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it's a common pub quiz question, and the pub quiz answer is traditionally "a ship has lifeboats, whilst a boat does not". However I believe this is an oversimplification and a friend of mine in the merchant navy couldn't give me a fixed answer on the difference.

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I believe the old saying in the navy is “A ship can carry a boat, but a boat can’t carry a ship”.

To which I say: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Blue_Marlin#/media/File:MV_...

Clearly, Arleigh Burkes are boats.

Maybe it's best read as not mutually exclusive. There seem to be ships that can also carry ships.

Some of those which carry boats / Are the same which carry ships

But that's a ship carrying a ship, or did I miss something?

I heard "boats go under the water and ships go on the water."

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