What is the correct verb for "driving" a boat? [duplicate]

Solution 1:

The common term is "piloting".

Per Google definition:

pilot (gerund or present participle: piloting): act as a pilot of (an aircraft or ship).

synonyms: navigate, guide, maneuver, steer, control, direct, captain, shepherd

Per the Oxford English Dictionary (OED):

pilot: To conduct or convey (a person) in a ship or boat; to direct the course of (a vessel), esp. through difficult or dangerous waters; to guide or steer. Also occas. intr.: to perform the role of pilot on a vessel.

Per the SeaTalk Nautical Dictionary:

pilot: to operate a vessel, meaning to steer safely to a destination

See Also: navigate

Solution 2:

It depends on the boat. You may be coxing, if you are sitting in the back of a rowing boat. (example from Trinity College Cambridge)

If you are on a sailing boat, then you are, well, sailing the boat. But if you have a crew, (and you are potentially telling someone else to turn the wheel or move the tiller) then you are skippering or captaining.

If you are in a motorboat, to say that you are driving it is not inappropriate according to the UK government.

As the boat gets bigger, you may find that you are steering it.

And if you are a water rat, of course, then you are just messing about in boats!

Solution 3:

You may use "helm".

Steer (a boat or ship): he helmed a sailing vessel

Perhaps for more informal use there is "boating".

the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat

Solution 4:

I believe pilot is the word you want, but as an alternative not yet mentioned, you can use skipper. Its relevance would be on the occasion there is minimal (or no) crew, and where the helmsman and captain are one and the same (a case of metonymy).

: to be the captain of (a ship or boat)
...
The boat was skippered by a skilled veteran sailor.
_{Merriam-Webster}

As an example, the Manhattan Yacht Club explains how to earn skipper privileges:

Any member, 18 years or older, can apply for Skipper Privileges if he or she believes they:
1) can safely skipper a boat in the harbor
2) understand the local sailing conditions (including topography, currents, wind patterns, etc.)
3) understand how the club operates (including rules, reservations, responsibilities, etc.).