> Is it normal to refer to a ship with a male name as "she"? Yes, in English ships are always referred to as 'she,' and also never with the definite article.

> Is it normal to refer to a ship with a male name as "she"? Yes, in English ships are always referred to as 'she,' and also never with the definite article. I.e., one doesn't write 'the USS George H.W. Bush has never seen combat, but she'll wipe the deck with any contenders,' but rather, 'USS George H.W. Bush has never seen combat, but she'll wipe the deck with any contenders.' I'm sure that there's a reason in the mists of time, but it honestly doesn't matter: a navy which loses hold of its traditions isn't much more than an armed yacht club, and thus every navy worth its salt holds onto them.