top or side of a mountain or mountainous area (icefield, ice patch, snow patch)

gut – relatively small coastal waterway connecting larger bodies of water or other waterways (creek, inlet, slough)

hospital – building where the sick or injured may receive medical or surgical attention (infirmary); obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

island – area of dry or relatively dry land surrounded by water or low wetland (archipelago, atoll, cay, hammock, hummock, isla, isle, key, moku, rock)

isthmus – narrow section of land in a body of water connecting two larger land areas

landing – structure used by vessels for taking on or landing cargo and passengers or a shore location where boats may put in (dock, wharf, pier, quay, slipway, boat ramp); from CGNDB classes*

lake – natural body of inland water (backwater, lac, lagoon, laguna, oxbow, pond, pool, resaca, tank, tarn, waterhole)

lava – formations resulting from the consolidation of molten rock on the surface of the Earth (kepula, lava flow, māwae, traps)

levee – natural or man-made embankment flanking a stream (bank, berm)

lighthouse – high tower housing a powerful source of light to guide vessels and associated complex of buildings (light station, light); a keeper’s house may be identified separately as a distinct building; from CGNDB*

locale – renamed, Unclassified; obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

marina – harbor facility intended for pleasure boats (yacht club, fuel dock, boat basin, boatyard); from CGNDB;* formerly locale in GNIS

military – place or facility used for various aspects of or relating to military activity

mine – area from which commercial minerals are or were removed from the Earth; not including oilfield (pit, quarry, shaft); obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

park-heritage area — tract of land designated for nature-based recreation and/or for conservation of natural, cultural, scientific, or historic qualities (national or state park, city park, wilderness area, preserve, sanctuary, historic district); not individual features in these areas; obsolete in GNIS as of 2021; “heritage area” added by History Trust for clarity

pillar – vertical, standing, often spire-shaped, natural rock formation (chimney, hoodoo, monument, pinnacle, pōhaku, rock tower)

plain – region of general uniform slope, comparatively level and of considerable extent; can refer to the flat area of a large mesa (desert, grassland, highland, kula, plateau, savanna)

populated place – area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (settlement, village, neighborhood). Distinct from Civil class. Also see: populated place in main data dictionary entry.

port – Sheltered area of deep water where large ships can anchor or dock (port, roads, roadstead; e.g., Boston Harbor, New York Harbor). “Bay” preferred over “harbor” (which is obsolete in GNIS as of 2021) regarding smaller coastal watercraft. “Port” created by History Trust.

post office – official facility of the U.S. Postal Service used for processing and distributing mail and other postal material; obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

range – single mass of hills or mountains; a complex, interconnected series of mountain ranges having a well-defined longitudinal trend (cordillera, mountain belt, sierra)

rapids – fast-flowing section of a stream with turbulent flow, often shallow and with exposed rock or boulders, where discharge is mostly influenced by velocity rather than width and depth (dalles, riffle, ripple)

reserve – tract of land set aside for a specific use (does not include forests, civil divisions, parks). Obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

reservoir – artificially impounded body of water (lake, tank)

ridge – elevation with a narrow, elongated crest that can be part of a hill or mountain (arête, crest, chenier, cuesta, divide, esker, hogback, mogote, lae, ridge, spur)

road – open, generally public way for the passage of vehicles, or sometimes for people and animals, along with any associated pullouts (street, scenic byway, motor road, carriage road, highway); class added by The History Trust

school – building or group of structures used as an institution for study, teaching, and learning (academy, college, high school, university); obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

sea – large body of salt water (gulf, ocean)

slope – gently inclined part of the Earth’s surface (grade, pitch)

spring – place where underground water flows naturally to the surface of the Earth (seep)

stream – linear body of water flowing on the Earth’s surface (anabranch, awāwa, bayou, branch, brook, creek, distributary, fork, kill, pup, rio, river, run, slough)

summit – prominent elevation rising above the surrounding level of the Earth’s surface; does not include pillars, ridges, or ranges; can occur as a single isolated mass or in a group (ahu, ballon, berg, bald, butte, cerro, colina, cone, cumbre, dome, head, hill, horn, knob, knoll, mauna, mesa, mesita, mound, mount, mountain, peak, puʻu, rock, sugarloaf, table, volcano)

swamp – poorly drained wetland, fresh or saltwater, wooded or grassy, possibly covered with open water (bog, cienega, everglades, fen, marais, marsh, pocosin, slough)

tower – man-made structure, higher than its diameter, generally used for observation, storage, or electronic transmission. Not a lighthouse; obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

trail – route for passage from one point to another, not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, that commonly passes through a natural area (boardwalk, path, track); obsolete in GNIS as of 2021

unclassified – a named feature where there is or was human activity not separately identified in these place classes (battlefield, crossroad, camp, farm, ghost town, golf course, fairgrounds, railroad siding, ruins, site, windmill) or the place class is undetermined; combination of GNIS Locale and CGNDB Unclassified

valley – linear depression in the Earth’s surface that generally slopes from one end to the other (barranca, canyon, chasm, cirque, cove, coulee, draw, fjord, glen, gorge, gulch, gulf, gully, hollow, ravine)

woods – small area covered with a dense growth of trees; does not include an area of trees under the administration of a political agency

