Naming Conventions for Boat/Ship Motion

I see some variations, especially in older publications as to the words used to describe a boat/ship trip.

A couple of hundred years ago, sailing dominated propulsion, and trips were described as "sailing", as in "We are sailing from Spain to discover the sea route to India"

Around 100 years ago, when newer propulsion was the norm, "We are steaming from England to the United States on the Titanic"

That norm (steamships) held up until a few decades ago, and perhaps the most appropriate term in today's maritime world would be "motoring", as in Diesel propulsion?

Yet it seems that "sailing" is the new norm, even though virtually none of present commercial operations use sails. "We are sailing tomorrow on a trip to Alaska." Is there any proper conventions in today's maritime world? I know I will keep to "steaming" wherever I go.

 

A person "sails" somewhere for the same reason a person "flys" somewhere. It is a common shared mental visualization of the mode of movement.

 

You might set sail, embark, steam or motor & then heave, pitch, roll, yaw, sway and surge your way to where ever.
Jeff.

 

You can do this to and from the local bar too . . .

 

Being aboard as a Marine Motorist does not have the panache of "Sailing".

 

My wife says that she can always remember which direction is "heave" because that motion has such a visceral connection for her.