Is it Bad Luck to Change Names of Used Boats?

[dilligaf]

I changed the name of two boats in the past as well as the current one. I caution" Don't do it"!!!!!!!! I had a hang nail, my car ran out of gas, the paint on my house is peeling after 10 years and my cat died 20 years ago from old age!
Your boat will love you no matter if you call her by her name or exchange names with things you don't like to be called yourself. Get over it! She loves you because you didn't trade her off for a used car!

[SimonV]

No it's not, if you feel the need to change the name just make yourself confident by following one of the many rituals.

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[Siberianhusky]

Never really understood "luck", don't think there is such a thing. Everybody makes there own reality and sometimes accidents happen sometimes good things happen.
How would a boat actually care what it's name is? What part is sentient? (maybe the holding tank? Contents are smarter than any politician!)
Do you really never leave port on a Friday?
Would you really try to leave the wife/girlfriend behind because females are bad luck on a boat?
Do you really think a bananna on board will stop fish from biting?
How about walking under a ladder? Ever done that working on the boat when hauled out?
Lots of odd ideas out there, sometimes I really wonder how they got started.

[Gone Gypsy]

Now you got me spooked. I did No name change ceremony but named a single owner 25 yr old boat. The old boy must have called her something!?! Do I need a boat channeller to find the old name. I have had no bad luck


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[MarinerJo]

Nope, not bad luck at all. Having seen some very odd names, some of them actually NEED changing.

[Ironman162]

OMG! I could have sworn my boat has feelings and emotions....I talk to her all the time!
She says "go rename yourself Ive been around almost as long as you have!" Hehehe!
Theres no bad luck or anything like that involved just good practise seamanship, a way of doing things.
Come on someone back me up Im inundated!


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[SimonV]

There is luck when on the water. I will call lier to any regular boater who says there is not. Everyone has had at least one occasion where they said or thought... " F@#k. That was lucky".

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[Ironman162]

So true!
I too have my fair share of luck but doubt very much that it has anything to do with my boat still having her original name.

This is getting ridiculous so I wont comment further. Rename your boats if you so wish, think of it what you will.
Evil be to those who think evil thereof or better put "oné suit comalyee pence"

[oldragbaggers]

We just officially changed the name of our boat back to her original name in order to hopefully stop her continual temper tantrums.

We have always changed the name of every boat we have ever owned with no problem although, with the exception of our Cabo Rico, they all had already been through many previous name changes so we never felt like we were breaking any long standing traditions by doing so.

When we bought this boat she had only been Anteris for 32 years. We actually liked the sound of the name and since it was the only name she had ever had we discussed keeping it, but after doing what we thought was a pretty thorough search we couldn't find any meaning for the word except an architectural term meaning "support pillar or balustrade." Whatever...that meant nothing to us so we decided to follow our own tradition and name her Sojourner III. We changed the name on her documentation and removed the old name from the transom but because we are working our way toward painting her hull and decks we have not yet marked her with the new name.

Since then we have been through a progression of one thing after the next going wrong with her, not to mention my poor husband leaving enough skin and blood to build a small person inside her lockers and engine compartment. We were starting to wonder if the whole name changing thing was finally starting to catch up with us.

In the meantime we have become Facebook and phone "friends" with the wife and son of the original owner. I was mentioning on our Facebook page by way of a sort of tongue in cheek post that we probably should change her name back to Anteris before she does us in. Someone happened to ask what Anteris means and I saw an opportunity, so I posted how nice it would be if the original owner would chime in and tell us why they had given her that name. They explained that her owner (now deceased) had named her that after a 13th century English poem The Anteris (adventures) of Gawayne. So it means "adventures." We can live with that. The next day I submitted an exchange application to the USCG to have her name changed back. And since we never officially marked her transom hopefully she will forgive us and stop beating the crap out of us and we can move on from this unfortunate lapse of judgement on our part.

We're just waiting now for our new documentation certificate to arrive and when the hull is painted her transom will once again sport a beautiful, scripted Anteris. That's our story and we're stickin' to it.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by oldragbaggers

We just officially changed the name of our boat back to her original name in order to hopefully stop her continual temper tantrums.

We have always changed the name of every boat we have ever owned with no problem although, with the exception of our Cabo Rico, they all had already been through many previous name changes so we never felt like we were breaking any long standing traditions by doing so.

When we bought this boat she had only been Anteris for 32 years. We actually liked the sound of the name and since it was the only name she had ever had we discussed keeping it, but after doing what we thought was a pretty thorough search we couldn't find any meaning for the word except an architectural term meaning "support pillar or balustrade." Whatever...that meant nothing to us so we decided to follow our own tradition and name her Sojourner III. We changed the name on her documentation and removed the old name from the transom but because we are working our way toward painting her hull and decks we have not yet marked her with the new name.

Since then we have been through a progression of one thing after the next going wrong with her, not to mention my poor husband leaving enough skin and blood to build a small person inside her lockers and engine compartment. We were starting to wonder if the whole name changing thing was finally starting to catch up with us.