* The Canadian Geographical Names Data Base (GNDB) of official names uses a system similar to GNIS, though there are more than 1200 defined terms, which are available here.

name – proper noun or number used to identify watercraft, plus any combination of letters used in front of the name of a naval ship that serves to identify the vessel’s nationality and function, such as USS (United States Ship) or HMS (His Majesty’s Ship).

• Enter the most recent name as the primary name {Name} always in italics. Watercraft names change often, so add any former name as a{Variant Name}. Variant spellings are entered as {Aliasses} .
• Enter any naval ship prefix using no italics or periods. Include any naval ID number in following parentheses, not in italics. The name of the four U.S. Navy Maine ships would therefore be entered as USS Maine (ACR-1), USS Maine (BB-10), USS Maine (BB69), and USS Maine (SSBN-741).
• Civilian ship prefixes indicating propulsion are not standardized and not used by The History Trust.

variant name – an alternate boat name that should be displayed to the public user.

Text in the {Variant Name} field is visible to the public user and {Aliases} is not. Searches find the boat name in either field.

build date/date range – period during which the watercraft was constructed.

designer – person or company responsible for design specs, for a boat for instance.

builder (person) – crafts-person(s) primarily responsible for constructing the watercraft; often the same as the shop name if a small operation.

• Select from Person authority list.

manufacturer – the company or other institution that constructed the craft.

• Select from Organization authority list.

person(s) related – any individuals, other than the builder, associated with the watercraft such as naval architects or owners.

• Select from Person authority list.

shipyard placename + town – place where the craft was built which could be a small boat shop or a large commercial or naval facility plus the minor civil division where the shipyard is or was located.

• Select both from the Place authority list. For example: “Arundel Shipyard, Kennebunkport, York County, ME” + “Kennebunkport (Town of), York County, ME.”

use date/date range – period during which the watercraft was regularly on the water.

• Enter initial launch as start date and the boat’s retirement (e.g., added to a museum collection) or demise as the end date.

primary class – See following drop-down, Watercraft class filters, with definitions and links to Nomenclature.
secondary class
tertiary class

length overall (LOA) – maximum length of a vessel’s hull measured down the centerline and parallel to the waterline, including overhanging ends that extend beyond the main bow (sometimes bowsprits are included) and main stern perpendicular members; the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a boat.

loaded waterline length (LWL) – length of a vessel at the waterline when it is fully loaded, measured from the point where the hull meets the water at the bow to where it meets the water at the stern; sometimes used in racing rules.^

^

length on deck (LOD) – often used to distinguish between the length of a vessel including projections (e.g. bowsprits, etc.) from the length of the hull itself; useful for smaller sailing vessels, as their LOA can be significantly different from their LOD.

beam – width of the hull of a vessel at its widest point, measured perpendicular to the centerline of the hull.

mast height – vertical distance from the datum or design waterline (DWL) to the top of the mast, with DWL being the waterline at which the designer expects the boat to float in its operating condition.

draft – maximum measurement from the design waterline to the bottom of the hull (a boat with a centerboard will have two drafts).

cargo capacity – the volume of freight a vessel can carry

• specify if expressed in gross or net measurement.

See main dictionary entries for descriptions of the following metadata:
– profile filter
– description
– historical context
– source
– related collection item
– related materials note
– external URL
– LOC reference
– profile compiler/editor
– profile filter
– aliases

^ “Glossary of nautical terms” at Wikipedia: The Free Dictionary ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_nautical_terms : accessed 24 July 2025).

