Steamboat Trivia Questions!

Matthew, I got the answer to that one: Riverlorian's got a line...bell's got a rope! Cap'n Walnut.

I was watching something on tv about the latest mega cruise ship, and the reporter was standing by a huge bollard with a number of the ship's mooring lines on it. She said, "These lines are called ropes."

(If this isn't amusing, you need to go back to Boating 101.)

My favorite answer one of my Captains gives is "well my wife would tell you that a line is what this old captain just gave her, and a rope is what shes gunna hang me with."

Dad, often said that the first question that the Inspector asked him on his assistant engineers test was, "What is the most important line on a steamboat?" Does anyone know the answer that the Inspector wanted; let's see! The Snickers Bar waiting on my desk goes to the first lucky one with the correct answer.

the steam line............................

Frank X. Prudent;20028 wrote: Dad, often said that the first question that the Inspector asked him on his assistant engineers test was, "What is the most important line on a steamboat?" Does anyone know the answer that the Inspector wanted; let's see! The Snickers Bar waiting on my desk goes to the first lucky one with the correct answer.

HAHAHA Great One!! I will be sure to give credit

Judy Patsch;20029 wrote: the steam line............................

Sorry, that's not the answer! The Snickers Bar is still waiting to be claimed.

The one used to chock a tree in an emergency.

The chow line. Cap'n Walnut

The dotted one on COI where the OCMI signs his name

The Snickers Bar is still up for grabs. Here's a couple of hints. Jim's answer has come the closest, and on the IDLEWILD's pilot house under her nameboard she had a slogan. The "most important line on a steamboat" is related to the slogan's message. Although I must admit I really like Cap'n Walnut's answer.

is it the safety line?????????

The IDLEWILD's slogan was "Safety First". Roger said the "safety line" or it could it be the "first line" out. But as history has oft proven, the line most valuable to a steamboat is a generous Credit Line.

Anchor line? Most of us would argue about that one.
Line of communication? (as in engine room with pilot house, or the shortest distance from the engine room to the pilot house which, theoretically, would be a straight line.)

The line is there for crew and or passenger safety.

My answer would be the spring line.

Could it be theTelegraph Line between pilot house & engine room?

the load line????????????????????

Could it be Line of sight!?

what about the food line?

or the owner's line of credit????

The answer has to do with passenger and crew safety. The line when in use generally would have been found uncoiled about three feet or so above the main deck. The W.P.SNYDER Jr. had a good example of the line last time I was aboard. As a matter of fact I saw a modern line haul towboat go under the Cincinnati Suspension Bridge recently using one or two.

It certainly was a trick question that the Inspector was asking my father, and he wasn't the only one to be fielded such a question. I was chatting with "Doc" last night and he said that the Inspector asked him a similar question about lines. "Doc" was plied with the following query, "Name the longest line on a boat?" No, they do not have the same answer.

Longest line on a boat

the hull line going from bow to stern in the middle? Or the in the ladies room on a July 4th cruise?

Sounds like a Line of Bull.