Naming Your Boat is Serious Stuff!

"Why Do You Ask"

"And, just in case you’re wondering why white, black and green boats are considered unlucky, white resembles the churning surf, a whirlpool, crashing waves and the clouds in the sky. Black and green represent land. Needless to say, you wouldn’t want your boat in any of these situations."

guys who write stuff like this.....make bad names for guys that actually know something and write for boating mags....

when I get to a sentence like this I stop and move on.....

Boats should be named after women or virtues.

Not necessarily virtuous women.

Not Zubinelgenubi like a sailboat I saw once in Mobile. I can't imagine New Orleans bridge or lock tenders being able to deal with that.

Seen some goofy names out here. Before naming your boat..You should pick up you radio mike and pretend to hail another ship or pretend to you are calling for assiatance speak loudly (don't key the mike) "Any vessel, Any vessel, Any vessel, (insert vessel name) requests radio check"...etc. How does your cute or clever name sound out loud for others to hear???

Regardless (and I agree with jclays), one needs a proper ceremony.

alormaria said:

Boats should be named after women or virtues.

Not necessarily virtuous women.

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That's my take. Cutsie names can be fun to read while passing by, but would drive me nuts hailing a bridge.

There are a lot od superstitions that go with boat names. I once looked up some info on it. For example: should have a certain amount of letters and the use of certain letters. I cant remember the details. Also I remember to not anger the gods by using a challenging name like 'Sea Conquerer'.
If nothing else, re-naming or christening ceremonies are always fun. Tradition dictates the use of wine or beer. Champagne was not yet invented when this all came about.
I, like Steve, believe in simple easy to pronounce names.

Friends of a friend named their boat "Does it Matter?".

Just think for a minute - what happens when a bridge tender asks for your vessel's name and you answer back "Does it Matter?" Same for calling a marina. I know of at least one case where they were asked by a marina staff member for their boat's name and they answered "Does it matter?". As you might expect, the answer was "Yes" and things started off on the wrong foot.

Some boat names are so stupid they make you wonder about the intelligence of the owner.

A friend just named his boat "It's All Good." Imagine that Mayday call....

Here's a true story. Channel 16: Mayday, USCG, this is Sunset Beach. We struck a rock and are taking on water.
USCG: Where are you located?
Sunset Beach: just past the bridge at the entrance of Hood Canal, WA.
USCG: (long pause). I don't see a Sunset Beach on our charts in that area.
SUnset Beach: the name of the boat is Sunset Beach. We are just past the bridge at Hood Canal and our boat is sinking.
USCG: please provide GPS coordinates, we cannot locate Sunset Beach on our charts...

This was repeated three times before the USCG (rookie?) figured out the boat's name. For those from this area, the boat struck "Sisters" rock at the entrance to Hood Canal.

Naming a boat is serious stuff only if you think so. Has almost nothing to do w nothing actually except on the radio or filling out nightly moorage registration forms. Never a long boat name again.

Some don't even name their boats.

But if one does the name should reflect on some profoundly good aspect of the boat like "Arrow" if her directional stability is really good or "Fatso" if she's extremely wide.

If you name your boat after a woman .... No I won't go there. But it's sort of a "cop out" if you can't think of name to say how wonderful or good your boat is in a word or two. "Grace" of course would refer to the lines of the boat.

There are several really good ceremonies if you google. I would also say it's a personal thing - ie some may just speak to the boat, others may speak to a greek God(s), others may ask God to favor the crew and vessel. I would say, ask whom you may to bless your boat and it's crew keeping it and them safe through harbor to harbor. Pour some spirits on the boat as you will be enjoying (or whatever your choice of drink is), pour some in the water to appease what form of God you believe in, and make sure everyone has some to enjoy as well!

We didn't do a ceremony, unless the sign guy did something we don't know about while putting the name on.

One of the funniest radio transmissions I have heard was from MV Sitting Duck a 40 something footer agound on a shoal off Shell Point between Ft. Myers and Sanibel the water was were crowded and the skipper was issuing Securite calls warning folks to slow down something like this "This is the Sittting Duck aground off Shell Point please slow down and watch your wakes as you pass" over and over. There is always lots of fast traffic there so he had a miserable time of it.

Favorite dumb name of the week..... Told U So

A brand new just launched 145' Italian motoryacht....maybe it's for a teen rockstar?

Our boats:
F/V Aleutian Princess - 28m cod boat - Iceland/Acores
F/V Ozimo I, II, III, IV - 22m longliners - Iceland/Faroe
R/V La Gitana I, II, III - 42m research - Resolute
M/V Ghostrider I, II, III - 28m tugs - UY
M/V Reefhunter I, II, III - 22m tugs - RSA

We don't change names without copious amounts of alcohol. That is liquor by the barrel. Haven't gone above IV yet.

Mine is Searious....after the Sirius star of course...

psneeld said:

"And, just in case you’re wondering why white, black and green boats are considered unlucky, white resembles the churning surf, a whirlpool, crashing waves and the clouds in the sky. Black and green represent land. Needless to say, you wouldn’t want your boat in any of these situations."

guys who write stuff like this.....make bad names for guys that actually know something and write for boating mags....

when I get to a sentence like this I stop and move on.....

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Unfortunately, those sentences came near the end of the article...

Steve said:

One of the funniest radio transmissions I have heard was from MV Sitting Duck a 40 something footer agound on a shoal off Shell Point between Ft. Myers and Sanibel the water was were crowded and the skipper was issuing Securite calls warning folks to slow down something like this "This is the Sittting Duck aground off Shell Point please slow down and watch your wakes as you pass" over and over. There is always lots of fast traffic there so he had a miserable time of it.

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Saw a big Hatteras almost out of the water there. That place is such a popular spot to run aground that Sea Tow is usually lurking around there.

BTY my boat is Island Hopper. Original name on the boat from 1966. Catalina Island was and still is a regular fishing/weekend destination.

I picked Seaweed, because she grows on you... and Algae is the dinghy. If I ever get a kayak I'll all it Kelp. Or a lapstrake dink will be Plankton. But for now it's just Algae and that suits us fine.

I enjoy some boat names:
Wandering Star and (the dink) Asteroid
Job Site was a center console fishing boat

I haven't named my dink yet, I'm trying to choose between file' and rice.

Searios said:

Mine is Searious....after the Sirius star of course...

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Based upon your screen name, I thought it was a play on Cheerios!

janice142 said:

I picked Seaweed, because she grows on you... and Algae is the dinghy. If I ever get a kayak I'll all it Kelp. Or a lapstrake dink will be Plankton. But for now it's just Algae and that suits us fine.

I enjoy some boat names:
Wandering Star and (the dink) Asteroid
Job Site was a center console fishing boat

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Janice,

Job Site, First Draw, Tar Baby, Digger, and Retainage are usually associated with guys in construction work. The office can say, "sorry, he is out on the job site".

Moonstruck said:

The office can say, "sorry, he is out on the job site".

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Thats very clever, next boats name!

...Another tradition is that preferably the boat's name should start with the same letter of the owner's surname, it is just superstition in Portugal/Spain.

Portuguese

Steve said:

I haven't named my dink yet, I'm trying to choose between file' and rice.

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With Gumbo as the mother ship, I'm thinking Shrimp would be an appropriate dinghy name.

Badger was its name, and so it stays. Nothing wrong with being small, compact, belligerent, tough as nails, and single-mindedly determined to accomplish a task.

"Morning Wood", a bright red aluminum cruiser, has been plying the waters around Campbell River over the last while, and yes, is on the radio from time to time.