Primary Classes — 1. boat: small vessels with no specific purpose | 2. fishing | 3. competition: built for speed | 4. emergency | 5. merchant: carries cargo or passengers for hire | 6. naval: carries soldiers or military equip. | 7. planing | 8. pleasure | 9. raft | 10. remotely operated | 11. research | 12. semisubmersible | 13. service: supports other vessels | 14. ship: large vessels with no specific purpose | 15. steamboat | 16. subsurface

1. boat: Small vessels with no specific purpose or multiple purposes are organized under this term, which itself may be used in addition to functional vessel terms as appropriate.
   • bateau – a flat-bottomed boat with raked bow and stern and flaring sides.^
   • beach boat – a lightweight pontoon vessel with a shallow draft designed to run directly onto shore and launch back into the water. AKA: shallow-water vessels, amphibious craft, pontoon boat. 
   • canoe – a light narrow boat with both ends sharp that is usually propelled by paddling.^
     • birchbark canoe
     • decked canoe
     • dugout canoe
     • kayak
     • outrigger canoe
     • sailing canoe
     • war canoe
   • durham boat – a long narrow flat-bottomed boat used to transport freight on the rivers of North America in the 18th and early 19th centuries.^
   • gondola – 1. traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat. 2. An alternative term for a gundalow.*
   • guideboat – small, lightweight, boats used primarily for fishing that can carry two or three people and their gear while being easily carried over and around obstacles and between bodies of water.
     • Adirondack guideboat – a rowboat that was developed in the 1840s for recreational activities in Adirondack Park…. While superficially resembling a canoe in size and profile, its construction methods are very different and are one of its defining features.+
     • Rangely guideboat – a wooden boat designed for fishing in the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine that features a double-ended design, originally based on the Adirondacck guideboat.^ai
   • gunning boat – a small, lightweight, and maneuverable watercraft suitable for navigating shallow waters and marshes that are designed for hunting waterfowl, often equipped with features that allow hunters to lie low in the boat while using firearms.^ai
     • bushwack boat – a type of small boat, typically around 18 feet long, used for duck hunting in Chesapeake Bay.^ai
     • duckboat – watercraft designed primarily for waterfowl hunting, typically optimized for shallow, quiet, concealed travel rather than speed or comfort.^ai
     • rail skiff – a small, lightweight boat traditionally used for hunting in shallow waters, particularly in marshes. It is designed for poling rather than paddling, allowing a guide to navigate through dense vegetation while carrying a hunter in the front.^ai AKA: railbird skiff.
     • sneakbox – a small boat that can be sailed, rowed, poled or sculled. It is predominantly associated with the Barnegat Bay in New Jersey+
   • inflatable boat – a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurized gas.+
   • johnboat – a narrow flat-bottomed square-ended boat usually propelled by a pole or paddle and used on inland waterways.^
   • motorboat – a boat propelled usually by an internal combustion engine.^
     • Boston Whaler – a powerboat made by an American manufacturer which is known for its durable, foam-filled fiberglass hulls typically equipped with an outboard engine and used for general recreation. 
     • diesel launch
     • gasoline launch
     • naphtha launch
     • outboard
     • speedboat
     • steam launch
   • motorsailer – a motorboat with sailing equipment.^
   • multihull – a vessel…with multiple side-by-side hulls.^
     • catamaran – any vessel with two hulls.*
     • trimaran – any vessel with three hulls*
   • peapod – a clinker-built open double-ended boat used for fishing in Maine.^
   • pram – a small lightweight nearly flat-bottomed boat with a broad transom and usually squared-off bow.^
   • punt – a flat-bottomed boat usually with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers and shallow water.*
   • rowboat – a small boat designed to be rowed.^
     • wherry – (a): a long light rowboat made sharp at both ends and used to transport passengers on rivers and about harbors; (b): a racing scull for one person.^ Also see: commercial fishing vessel, salmon wherry.
     • Whitehall – a style of lapstrake-built rowboat…first made in the U.S. at the foot of Whitehall Street in New York City to ferry goods, and people to ships in New York Harbor. The boats range from 14 to 22 ft in length, the larger requiring two people to row them.+
   • sailboat – a boat usually propelled by sail, though not used for commercial fishing or competitive racing.^
     • abaco dinghy – a lightweight, Bahamian workboat often used for fishing and as a yacht tender.^ai
     • Bermuda dinghy – a type of racing-dedicated sail boat used for competitions between the yacht clubs of Bermuda.+ AKA: Bermuda fitted dinghy.