In the meantime we have become Facebook and phone "friends" with the wife and son of the original owner. I was mentioning on our Facebook page by way of a sort of tongue in cheek post that we probably should change her name back to Anteris before she does us in. Someone happened to ask what Anteris means and I saw an opportunity, so I posted how nice it would be if the original owner would chime in and tell us why they had given her that name. They explained that her owner (now deceased) had named her that after a 13th century English poem The Anteris (adventures) of Gawayne. So it means "adventures." We can live with that. The next day I submitted an exchange application to the USCG to have her name changed back. And since we never officially marked her transom hopefully she will forgive us and stop beating the crap out of us and we can move on from this unfortunate lapse of judgement on our part.

We're just waiting now for our new documentation certificate to arrive and when the hull is painted her transom will once again sport a beautiful, scripted Anteris. That's our story and we're stickin' to it.

Anteris is an insect akin to bees

Here are their various types




Anteris asramanes



Anteris bilineata



Anteris brahmaranya



Anteris flebilis



Anteris indica



Anteris nigriclavata



Anteris perplexa



Anteris pinguis



Anteris scutellaris



Anteris simulans



Anteris szelenyii

From the Swedish Eikipedia.

Link is in Swedish but you can use Google translate

https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anteris

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Anteris is an insect akin to bees

Here are their various types.............


From the Swedish Eikipedia.

Link is in Swedish but you can use Google translate

https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anteris

They are adventurous little Swedish bees I presume.

[SailtheWind]

In spite of all what you hear about changing the name of your boat it is perfectly safe to do as long as you de-name your boat first. Follow these steps and you will be safe.

De naming a boat
The ceremony should be read with flair on the foredeck before a gathering of distinguished guests. Or it can be mumbled down below by the skipper alone if he or she finds these things embarrassing.
The libation part, however, must be carried out at the bow, as was the original naming ceremony. And I would advise you to use nothing but the finest champagne and to pour it all on the boat. One thing the gods of the sea despise most is meanness, so don't try to do this part on the cheap.
How much time should you leave between the de-naming ceremony and the new-naming ceremony? There's no fixed limit. You can do the renaming right after the de-naming, if you want. But I'd prefer to see a gap of at least 24 hours to allow the demons time to clear out.

Oh, and one other thing - you have to remove all physical traces of the boat's old name before the de-naming ceremony. There may be official papers with the old name on them, of course. If you can't destroy them you should at least keep them well out of sight in a locker during the ceremony. But don't neglect to wipe the name out in obvious place - bow, stern, dinghy, oars, logbook, life ring, charts and so on. Likewise, do not lace the new name anywhere on the boat before the de-naming ceremony is carried out. Hoo-boy, that would be tempting fate.
The ceremony:
"In the name of all who have sailed aboard this vessel in the past, and all who may sail aboard her in the future, we invoke the ancient gods of wind and sea to favor us with their blessing today.

"Mighty Neptune, king of all that moves on the waves, and might Aeolus, (pronounced EE-oh-lus), guardian of the winds and all that blows before them: we offer you our thanks for the protection you have afforded this vessel in the past. We voice our gratitude that she has always found shelter from tempest

"Now, therefore, we submit this supplication, that the name whereby this vessel has hitherto been known, '_________', be struck and removed from your records.
Further, we ask that when she is again presented for blessing with another name, she shall be recognized and shall be accorded once again the self-same privileges she previously enjoyed.

"In return for this, we rededicate this vessel to thy domain in full knowledge that she shall be subject to the immutable laws of the gods of wind and sea.
"In consequence whereof, and in good faith, we seal this pact with a libation offered according to the hallowed ritual of the sea.
Now pop the cork, shake the bottle and spray the whole of the content over the bow. Then go quietly below and enjoy the other bottle yourselves.
Buy a bottle of the best champagne you can afford (you don’t want to offend the sea gods with the cheap stuff). Say a few words of supplication to every wind and ocean god as above (and don’t forget your own higher power) asking for good will, indulgence and safety for your boat. Pour an enormous libation over the bow of your boat and share the rest with any guests. If you have more than one excellent bottle of champagne, by all means wrap it in a towel and break it over your bow, but it’s a lot harder to do than it looks.

To cement the naming ceremony, tradition holds you should then take your newly christened boat out on the water. If it’s a sailboat, luff it up into the wind and drift to a complete stop, then allow it to sail backwards — a boat-length is long enough to appease the spirits. If it’s a powerboat, some traditionalists suggest running it aground (gently, of course). The moderates claim three times on purpose will make the gods happy, while die-hards say these groundings can’t be intentional. It’s up to you.
After a boat is denamed, you simply need to rename her using the traditional christening ceremony, preferably with the First Lady (see caveat below) breaking a bottle of champagne on the bow, and saying the words:
"I name this ship ___________ and may she bring fair winds and good fortune to all who sail on her”
Caveat - You will need to contact the White House several months in advance of the ceremony in order to ensure that the First Lady is available, she is busy, travels a lot and probably does not know who you are.
Obviously this caveat does not apply if you are well connected with the party in power at the time of your request.

[MarinerJo]

Originally Posted by SailtheWind

In spite of all what you hear about changing the name of your boat it is perfectly safe to do as long as you de-name your .....snip snip............... the time of your request.

Now that is what I like, facts and procedures.
Seems clear to me, no bad luck at all. Just follow the Regs.