No, we don't say "aboot." This is a horrible lie.

However, we do say "aBOAT." We are unable to hear it, though, for the same reason a fish would say "what water?"

Go to California for a week or two and talk with some locals and you'll realize how pronounced your "aboat" is (well, for most of us, anyway. For some reason my mother-in-law has a very nice round "abOUT" - nothing like the Californian "aBAOUWT" but not "aboat" either. Must be good breeding).