     • bugeye – a type of sailboat developed in the Chesapeake Bay by the early 1880s for oyster dredging, superseded as the chief oystering boat in the bay by the skipjack at the end of the 19th century.*
     • catboat – a vessel with a single mast mounted close to the bow and only one sail, usually on a gaff, that is for everyday use rather than racing.*
     • daysailer – a sailing boat without overnight accommodation, sometimes with a small cabin, used for pleasure sailing. Typically around 20 feet (6.1 m) in length.* AKA: day boat.
     • dhow – a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region.+
     • felucca – a traditional wooden sailing boat with a single sail used in the Mediterranean, including around Malta and Tunisia.+
     • iceboat – a recreational or competition sailing craft supported on metal runners for traveling over ice. One of the runners is steerable.+
     • ketch – a two-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailboat with the aft mast (the mizzen) mounted (stepped) afore the rudder.*
     • knockabout – a small sailboat designed for easy handling and practical everyday sailing, traditionally with no bowsprit: the jib is attached near the bow, reducing rigging complexity and maintenance.^ai See 3. competition craft for knockabouts used in racing.
     • pink – In the Atlantic Ocean the word ‘pink’ was used to describe any small ship with a narrow stern, having derived from the Dutch word ‘pincke’ meaning pinched. They had a large cargo capacity, and were generally square rigged.+
     • sailing cutter – a type of decked sailing vessel originating in the early 18th century designed for speed…. Originally cutter referred only to a type of hull, but it came to refer to the rig, which was single-masted with both fore-and-aft and square sails.*
     • sailing pram – See: pram.
     • sandbagger – a type of sailboat made popular in the 19th century as a work vessel [in New York Bay region] which also could be used as a pleasure craft. The term “sandbagger” refers to the use of sandbags to shift the boat’s center of gravity in order to obtain the most power from the sails.+ AKA: sandbagger sloop.
     • sharpie – a type of hard-chined sailboat with a flat bottom, extremely shallow draft, centreboards and straight, flaring sides. They are believed to have originated in the New Haven, Connecticut region.+ AKA: New Haven sharpie.
     • sloop – a fore-and-aft rigged boat with one mast and a single jib.^
     • yawl – a fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel with two masts, main and mizzen, the mizzen stepped abaft the rudder post.*
   • sampan – a flat-bottomed skiff used in eastern Asia and usually propelled by two short oars.^
   • skiff – any of various small boats; especially  a “flattie” or flat-bottomed rowboat.^
     • flatiron skiff – a small, open skiff-style boat whose hull form resembles an old-fashion “flatiron.”^ai
     • St. Lawrence River skiff – a traditional boat design that originated in the Thousand Islands region of New York in the late 1800s. Known for its sleek and stable hull, it was primarily used by fishing guides for rowing clients across the river.^ai
   • skin boat – a boat made of skins stretched over a frame.^
     • bull boat – a useful small boat, usually made by the Nueta and frontiersmen, made by covering a skeletal wooden frame with a buffalo hide. It was used for traveling and fishing.+
     • coracle – a small [one-person] boat used in Britain from ancient times and made of a frame (as of wicker) covered usually with hide or tarpaulin.^
     • umiak – an open boat made of a wooden frame covered with hide used especially by indigenous peoples of arctic Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and eastern Siberia.^
2. commercial fishing vessel: A boat or ship used to catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river.
   • banker – a boat employed in the cod fishery on the Newfoundland banks.^
   • buoy boat – a vessel that deploys free-floating “buoy gear,” or fishing gear that fishes vertically in the water column suspended from a marked buoy. Also see: service vessel, buoy tender.#
   • dory – a flat-bottomed boat with high flaring sides, sharp bow, and deep V-shaped transom.^ AKA: whaleboat.
     • Banks dory – a small, open, narrow, flat-bottomed and slab-sided boat with a particularly narrow transom. They were inexpensive to build and could be stacked or nested inside each other and stored on the decks of larger fishing vessels which functioned as mother ships.+ AKA: Grand Banks dory.
     • Swampscott dory – a melding of the earlier wherry design and the river bateau, which later led to new construction techniques used in the mass production of the Banks dory…built with rounded sides and slightly less overhang stern than a Banks dory…. It is designed to be launched off the beach.+
   • dredging vessel – a commercial fishing vessel designed to operate fishing trawls. (Trawls are fishing nets that are pulled along the bottom of the sea or in midwater at a specified depth.)+ AKA: fishing trawler.
