MESSIN' ABOUT ON THE WASSER

Back home in Blighty I'm reflecting on water.

In Germany I was constantly impressed with the continual boat usage their canals and rivers get either by industry or leisure.

Here's a fantastic looking river liner idling up the Mosel. A slow moving river hotel, is this something you would like readers? I think I would! Lots of reading, writing, looking and food!

Its very Century 21 don't you think! What a toy it would make!

I was discussing boats and ships with a German mate Jo and he asked is it only yachts that 'segeln' in English, the German verb to sail.

I said no, all boats and ships sail in English, regardless of whether they have a sail or not.

Jo replied that in Germany ships and boats without sails 'fahren' the same as cars, i.e. drive.

I replied that in English you cannot really say something like 'I am driving the ship'. It would be 'I am sailing the ship'.

I do hope all this is right fellow English speakers! How do you move a ship or boat in your country readers? Sail or drive or something else?

Coming back to the UK, our ferry, The Pride of Rotterdam, sailed across the wide North Sea with an easy forward motion creating this steady wake. 

Fifteen hours at sea overnight, the Ship's hull arrived safely in Hull, the East Riding City by the sea seen here sparkling white in the early morning.

Like its opposite number Rotterdam, Hull is bristling with boats and ships [C'mon, tell me the difference!] and here's one I snapped in the Humber estuary this morning, possibly a dredger?

Returning finally to German, the German noun for voyage is Schifffarht. Its unusual in German as it contains three consecutive f's. I can't think of any English word that does this! Apparently we used to say Chafffinch but I think most people would agree its Chaff Finch.

Interestingly the German word for the river liner voyage in my video would contain not one set of triple consonants but two!

Flussschifffahrt!

Do you have triple consecutive consonant words in your language readers?

Any more in English?