Going down to the she in ships

Not long ago a question arose about the aircraft carrier AbrahamLincoln. Stylistically speaking, is this mighty ship a "she" or an"it"? The answer is, she is a "she."

That definitive and unequivocal reply comes from the publicinformation office of the U.S. Navy. Nautical tradition must beserved--and this tradition is not merely old, it is venerable.

Maritime authorities advance a number of reasons for feminizing aship. A dozen readers provided this explanation:

"A ship is called a 'she' because there is always a great deal ofbustle about her. There is usually a gang of men about. She has awaist and stays. When she is all decked out, it takes a lot of paintto …