     • skipjack – a traditional fishing boat used on the Chesapeake Bay for oyster dredging. It is a sailboat which succeeded the bugeye as the chief oystering boat on the bay.+
   • factory ship – a ship equipped to process a whale or fish catch at sea.^
   • fishing sloop – a sloop-rigged boat (most often one mast with one headsail and a fore-and-aft mainsail), but it’s built or configured specifically for fishing work rather than for pure racing or day sailing.^ai
     • Friendship sloop – a gaff-rigged working boat design that originated in Friendship, Maine, around 1880 and has survived as a traditional-style sailboat.+
     • Noank sloop – a type of fishing boat that originated in Noank, Connecticut, characterized by its sloop rig and design, which was commonly used for fishing and carrying cargo in the 19th century.^ai
   • garvey – a small scow especially of the New Jersey coast.^
   • Hampton boat – a sailing boat of about 20 feet in length with a moderately sharp bow and a pinkie stern that originated in Hampton, New Hampshire, in the early 19th century and was employed in New England fisheries.
   • line fishing vessel – a boat or ship that uses main lines with baited hooks attached at intervals to catch fish such as tuna, swordfish, halibut, and cod.^ai
     • crabbing skiff
     • fishing schooner
     • handlining vessel
     • longliner
   • net fishing vessel – a commercial fishing vessel designed to deploy and tow large nets to catch fish or other seafood.^ai
     • dragger
     • driveboat
     • gillnetter
     • menhaden steamer
     • seiner
     • trawler
   • salmon wherry – a large light barge, lighter, or fishing boat varying in type in different parts of Great Britain.^ Also see: boat, rowboat, wherry.
   • Tancook whaler – a type of double-ended sailing boat that was designed and built on Tancook Island, Nova Scotia, primarily for fishing.^ai Tancook schooners were usually larger than the Tancook whalers and had fixed keels rather than centerboards.+
   • tonging boat – a small vessel used for harvesting shellfish, particularly oysters and clams, by hand tonging. The boat allows the user to access shallow waters where they can use long-handled tongs to gather shellfish from the seabed.
   • trapping vessel – a type of boat specifically designed for transporting, setting, and retrieving traps or “pots” to catch various aquatic species.^ai
     • crabber
     • lobsterboat
   • whaler – a ship engaged in whale fishing.^
     • whale catcher – a sturdy fast, quick-turning steel ship about 135 feet in length equipped with a harpoon gun in the bow and used for hunting whales as one of a fleet attached to a factory ship.^
     • whaleboat – a type of open boat that was used for catching whales, or a boat of similar design that retained the name when used for a different purpose…. Most whaleboats have double-ended, clinker-built hulls of light construction.+
     • whaleship – a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales.+ AKA: whaler.
3. competition craft: Vessels built for speed, agility, and performance, often adhering to specific rules and regulations for competitive racing.^ai
   • classboat – a boat that is categorized based on its length and design features to ensure fairness among competitors.^ai
     • One-Design – a broad term for a sail-racing class where all boats are built to the same design specifications, which may be one of the following classes (otherwise choose “One-Design”):
       • 30 Square Meter Class (one-design)
       • 420 Class (one-design)
       • A Class (one-design)
       • B Class (one-design)
       • Bar Harbor 30 Class (one-design)
       • Beetle Cat Class (one-design) – sailing dinghy designed by John Beetle, first built in 1921.
       • Bluejay Class (one-design)
       • Bullseye Class (one-design)
       • C Class (one-design)
       • Cape Cod Knockabout Class (one-design)
       • Dark Harbor 17-1/2 Class (one-design)
       • Hustler Class (one-design)
       • International One-Design (IOD) – a specific type of one-design sailboat designed by B.B. Crowninsheild.^ai AKA: International Class (IC).
       • J/24 Class (one-design) – the largest one-design, designed by Rod Johnstone.
       • MDI Class (one-design) – sloops designed by Ralph Winslow in 1924 for the Bar Harbor and Seal Harbor yacht clubs to aid youth sailing instruction.
       • Mercury Class (one-design)
       • Mermaid Class (one-design)
       • O Class (one-design)
       • Optimist Class (one-design)
       • P Class (one-design)
       • R Class (one-design)
       • S OD Class (one-design)
       • Winter Harbor Knockabout (one-design)
     • Cruising Class – a group of cruising boats that races together.
     • Schooner Class – a group of cruising boats that races together.
   • raceboat – a powerboat specifically designed for competitive racing, featuring streamlined designs and built for speed and agility.^ai
   • shell – a narrow light racing boat propelled by one or more persons pulling oars or sculls.^ AKA: scull.
     
