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belizesailor · 07-05-2021, 14:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingabe41ds

I am perplexed...the op is an atheist without a belief in anyone higher then themselves. What difference does it make in how you name the boat....just name it. In your case, perhaps Caine, Moloch, or Loki would be most apopros.

Abe

Kinda of begs the question of why they are asking the question dont it?

gbmacca · 07-05-2021, 20:46

When I was single - and taking a lovely young lady down to my boat, they would always ask (woman's way) what the name of the boat was.
I would look amazed and say - 'I don't believe it -- it;s named after you!' (Helen, MAry et al ) which would seriously win me a few points - until we got to the boat which in fact was named 'After You'
The dinghy was named 'After You Too')
An Irish housemate and party goer like me said one night 'I've got a great name for your boat (how do you write with an Irish accent) Sirrosis, Syrosiss, Ctrosis, Physrosis, - we couldn't spell it - 'Cirrhosis of the River' due to the many parties held on board.
So we changed the name - when next the boat was out of the water, which we were told was the correct way to do it --
Of course - another party was duly held!
When I sold it, the new owner's wife, refused to board a boat called that - so they duly changed it back - but - as the wife was not happy with the purchase - no party was held --
Jeese it's hard to get a good decky (or a bloody wife for that) these days ---

Gbmacca

nortonscove · 08-05-2021, 18:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by slfro85

We (being myself, a nonreligious, only-slightly superstitious spiritualist, and Boyfriend, an atheist with exactly zero superstitious tendencies) bought a sailboat last week. The guy we bought it from did not tell us the boat’s name - he bought it used and may not have known it himself. Nothing except the HIN is painted anywhere on it, or in any of the paperwork that came with the boat. None of the supplies have the name written on it either.

It sits on the trailer in our yard for now while we clean it up, and I was out there scraping off dead mud dauber nests when I found a brass name plate screwed into the wood frame around the cabin entrance, but you can’t see it unless the top is slid all the way back. So clearly the boat DOES have a name.

We’ve been calling the boat the name we chose since we handed over the money, but have not yet taken anything with the new name into the boat. We don’t particularly want to keep the name on that little brass plate. Boyfriend rolls his eyes at the idea of having to ask mythological beings for permission to change the boat’s name, and I’m not one for elaborate prayers and rituals like the ones I’ve seen online. Just exactly how important is it to appease wind and sea gods you don’t really believe in when you aren’t very superstitious? Is there a minimal-fuss thing one person can do with the boat on land, without the need for all the pomp and ceremony?

Just order the new name from some vinyl cutting shop and stick it on. If you are into ritual you can parttake in the silly but not I.

Rockinar · 10-05-2021, 23:03

I did not have any voodoo ceremony when I renamed mine and its been great. My friend did a ceremony and his sank in the marina 3 months later due to broken seacock. Maybe Poseidon is now a major alcoholic from all the rum people give him and a shot does not do it anymore? Maybe a whole bottle next time?

edexter · 14-05-2021, 06:31

Marcjsmith has it right. I am also non-religious, but we appease Neptune and the gods of the wind when we put her in every year. She's a little boat, subject to significant tiltage when the winds and waves pick up, but so far we haven't been knocked down, on my watch anyway; I figure, 1. It's fun, 2. it can't hurt, and 3. its's a great excuse to open a bottle of something bubbly. If we were to rename her, the heavens forfend, we would certainly invite some of our boating friends to witness it.

Leighpilot · 14-05-2021, 06:39

Don’t make a big deal of it. Change the name. But please , no cutesy “ Windborne “ Spray , Sea Spirit names and no puns or double entendres. No Balled Eagle , etc.

Just pick a name with mean to you both.

CaptJPMcGuire · 14-05-2021, 06:40

Do nothing!!!
Drop us a note in a year or so and let us know how that worked out for you!

If we don't hear from you --well know

jhawk123 · 14-05-2021, 06:59

If you're not superstitious as you say, just name the boat whatever you want.
Whats the big deal?

clakiep · 14-05-2021, 07:15

It is like death and reinkarnation : You honor the dead and her life and achievements, keep documents for memory, and rebaptise the newborn asking the god's for fair winds and happy journeys. And don't forget to also worship the burocracy of the earthly good's, filling out their forms and paying their fees.

Capt. Claus - ocean tramp of the eighties

jhawk123 · 14-05-2021, 07:23

Do you have spell check?

Giro · 14-05-2021, 08:35

All superstition aside, whenever I hear or read anyone boasting of being non religious I always remember the old saying that “There are never warriors in the heat of battle who lack in faith or some semblance of spirituality.”
The sea can be cruel at times and can offer very little unforgiving qualities, similar to battle.
I wish you the best of good fortune in all your marine adventures.

David Mathis · 14-05-2021, 08:50

As the boat is on a trailer, I'll make the assumption that it isn't documented. Changing the name on a documented boat requires filing paperwork with the USCG but renaming state registered boats, the ones with numbers on the bow, isn't regulated. The procedure is quite simple: pick a name, head to the sign shop to order it and wait a few days (or do it online) for the order to be complete. On the return trip from the sign shop, stop at the Champagne store (this is mandatory) and pick up a bottle of bubbly. Upon reaching home, place the bottle in ice then apply the new name. Smile at the new name, open the chilled bubbly, toast to the winds, the sea, whales, deep channels, the sun, or whatever keeps you smiling. When the Champagne glasses are empty, the ceremony has concluded. Enjoy your boat.

That thing about smashing the bottle on the hull. . .forget it. That's only for large steel hull ships. And why waste a good bottle of Champagne then spend the afternoon picking up glass shards.Open it and drink it.

Don55 · 14-05-2021, 09:24

When we bought our Cape Dory 28 we had a name changing ceremony. Didn’t take it seriously just did it for tradition. We didn’t do it properly because we were moving the boat and were unable to remove the faded name off the stern though we did remove everything else. We immediately started running into problems. After the last spot of trouble that had us arriving late at night after manually bailing water for 6 1/2 hours I sat in the cabin with a glass of rum, apologized to the boat, agreed to change her name back, a name I had learned to like btw, and drank a toast. She’s treated us well ever since.