Okay, if I take a ship which I probably have a lot of general knowledge on, which I have never seen before, the Norway (Or France, as I recognise her as).
The fact that I had never seen her was what sparked my initial interest. I thought, "What a great ship", and that it was something I wished I could of seen. And an era which I would of loved to of got a feel for, but just obviously wasn't around at that time.
But I do agree, in that sense, - You can have feelings for something you've never seen before, but nothing, ever does match how you feel if you've worked, or been aboard a boat/ship, that you liked. It really did upset me a great deal to see Mary go, and even though still here, it does not feel the same when you don't have the helm in your hands...I suppose it would almost be like waving your son/daughter that has finished college, and moving out of the home, and not under your watch, or care, directly, anymore.
Jack.