4. emergency vessel: A vessel equipped with specialized tools and personnel used to respond to emergencies, such as search and rescue operations, medical emergencies, or mechanical failures at sea.^ai
   • fireboat – a [vessel] equipped with firefighting apparatus.^
   • lifeboat – a sturdy buoyant boat (such as one carried by a ship) for use in an emergency and especially in saving lives at sea.^
     • life raft – a raft usually made of wood or an inflatable material and designed for use by people forced into the water.^
     • lifecar – a watertight boat or chamber traveling on a rope and usually used to haul persons through surf too heavy for an open boat.^
     • rescue lifeboat – a small boat usually launched from shore and used to rescue people from the water or from vessels in difficulty.*
     • ship’s lifeboat – a small boat kept on board a vessel and used to take crew and passengers to safety in the event of the ship being abandoned.*
     • surfboat – an oar-driven boat designed to enter the ocean from a beach in heavy surf or large waves. Surfboats often play a lifesaving or rescue role when rescuers need to reach victims of a mishap directly from a beach.*
5. merchant vessel: A watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire.+
   • cargo vessel – a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another.+
     • barge – a roomy usually flat-bottomed boat used chiefly for the transport of goods on inland waterways and usually propelled by towing.^
     • bulk freighter – a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo—such as grain, coal, ore, steel coils, and cement—in its cargo holds.^ AKA: bulker.
     • canal boat – a specialized watercraft designed for operation on a canal…typically lacked sails and masts and relied on towboats and mules to move from place to place..*
     • collier – a ship for transporting coal.^
     • container ship – a cargo ship that carries all of its cargo in truck-size intermodal containers.*
     • gundalow – a type of flat-bottomed sailing barge with a single large lateen sail brailed to a heavy yard, used on rivers in Maine and New Hampshire from the mid-17th century to the early 20th century.*
     • lumber raft – a method of transporting felled tree trunks by tying them together to make rafts, which are then drifted or pulled downriver, or across a lake or other body of water…. Timber rafts were also used as a means of transportation of people and goods, both raw materials (ore, fur, game) and man-made.+
     • marine lighter – a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships.+
     • refrigerator vessel – a refrigerated cargo ship typically used to transport perishable cargo, which require temperature-controlled handling, such as fruits, meat, vegetables, dairy products, and similar items.+ AKA: reefer ship.
     • scow – a large flat-bottomed boat with broad square ends used chiefly for transporting bulk material (such as ore, sand, or refuse).^
     • tanker – a cargo ship fitted with tanks for carrying liquid in bulk.^
   • clipper ship – a fast sailing ship; especially one with long slender lines, an overhanging bow, tall masts, and a large sail area.^
   • ferry – a boat used to ferry passengers, vehicles, or goods.^ AKA: ferryboat.
     • car ferry – a ferry of special design for the transportation of railroad cars by water.^ In North American usage, a ferry carrying rail vehicles. (In UK usage, a ferry carrying automobiles and other road vehicles.)+
   • motorship – a seagoing ship propelled by an internal combustion engine
   • packet ship – originally, a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies, and outposts; later, any regularly scheduled ship carrying cargo or passengers, as in packet trade.* AKA: packet boat.
   • passenger vessel – a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea.+
     • commercial submarine – a type of submarine intended for trade, and being without armaments, it is not considered a warship like most other types of submarines.+
     • cruise ship – a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are the purpose of the experience, as are the different destinations along the way.^ai
     • excursion boat – a vessel commonly found on rivers, lakes, and coastal areas, providing sightseeing tours and experiences for tourists.^ai
     • ocean liner – refers to ships providing scheduled transportation between regular ports of call, but excludes cruise ships, which voyage for recreational purposes and not primarily as a form of transportation between ports.*
     • riverboat – a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways.+
     • water taxi – a watercraft used to provide transportation on demand to various locations, usually in an urban environment, analogous to the way a taxicab operates on land.* Differs from a water bus, which operates on a scheduled service with multiple stops, and differs from a ferry which usually shuttles between only two points.
   • slaver – a ship used in the slave trade.^ AKA: slave ship.
6. naval vessel: A military ship (or sometimes boat, depending on classification) that is used by a navy.+
   • admiral’s barge – a boat used by flag officers for harbor transport. AKA: command cutter.
   • hospital ship – a ship equipped as a hospital; especially one built or specifically assigned to assist the wounded, sick, and shipwrecked in time of war.^
   • naval submarine – a naval vessel designed to operate underwater.^ Also see: submarine.
     • attack submarine
     • ballistic missile submarine
   • naval transport – a ship for carrying soldiers or military equipment.^
   • oiler – an auxiliary naval vessel used for refueling at sea.^
   • row galley – a ship or boat propelled solely or chiefly by oars: such as (a): a long low ship used for war and trading especially in the Mediterranean Sea from the Middle Ages to the 19th century; (b): a warship of classical antiquity.^
   • warship – a ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare, typically belonging to the armed forces of a state, usually a navy.*
