Famous Boats and Ships: Can You Stay Afloat During This Maritime Quiz?
Written by Tom Cohen
Last updated · 8 min play time
Whether you hit the high seas yourself or are just a fan of maritime vessels, boats have a storied place in our collective history. From the boat that sunk Gary Hart's presidential bid to the Titanic, these famous ships come in all shapes and size. Ahoy matey, let's take to the seas in this quiz!
The Titanic. The Lusitania. H.M.S. Pinafore. The Love Boat. They've all captured our imagination, in very different ways of course. There are a lots of famous boats out there, and plenty of ways to test your knowledge of them. From the notorious captains who steered these ships, to famous passengers who hopped aboard, to the stories that made these ships resonate throughout history, the only limit is the open sea itself.
When it comes to answering questions about these famous boats, let's see if this quiz sinks you, or if you can stay afloat.
Quiz written by
Tom CohenI'm a 3-time Emmy-winning game show producer, writer, director and published author. I dig traveling, watching hockey, photographing wildlife and exploring the cultural and social fabric of society.
Boats Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 388 Plays · No comments
Question 1
Let's start many centuries ago. Of course we all know that Columbus had three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and a third ship sometimes called La Gallega. What was the more common name of this boat?
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ASanta Clarita
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BSanta Monica
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CSanta María
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DSanta Barbara
Santa María
The Santa María was the flagship of Columbus' journeys to the New World, but it was ill-fated. It struck a reef in the Caribbean on Christmas Eve in 1492, after which it was abandoned, sending Columbus back to Spain with his other two ships.
Question 2
A heavy frigate of the United States Navy, what famed vessel is the oldest commissioned naval ship and is sometimes called Old Ironsides?
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AU.S.S. Indianapolis
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BU.S.S. Independence
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CU.S.S. Constitution
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DU.S.S. California
U.S.S. Constitution
The U.S.S. Constitution was launched in 1797, and was one of six original frigates that resulted from the Naval Act of 1794. Constitution was a hero of the War of 1812, and beat five British warships. Constitution is currently on display all year round at Pier One at the end of Boston's Freedom Trail.
Question 3
Speaking of fictional ships, in what book does a boat known as the Pequod play a prominent role?
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AThe Old Man And the Sea
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BThe Sea-Wolf
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CMoby Dick
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DThe Perfect Storm
Moby Dick
The fictional 19th-century Nantucket whaling ship Pequod is captained by Ahab, and is the ship he and his crew use to hunt the "Great White Whale" or Moby Dick. The Pequod was named for the Algonquian-speaking tribe of Native Americans that are from New England.
Question 4
In Greek mythology, the boat called the Argo was used by Jason and his fellow Argonauts on their quest for what?
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AMedusa's head
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BLiquid lightning
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CArtemis' shield
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DGolden fleece
Golden fleece
As the myth goes, Jason and his crew sailed from Iolcos to Colchis. Their goal: to retrieve the Golden Fleece, the treasured pelt of the golden-woolled winged ram Chrysomallos. The ship was allegedly named after her builder, Argus.
Question 5
Built in the late '30s and early '40s. the Achille Lauro took its place among the ill-fated ships in history. What happened to the Achille Lauro in 1985?
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ABurned down by pirates
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BStruck by lightning
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CRan into a rock by the shore
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DHijacked by terrorists
Hijacked by terrorists
The Achille Lauro hijacking happened on October 7, 1985, when the Italian MS Achille Lauro was hijacked by four men representing the Palestine Liberation Front off the coast of Egypt, as she was sailing from Alexandria to Ashdod, Israel.
Question 6
Which of the following brands of booze is named for a famed clipper ship known for its frequent runs to China from London to bring tea back from the orient?
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ATanqueray gin
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BStella Artois beer
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CCutty Sark whiskey
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DGrey Goose vodka
Cutty Sark whiskey
The Cutty Sark was the one of the last of a great tradition of using clippers in the tea trade, soon to be replaced by steamers. She was known for her famous race against Thermopylae in 1872, the two ships leaving Shanghai together on June 18th of that year; the Cutty Sark lost the race by a week. She sailed in eight "tea seasons" in total.
Question 7
The Gordon Lightfoot song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" chronicles the sinking of a ship on what body of water in 1975?
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ALake Superior
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BPuget Sound
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CChesapeake Bay
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DMississippi River
Lake Superior
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was launched on June 7, 1958, and was the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes at the time. The boat got caught in a storm on November 10, 1975, and shortly after 3:30 p.m on that day, the captain of the ship radioed that it was taking on water. The last communication from the ship came at just after 7:10 p.m.
Question 8
When it comes to fictional ships, the H.M.S. Pinafore is among the most musical, and is the setting for Gilbert and Sullivan's play of the same name. What is a pinafore?
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AA pinathree plus one
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BA type of sword
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CA woman's sleeveless dress
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DA medal worn by generals
A woman's sleeveless dress
In typical comical fashion, Gilbert and Sullivan named their warship in the play after a woman's garment, a kind of sleeveless apron or dress. The name refers to the fact that a pinafore was formerly pinned to the front of a dress, hence "pina" and "fore".
Question 9
As depicted in the movie Captain Phillips, what was the name of boat that was seized by pirates on April 8, 2009 and held for 4 days not far from Somalia?
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AEvergreen Enterprise
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BHapag-Lloyd Singapore
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CMaersk Alabama
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DCOSCO California
Maersk Alabama
The Maersk Alabama was the first successful pirate seizure of a U.S-registered ship since the early 19th century. It was the sixth shift during that same week that was attacked by pirates. The Alabama is still in service, though it's been renamed the MV Tygra and is no longer a Maersk ship.
