Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 23-06-2017, 21:47   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Med.. currently Greece
Boat: Oyster 45
Posts: 364
Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

Sailors through the years have been a superstitious lot.

We have heard about not sailing on Fridays, not whistling on board or having bananas on your boat but is there any superstitions you adhere to?

Is there any superstitions you have broken and something bad happened?

For a few more unusual ones and their origins follow the link.

https://www.cygnus3.com/sailing-supe...their-origins/
__________________
If it works you did it right, if it doesn't you did it wrong.https://www.cygnus3.com/
Nostrodamus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 03:16   #2
Registered User
 
capt-couillon's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Onboard (Boot Key Harbor)
Boat: Cornado 25
Posts: 493
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

My own contribution written several years ago...

Coins In The Wind

Never whistle at sea. Never cut your hair or nails while underway. And never, ever, ever, start a passage on a Friday.

With the possible exception of professional athletes, blue water sailors are probably the most superstitious lot on the face of the earth. While some are loath to admit it, I do not know a mariner in the world that doesn't have at least one superstition that will make them cringe, if not curse loudly and launch the offending object and/or persona overboard.

Sailing the oceans is a tricky business at best, and down right dangerous at times. While Mother Nature and the sea may not be actively trying to do away with you, anything that may fend off disaster is not to be discarded lightly. Therefore, to assist you in worrying about things you never worried about before, or possibly avoiding that unscheduled swim, courtesy of a superstitious captain, here is a short list of sea superstitions. Some are well known, some not so much so.

What brings bad luck to a ship, or sailor? Almost everything! And if it does not bring bad luck, it certainly portends disaster soon to follow. Whistling can wake Neptune from his slumber, bringing gales and stormy seas as he awakes. Never start a passage on Friday, the day that Christ was crucified.

Avoid speaking to people with red hair while traveling to the docks to begin a passage. This also applies to priests, and barefooted women. Never speak the words drowned, shipwreck, or pig onboard ship. Now I can understand not speaking of drowning or shipwrecks, but pig? Nonetheless, it is an old, old, superstition and if you needed to speak of a pig onboard, it is always called Danny or Mr. Danny. Church bells heard at sea, a ships bell that sounds without being rung, or a glass that rings when dropped, signify shipwreck or the death of someone onboard.

Don't step onboard with your left foot first. Don't pass a flag through a ladder. Don't look back as you leave port. And never harm a gull, as it carries the soul of a sailor who died at sea. Just to round it out, never change a ship's name, paint it blue, or bring a black sea bag, flowers, or a priest onboard.

Ok, I brought an umbrella on deck and the Old Man cussed me out for ten minutes after tossing my brolly over the side. Is there anything onboard that isn't bad news? Sure there is. A silver coin stepped under the mast is a guarantee of a lucky ship and a safe passage. Black cats, believe it or not, are good luck onboard, and ensure that the ship and crew will return safely. A wren's feather, the caul of a newborn child, and a tattoo of a chicken on one foot and a pig on the other are all proof against drowning. Wine poured on deck or rum poured over the side will bring good luck and safe seas, while a handful of coins tossed overboard will bring fair winds. In the event of a storm, a bare breasted woman on deck will calm the seas. This is why the figureheads on most sailing ships are bare breasted.

So, as a long time cruiser, which of these do I believe? I don't know if believe is the right word, but you wont catch me weighing anchor on a Friday, and when I do leave, I'll have a pocket full of coins and a bottle of rum to hand. Moreover, unless you like swimming, try not to whistle.

Amities
Cap' Couillon
__________________
"It seemed like a good idea at the time"
capt-couillon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 03:43   #3
Long Range Cruiser
 
MarkJ's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Australian living on "Sea Life" currently in England.
Boat: Beneteau 393 "Sea Life"
Posts: 12,822
Images: 25
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

Friday's is bull. I often sail on them.