     • aircraft carrier
     • battleship
     • bomb vessel
     • corvette
     • destroyer tender – a commissioned naval support ship that provides maintenance, repairs, supplies, and services to destroyers (and sometimes other warships) while they are deployed.+
     • david
     • destroyer
     • frigate
     • guided missile cruiser
     • heavy cruiser
     • landing craft
     • light cruiser
     • minelayer
     • minesweeper
     • patrol boat
     • patrol gunboat
     • privateer
     • ram
     • sloop-of-war
     • submarine chaser
     • submarine tender
     • torpedo boat
7. planing vessel: Use only for vessels designed for planing, not for ordinary motorboats that plane.
   • hydrofoil – a boat with wing-like foils mounted on struts below the hull, lifting the hull entirely out of the water at speed and therefore greatly reducing water resistance.*
   • hydroplane – a fast motorboat with a hull shaped so that at speed planing forces support the boat’s weight, rather than simple buoyancy.*
8. pleasure craft: May also use “Motorboat,” “Sailboat,” or other watercraft terms as appropriate with this term and narrower terms.
   • cabin cruiser – a powerboat with facilities (such as a cabin and plumbing) necessary for living aboard.^
   • houseboat – a boat fitted for use as a dwelling; especially a pleasure craft with a broad beam, a usually shallow draft, and a large superstructure resembling a house.^
   • jet ski – a small motorized usually recreational watercraft.^
   • pedal boat – a small recreational boat powered by pedals that turn a paddle wheel.^ AKA: paddle boat.
   • pontoon boat – a flattish boat that relies on floats to remain buoyant.+
   • runabout – a light usually open wagon, car, or motorboat.^
   • sailing dinghy – a small sailboat used for fun, learning necessary sailing skills, and competition. Also see: dinghy.
   • sport fishing boat – a type of power boat designed for recreational boat fishing, usually for angling or trolling with rods on open water, often while traveling at speed.+
     • bassboat – a subtype of small sport fishers specifically designed for bass fishing, typically with a bow-mounted trolling motor for slow maneuvers in shallow inland waters.+
     • sportfisherman – a type of power boat designed for recreational boat fishing, usually for angling or trolling with rods on open water, often while traveling at speed.+ AKA: sport fishers.
   • yacht – any boat or ship designed specifically for recreational use. The term includes sailing yachts, motor yachts, and steam yachts.*
     • picnic boat – a moderate-sized, high-performance powerboat that is based on coastal working boat designs and constructed using traditional wood-plank-on-frame construction methods.^ai
9. raft (link): A flat structure used for support or transportation over water, lacking a hull and kept afloat by buoyant materials or structures such as wood, balsa, barrels, drums, inflated air chambers such as pontoons, or extruded polystyrene blocks.*
10. research vessel: A ship designed and equipped to carry out research at sea, especially hydrographic surveys, oceanographic research, fisheries research, naval research, polar research, and oil exploration.*
    • research submarine – a type of submarine designed for scientific exploration and research purposes, allowing scientists to study underwater environments, collect samples, and conduct experiments at various depths.^ai
    • survey vessel – any type of ship or boat that is used for mapping a body of water’s bottom, benthic zone, full water column, and surface for purposes of hydrography, general oceanography, marine salvage, dredging, marine archaeology, or the study of marine habitats.*
11. semisubmersible (link): A type of watercraft that operates with most of its hull submerged underwater, providing stability and reducing its visibility. These vessels are commonly used in offshore roles, such as drilling rigs and oil production platforms.^ai
12. service vessel: A vessel commonly used in harbors and offshore operations to support other vessels with various maritime tasks, often by towing or transporting cargo.^ai
    • buoy tender – a type of vessel used to maintain and replace navigational buoys.+
    • coast guard cutter – commissioned vessels of the United States Coast Guard that are 65 feet or greater in length and have a permanently assigned crew with accomodations aboard.+
    • dredger – a specialist floating plant for the excavation of material from a water environment. AKA: dredge.
    • floating dry-dock – a type of pontoon for dry docking ships, possessing floodable buoyancy chambers and a U-shaped cross-section.+
    • icebreaker – a ship equipped (as with a reinforced bow) to make and maintain a channel through ice.^
    • lightship – a ship equipped with a brilliant light and moored at a place dangerous to navigation.^
    • petroleum service vessel – watercraft used to support offshore or other petroleum (oil and natural gas) operations, such as transporting personnel, supplies and equipment, and laying or maintaining subsea infrastructure.^ai
    • pilot boat – a strong fast seaworthy boat in which pilots meet incoming ships usually at the mouth of rivers and harbors.^
    • pontoon – a flat-bottomed boat (such as a lighter); especially a flat-bottomed boat or portable float used in building a floating temporary bridge.^
    • revenue cutter – a small- or medium-sized vessel used by governmental agencies or law enforcement in the exercise of official authority.*
    • ship’s boat – a utility boat carried by a larger vessel.+
      • dinghy – a small boat carried on or towed behind a larger boat as a tender or a lifeboat.^ Also see: sailing dinghy.
      • jolly boat – a type of ship’s boat sed to ferry crew and stores.*
      • launch – a large boat that operates from a ship.^
      • longboat – a large oared boat usually carried by a merchant sailing ship.^
