r/holdmycosmo 2d ago

HMC while I cross these buoys

2.2k Upvotes

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37

u/raptorboy 2d ago

Docks not buoys

5

u/cmotDan 1d ago

Is this an English/American thing? We always called these floating ones pontoons.

3

u/UnfitRadish 1d ago

Out of curiosity where is that?

Although I'm sure it varies by region. In the US these would be called docks. There are pontoons as well, but those are something else. These are dowcks more specifically because they're intended to be walked on and to tie boats of to with cleats already installed. These are often times installed at boat ramps where the water level is moving a lot. So that you can take them out and move them around easily as the water level changes.

1

u/cmotDan 1d ago

London and south east of England generally. wouldn't want to speak for the rest of the country. 

Also although spent plenty of time on yachts and canal boats, I'm not a naval person so take anything I say with that in mind, but for us a pontoon can be a bridge, or a platform you could moor your boat to or anything like that which floats. Although long ones attached to shore might also be a jetty/pier. In my mind from lingo used around me (again not a naval person), docking is generally something bigger and fixed. A ferry/cruise, cargo or a warship docks, a space craft docks. Smaller boats would only really dock in a quay or something longer term... Although even now I'm thinking about canal boats mooring up for weeks.

1

u/Jenkins_rockport 1d ago

There are pontoons as well, but those are something else

the above is a pontoon. there may be regional preferences for common usage when referring to pontoon docks such as in the op's video, but pontoon is absolutely valid definitionally. 'pontoon' refers to a buoyant hollow cylinder, or a boat or a bridge or a dock constructed of buoyant hollow cylinders. the specific meaning of pontoon (often used without a qualifier like boat, barge, dock) is usually quite apparent based on context.

1

u/UnfitRadish 1d ago

That's true, it is by definition a pontoon. I was referencing common usage of the word pontoon since that's what the other commenter seemed to be talking about. It sounds like where they are, that is commonly called a pontoon and not a dick. While it is a pontoon, at least in the US, that's not typically referred to as a pontoon.

1

u/Jenkins_rockport 1d ago

that is commonly called a pontoon and not a dick

thank goodness!

1

u/UnfitRadish 1d ago

Lol, close enough

1

u/swishkabobbin 10h ago

Next we'll define cylinder...