Question 10
The Monitor and the Merrimack are two of the most famous ships in history, known for their fierce Civil War battle. What was the Merrimack's official name?
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AC.S.S. Tennessee
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BC.S.S. Virginia
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CC.S.S. Shenandoah
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DC.S.S. Georgia
C.S.S. Virginia
The Merrimack and the Monitor most famously faced off near Hampton Roads, Virginia. The Monitor was built in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and was stationed near Virginia to face off against Confederate ships. Before facing the Monitor, the Merrimack (CSS Virginia) had destroyed the sail frigates Cumberland and Congress.
Question 11
One of the most ill-fated boats in cinema was the ship in Jaws. Name the ship captained by the eccentric and grizzled veteran Quint in the film,
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AAlbatross
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BDolphin
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CShark
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DOrca
Orca
Go to jaws.fandom.com for the best description of what happened to the Orca: "The demise of the Orca was due in part to structural damage resulting from relentless attacks by a now infamous maniacal rogue shark. Although the boat had been designed to seek out and catch sharks, it was ultimately no match for the overtly cunning, pursuing predator Quint was hired to catch. Attempting to draw the monster in to the shallows, the Orca was eventually over revved and inadvertently scuttled."
Question 12
The Exxon Valdez is an infamous boat that will forever be synonymous with environmental negligence. What was the Valdez named for?
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AIts port of departure in Alaska
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BThe company that built it
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CThe captain of the ship
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DIt was constructed in Mexico
Its port of departure in Alaska
Valdez was the small town on the Prince William Sound in Alaska where the ship picked up its oil cargo, to be delivered to Long Beach, CA. The ship was also known as the Exxon Mediterranean, the SeaRiver Mediterranean, and the S/R Mediterranean.
Question 13
In 1984, Gary Hart's presidential aspirations washed ashore when photos of him having an affair surfaced. What was the name of the boat he was spotted on with his mistress?
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AMonkey Business
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BLiving the Dream
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CMaiden Voyage
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DHigh Times
Monkey Business
In the famous photo of Hart with Jessica Hahn, you can clearly make out the ironic words Monkey Business on the back of the yacht. This photo, published in the <i>National Enquirer</i> would signal the beginning of the end of Hart's presidential bid.
Question 14
Named for a Native American tribe, what types of vessels were Natchez 1 through 9, part of the storied history of boats and ships in the United States?
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ASchooners
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BYachts
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CSteamboats
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DOil tankers
Steamboats
Natchez is a town in Mississippi on the banks of that storied river, and there were several steamboats named after it. Natchez 1 originally ran between New Orleans and Natchez, Mississippi starting in the 1820s, and the current one has been in operation since 1975.
Question 15
The Pacific Princess was the famous boat that hosted all those Love Boat characters for so many years, including purser Gopher, played by Fred Grandy. What does a purser on a ship do?
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AHelp the captain navigate
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BOrganize the activities
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CCarry bags to the rooms
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DHandle the money
Handle the money
As the name implies, the "purser" is primarily responsible for the handling of money on board, and keeping track of finances and supplies. Think of the purser like the ship's accountant, with a fancier name.
Question 16
As conceived by Robert Louis Stevenson, what is the name of the fictional schooner used to seek Captain Flint's treasure in the novel Treasure Island?
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AThe Carib
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BUnicorn
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CNautilus
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DHispaniola
Hispaniola
At first, <i>Treasure Island</i> was actually considered a coming-of-age story, and was a initially published as a set of serialized stories in a magazine called <i>Young Folks</i> under the title <i>Treasure Island or the mutiny of the Hispaniola</i>.
Question 17
The Vasa is a famous ship built between 1626 and 1628. Now a popular museum in its capital city, the Vasa is a symbol of what country's "great power period"?
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ARussia
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BSweden
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CPortugal
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DMorocco
Sweden
The Vasa is located in the harbor in Stockholm, and has been visited by almost 30 million visitors since 1961. Though majestic, Vasa was an ill-fated ship, and was built top-heavy and had insufficient ballast. She started to struggle just minutes after setting sail and when she was recovered in 1961, the remains of at least 15 people were found.
Question 18
When the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915 on her 202nd Atlantic crossing, war was all but inevitable. Who owned the Lusitania ocean liner?
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AWhite Star Line
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BHamburg America
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COcean Ferry Line
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DCunard
Cunard
British company Cunard was the owner-operator of the Lusitania, and it was a flagship of their fleet, holding the "Blue Riband appellation for the fastest Atlantic crossing." The Lusitania was launched in 1906 and had 9 years of storied journeys before its tragic sinking, killing nearly 1200 people.
Question 19
The Mayflower would top anyone's list of the most famous boats of all-time. Which of the following Johns was one of the famous Mayflower passengers when it set sail from London?
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AJohn Rolfe
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BJohn Carver
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CJohn Brown
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DJohn Lennon
John Carver
John Carver was one of the most famous of all the Mayflower passengers, and is widely credited for writing the Mayflower Compact, and being its first signer. Carver wore a lot of hats, was the acting governor of the ship, and was also elected the first governor of the colony.
Question 20
Arguably the most famous fictional boat of all-time, the S.S. Minnow from Gilligan's Island was not actually named for the fish, but for whom?
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AHead writer of the series
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BFCC Chairman
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CPresident of CBS
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DMayor of Burbank, California
FCC Chairman
As the story goes, Gilligan creator Sherwood Schwartz was forced to check in with FCC Chairman Newton Minow on the content of the series scripts. As a dig, Schwartz decided to name the shipwrecked boat after Minnow. Hopefully the FCC head had a good sense of humor.
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