Superstitions

[Mark Johnson]

IMO... It is bad luck to use bad judgment, plain and simple! Things like "not leaving on Fri", even though it is your best weather window, but leaving on a less appropriate day instead... THAT's bad luck.

I ran across a book once on "sea superstitions". They run from "no Fri departures", to "never changing names", to "never have women on the boat". In fact, there were several thousand such superstitions. One would never move!

I still do little rituals, like smudging with cedar smoke (native American), or christening on launch day, but it is all in good fun.

As to luck... If you are being serious, one creates good luck! It is not bestowed from beyond. The way to do this is to start out with a good seaworthy boat, equip it well, know what you're doing, don't ever leave the vessel underway with no one on watch, don't stick to an agenda if the circumstances dictate otherwise, cruise to politically safe destinations, avoid hurricane season while in an area with no good hideouts, reef early, turn and run if it is appropriate, always set the anchor for a gale, be polite to your neighbors and the locals on shore, don't break their laws or customs, and while at sea... don't get sick, fall off of the boat, hit anything, get injured, or break the boat. In other words, "use common sense".

My philosophy is to do the things that make sense, learn from my mistakes, and never rationalize them away, but analyze them instead. This is how I create "good luck".

I still enjoy the little rituals though, just for fun.
M.