As wiki goes: This, however, is considered a stylistically marked, optional figure of speech. This usage is furthermore in decline and advised against by most journalistic style guides such as The Chicago Manual of Style. That's why i am asking present day speakers how they would say nowadays. E.A.Poe, of course, uses 'she' when he writes about ships (i also remember noticing this in his stories), but he is the 19th century writer.