A guard ship is a warship stationed at some port or harbour to act as a guard, and in former times in the Royal Navy to receive the men impressed for service. She usually was the flagship of the admiral commanding on the coast.
A guard-boat is a boat which goes the round of a fleet at anchor to see that due watch is kept at night.
In Soviet terminology a guard ship (Storozhevoj Korabl') is a small, general purpose patrol and/or escort vessel.
An example of a guard ship is HMS Clyde (P257) which is stationed in the Falkland Islands.
Famous quotes containing the words guard and/or ship:
“Then the bird
breaks with his beak the thread
of dream within him,
and the tree unrolls
the shadow that will guard it
throughout the day.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“Nitrates and phosphates for ammunition. The seeds of war. They’re loading a full cargo of death. And when that ship takes it home, the world will die a little more.”
—Earl Felton, and Richard Fleischer. Captain Nemo (James Mason)