The SS prefix, which appeared in the 19th century, is one of the earliest and most famous examples. It designated steam-powered craft, then at the cutting edge of naval technology. Originally, SS specifically referred to single-screw steamships, a specific type of steamship fitted with one propeller.
The original civilian ship prefix is SS, which is an acronym for “steamship.” Back in the early days of powered water vessels, shipping companies wanted a way to distinguish their newer, faster steamships from older, slower sail and oar propelled watercraft.
Common prefixes are MV (for Motor Vessel), MS (for Motor Ship), MT (Motor Tanker), SY (for Sailing Yacht) or MY (for Motor Yacht), while prefixes from older times were SS (for Steam Ship) and RMS (for Royal Mail Ship) or ever older HMS (for His/Her Majesty's Ship).
Boat naming has been around for thousands of years, started when sailors named their vessels after deities and saints in the hopes of good fortune and smooth sailing. Names were chosen very carefully since the wrong name meant the difference between a safe voyage or being lost at sea.
The RMS TITANIC was designated as a 'Royal Mail Ship,' meaning the Ship had been contracted to carry Royal (British) Mail. TITANIC was also referred to as an SS ship which stands for 'steamship', indicating that the propulsion was steam powered, but 'SS' had less prestige than 'RMS', so it was used less.
Usage. Historically, prefixes for civilian vessels often identified the vessel's mode of propulsion, such as "MV" (motor vessel), "SS" (screw steamer; often cited as "steam ship"), or "PS" (paddle steamer).
Spray the boat with your slightly soapy water mix. And then lay the name back against the hullMoreSpray the boat with your slightly soapy water mix. And then lay the name back against the hull making sure that the sticky side of the lettering does not touch. Itself squeegee the name down starting
The name of the boat must not be identical, either literally or phonetically, to any word or words used to solicit assistance at sea (that rules out MayDay or similar names). And the name of the boat must not contain or be phonetically identical for obscene, indecent or profane language or to racial or ethnic epithets.
Proper names of ships and other vessels should be italicized just as titles are. Keep in mind that although ship (or vessel) names should appear in italics, prefixes such as U.S.S. or H.M.S. should not.