Seamanship is the skill and knowledge of an experienced sailor: how to handle a boat, read the weather, tie knots, keep people safe, and not fight the sea when the sea is stronger. It is not just knowing about ships from a book; it is the craft you show when the wind turns nasty. People still use it in training and in praise — they will say someone showed fine seamanship. The word is a little old and proud. A seaman, in older English, was a sailor; today many people just say sailor, and they mean women as well as men.