I don't sail into Wreck Bay, Desperation Cove, Cape Fear, or anything similar.
This ain't superstition someone named them that fir a reason!
__________________
Notes on a Circumnavigation.
OurLifeAtSea.com

Somalia Pirates and our Convoy
MarkJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 04:10   #4
Moderator Emeritus
 
Hudson Force's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lived aboard & cruised for 45 years,- now on a chair in my walk-in closet.
Boat: Morgan OI 413 1973 - Aythya
Posts: 8,453
Images: 1
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

I try to avoid filling my bilge with volatile gases on days ending with the letter "Y".
__________________
Take care and joy, Aythya crew
Hudson Force is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 08:33   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Oviedo Florida
Boat: 55 fleming
Posts: 216
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

I never leave on a voyage on a Friday.
wesevans is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 08:38   #6
Registered User
 
maxingout's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Cruising
Boat: Privilege 39 Catamaran, Exit Only
Posts: 2,723
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

I gave up superstitious thoughts and behavior long ago in favor of situational awareness.
__________________
Dave -Sailing Vessel Exit Only
https://RealOceanCruiser.com
https://PositiveThinkingSailor.com
maxingout is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 08:49   #7
Registered User
 
snort's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Trunk (boot) of my car
Boat: Tinker Traveller...a dozen feet of bluewater awesomeness!
Posts: 1,230
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

I only sail on Fridays, but I have to have a banana whistle at the ready (these are hard to make and don't last very long), a cat, and a woman on board.
snort is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 09:01   #8
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Minnesota
Boat: Vaitses/Herreshoff Meadow Lark 37'
Posts: 1,135
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

I only sail when I'm in the boat and most of the water isn't.
Jdege is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 09:21   #9
Registered User
 
Cadence's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SC
Boat: None,build the one shown of glass, had many from 6' to 48'.
Posts: 10,208
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

Never change the name of a vessel.
Cadence is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 09:34   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Oviedo Florida
Boat: 55 fleming
Posts: 216
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

The old superstition was you could change a boats name on the change of ownership but not rename it later under the same ownership.
wesevans is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 09:48   #11
Registered User
 
hamburking's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Kingston Ont Canada
Boat: Looking for my next boat!
Posts: 3,101
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

The summer is too short, and weekends too precious to avoid sailing on Fridays.

However, I will not allow whistling on my boat. I learned that a whistle is a safety signal, and you should always be able to hear a whistle being blow by another boat or person in distress. So no whistling aboard.

With one exception. When you are totally becalmed, the youngest person aboard may whistle for some wind. This should only be done in extreme cases with great caution, as the amount of wind summoned could be much more than you want.

Also, no chewing gum aboard. This just makes sense. My wife likes to chew gum. Correction, my ex-wife.
hamburking is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 09:58   #12
Registered User

Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 121
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

On race boats Banana's on board are known as making the boat slow so no one dares to bring them on board.
Wayfarer1008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 09:59   #13
Registered User
 
hamburking's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Kingston Ont Canada
Boat: Looking for my next boat!
Posts: 3,101
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

My wife believed it was unlucky to have sex aboard. Or on land.
hamburking is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 10:04   #14
Registered User
 
SV Siren's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Allegan, Mi
Boat: 1968 Columbia 50
Posts: 615
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

Quote:
Originally Posted by hamburking View Post
My wife believed it was unlucky to have sex aboard. Or on land.


Let me fix that for you: "my EX-wife believed it was unlucky to have sex on board. Or on land "
__________________
Fair winds from the crew of the S/V Siren.
SV Siren is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2017, 10:05   #15
Registered User
 
Cadence's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SC
Boat: None,build the one shown of glass, had many from 6' to 48'.
Posts: 10,208
Re: Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow?

Quote:
Originally Posted by hamburking View Post
My wife believed it was unlucky to have sex aboard. Or on land.
Sorry!
Cadence is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
sail, sailing

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Superstitions :-) :-( AshleyandEmma Liveaboard's Forum 42 02-08-2014 19:24
Superstitions Madhatter23 General Sailing Forum 15 09-03-2011 07:14
Traditions / Superstitions / Customs islomaniac Flotsam & Sailing Miscellany 52 16-02-2011 15:05
MARITIME SUPERSTITIONS GordMay Flotsam & Sailing Miscellany 16 08-10-2007 08:30
Superstitions? kingfish General Sailing Forum 2 14-08-2004 01:48

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 00:43.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.