Outdated Sea Traditions

[SkiprJohn]

Lot of good stories here.

So, what of the whaling Captains who brought their wives with them? That was in the 1800s.

hpeer, you should have her correct wikipedia's entry about figureheads.

Scratching the mast to bring a bit of breeze is one that I still adhere to when racing. Not whistling is one I also get on my crew about.

The first one to sight land on a crossing and yells "land ho" retrieves a silver dollar taped to the mast.

Putting a coin under the mast when stepping is one I don't see many people doing anymore.

I don't hear as many "request to come aboard" as I used to but still here it from polite people.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

I will go down with this ship!

Best argument I've heard yet for leaving the EPIRB on shore

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

A long outdated tradition/practice that still hasn't been dropped:

Using a sheet bend or double sheet bend to secure two lines together .

SWL

Now this deserves a special commendation as perhaps the most insightful and unexpected contribution to the thread.

All hail the Lassie

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by nigel1

According to some, Winston Churchill stated that the traditions of the Royal Navy were "Rum, Sodomy and the lash"
This quote was thought to have arisen from an old catch phrase dating back to the 1800's to describe sailors
“Ashore it’s wine, women and song; aboard it’s rum, bum and concertina.”

It's all legal after seven days at sea!


Is this still the case???

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Sailing to new lands, planting a flag and claiming the place (and locals!) for your King seems to have gone out of fashion a bit.......

Perhaps just a temporary lull in the ongoing state of change in international affairs. Hard the see this tradition which has been practiced for thousands of years dying out completely

[hellosailor]

The universal and egregious failure to keelhaul reprobates, whether they claim to be programmers, air conditioning and refrigeration repairmen, mechanics, or politicians, leads me to conclude too much steel has been used in ships, and not enough reserved for the making of captains.

[SaltyMonkey]

@Seaworthy hohoho...yes the ALPINE BUTTERFLY at last!

[StuM]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

@Seaworthy hohoho...yes the ALPINE BUTTERFLY at last!

Grrrrrrrh! Zeppelin (aka Rosendahl) Bend!

[SaltyMonkey]

btw a NAKID woman onboard is supposed to bring GOOD LUCK. I don't see that tradition dying out, nor a NAKID Monkey!

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i will not start a trip on friday , nor will i whistle on board nor abandon ship to leave it floating in midocean. i was taught capt goes down with ship.
and what salty sed about friday is the word....
happy sails

Saw that happen (sailors abandoning floating boat) mid-Pacific Ocean in 2003:

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

@Seaworthy hohoho...yes the ALPINE BUTTERFLY at last!

Bad bad monkey...
Soon to be saltless monk.

[El Pinguino]

Reading the Walker log at midday

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

Is champaign bottle still broken at ship's launch or had that tradition died out?

Still done at a ships christening. Aka naming ceremony some smaller boats still do it as well

[El Pinguino]

Not many christian ships being built these days... most are buddhist

They also tend to build them in drydocks and 'float them' rather than launch them.

The recent Italian built Queen Elizabeth sailed to the UK before she was named in Southampton.

All very sad.

Off topic... it has always fascinated me how they managed to build ships with camber and sheer on sloping ways without getting it all wonky.... they must have used special spirit levels.....

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Reading the Walker log at midday

Not outdated at all, still do it on passages to see the 24 hour run and DR if the satellites start lieing to us.