      • pinnace – a small, light boat propelled by oars or a sail, used as a tender to larger vessels during the Age of Sail. In modern usage, any small boat other than a launch or lifeboat associated with a larger vessel.*
      • yawlboat – a rowboat on davits at the stern of the boat.* Also, a motorized ship’s boat that provides maneuvering assistance to sailing vessels by pushing against the stern.
    • training barge – old, immobile hulks used to house classrooms. to train students as sailors*
    • tugboat – a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line.+
      • towboat – a compact shallow-draft boat with a squared bow designed and fitted for pushing tows of barges on inland waterways.^
    • yacht tender – a vessel used for servicing and providing support to a private or charter yacht, often used for transporting supplies and personnel, or for the entertainment of passengers. They can vary in size and type, including rigid-hulled inflatable boats and luxury craft.+
13. ship: Large vessels with no specific purpose or multiple purposes are organized under this term, which itself may be used in addition to functional vessel terms as appropriate.
    • sailing ship – a ship that has sails.^
      • Baltimore clipper – a fast sailing ship—an early form of clipper…. Popular as merchant ships in both the United States and the United Kingdom by the late 18th century, Baltimore Clippers usually were two-masted schooners or brigantines.*
      • bark – a sailing vessel of three or more masts, with all masts square-rigged except the sternmost, which is fore-and-aft-rigged.* AKA: barque.
      • barkentine – a sailing vessel with three or more masts, with all masts fore-and-aft-rigged except the foremast, which is square-rigged.* AKA: barquentine.
      • brig – a vessel with two square-rigged masts.*
      • brigantine – a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts.+
      • carrack – a three- or four-masted oceangoing sailing ship used by Western Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean from the 15th through the early 17th centuries.+
      • galleon – a large, multi-decked sailing ship with a prominent, squared-off, raised stern, generally carrying three or more masts, typically lateen fore-and-aft-rigged on the rear mast and square-rigged on the mainmast and foremast…used primarily as armed cargo carriers and sometimes as warships.*
      • hermaphrodite brig – a two-masted vessel square-rigged forward and schooner-rigged aft.^ AKA: brigantine.
      • jackass bark – a sailing ship with three (or more) masts, of which the foremast is square-rigged and the main is partially square-rigged (topsail, topgallant, etc.) and partially fore-and-aft rigged (course). The mizzen mast is fore-and-aft rigged.+
      • junk – any of various ships of Chinese waters with bluff lines, a high poop and overhanging stem, little or no keel, high pole masts, and a deep rudder.^
      • pinky – a type of small fishing vessel that was commonly used in New England from the early 18th century to the early 20th century that is characterized by its sharp, raised stern that was ‘pinked’ or pinched together.^ai AKA: Maine pinkie.
        (It is believed that the pinkies developed from Chebacco boats.)
      • schooner – a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts.*
      • Tancook schooner – a small, working schooner that is a larger version of the Tancook Whaler, with a fixed keel rather than centerboard, that was used historically for fishing and coast-wise hauling around the Bay of Fundy.^ai
    • steamship – a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels.+ AKA: steamer.
    • training ship – 1) a warship that carries naval-officer candidates on training cruises; 2) a ship used to train men for the merchant marine.^ Also see: training barge.
14. steamboat: A boat that is propelled primarily by steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels. The term steamboat is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels working on lakes, rivers, and in short-sea shipping. The development of the steamboat led to the larger steamship, which is a seaworthy and often ocean-going ship.+ Primary 16
    • paddle steamer – a…steamboat powered by a steam engine driving paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water.* AKA: sidewheeler.
15. subsurface watercraft: Vessels designed to operate partially or fully underwater.^ai
    • submarine – a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.)+ Also see: commercial submarine, naval submarine, and research submarine.
    • submersible – an underwater vehicle which needs to be transported and supported by a larger watercraft or platform.+
      • bathyscaphe – a free-diving, self-propelled deep-sea submersible, consisting of a crew cabin similar to a Bathysphere, but suspended below a float rather than from a surface cable.+
      • bathysphere – a unique spherical deep-sea submersible which was unpowered and lowered into the ocean on a cable, and was used to conduct a series of dives off the coast of Bermuda from 1930 to 1934.+
      • mesoscaphe – a crewed underwater submarine designed in 1964 by Jacques Piccard,…was the world’s first passenger submarine.+
16. remotely operated vessel (link) – a free-swimming submersible craft used to perform underwater observation, inspection and physical tasks.+

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^ From subject entries at Merriam-Webster Dictionary ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/ : accessed June 2025).
+ From subject entries at Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ : accessed June 2025).
* From “Glossary of nautical terms (A–L) and (M–Z)” at Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_nautical_terms : accessed June 2025).
^ai Assisted by AI-generated search results (June 2025–August 2026 ).
# “Background Information on Buoy Gear” at South Atlantic Fishery Management Council ( https://safmc.net/documents/a05_buoygearinfo_042017-pdf/ : accessed 31 October 2025).