Traditions / Superstitions / Customs

[islomaniac]

just wondering what are some of the traditions and superstitions you live by when your on the water.

[mario f]

No women on board unless bear breasted

[dacust]

Originally Posted by mario f

No women on board unless bear breasted

Bear breasted? All hairy and smelly?

Now if you had said "bare" breasted, I could agree.



As for me, my superstition is that I have always considered it to be bad luck to sink my boat. So, no matter how much fun it might appear to do so, I avoid it. Silly, I know, but that's the nature of superstitions.

-dan

[islomaniac]

@dan lol i didnt catch the "bear breast" thing.

i just moved from charleston area. i lived in summerville and west ashley.

[SailingWebGuy]

I heard it was bad luck to step on to a boat with your left foot first. And it's even worse when sneezing to the left while stepping on to the boat with you left foot first (???).

Also heard that potted plants should not be brought on the boat.

[womensetsail]

I don't think the potted plants thing is superstition -- it's plain fact ---snakes, bugs, and other critters will hitch a ride. Don't need those kind of stow-aways.
Eeewwww.....

Won't comment on the bare-breasted thing....:-)

womensetsail
Two Women Captains

[Mark1977]

Don't live by them or bieleve in them but heard it was bad luck to say the word ''pig'' don't know why?? And never whistle, when you do you are whistling for strong wind.....

[capnorv]

We decided to de/rename our new boat and made sure we made suitable tributes and praise to the Gods even though it was 25f and windy. We had 20 witnesses and a blessing by a world traveling evangalist. I don't believe in higher powers, but I do believe in the power of nature, and any help there is appreciated.

[dacust]

Originally Posted by womensetsail

I don't think the potted plants thing is superstition -- it's plain fact ---snakes, bugs, and other critters will hitch a ride. Don't need those kind of stow-aways.
Eeewwww.....

...

This brings up something about superstitions and old wives tails. Many times there was/is something valid behind them.

The trick is finding out if it is a was or an is.

Avoiding potted plants sounds like a good superstition to honor.

-dan

[captain58sailin]

The potted plant thing is about the soil, dirt goes to dirt, meaning if you have soil on your boat it will sink. No whistling on the bridge, whistling up the wind. No killing Albatross. When checking the rigging, pee to the lee.

[islomaniac]

heres a few i found

marine superstitions and nautical myths

[mario f]

Originally Posted by dacust

Bear breasted? All hairy and smelly?

Now if you had said "bare" breasted, I could agree.

No wonder The seas never calmed...

Wearing an earring ensures that a sailor won't drown ( I guess I‘m safe).

[Astrid]

Wearing an earring ensures that a sailor won't drown ( I guess I‘m safe).

...or not. The custom of a sailors gold ear rings seems to have been to have something to either pay Charon with or in hope that who ever finds the washed up body will take the ear ring as payment for a decent funeral.

[ty.gregory]

Originally Posted by Astrid

...or not. The custom of a sailors gold ear rings seems to have been to have something to either pay Charon with or in hope that who ever finds the washed up body will take the ear ring as payment for a decent funeral.

Lotta good ones, but this is the best so far!

[Sark]

I remember running across one along time ago when researching how to construct pole frame buildings.

It was considered bad luck to cut into a mast. There was a few sayings about this. Like "The wise man cuts into a mast little". I guess it seems obvious.

There's actually a really sound engineering principle behind this. A wooden mast(or pole) behaves exactly like an I-Beam. Whereas all the load is transferred along the outer part and the middle does little work. So cutting into one weakens it greatly, totally disproportionate to the size of the cut.