Imaginative boat names

[Marc Hartley]

In 2013 we passed a boat, called Snowgoose. It had a French quotation under the name -

"A l'eau c'est l'heure".

The story goes that before the battle of Trafalgar, as was customary, the French admiral was boated over to speak to Nelson aboard The Victory, gentleman to gentleman, before the battle. As he left, he said this phrase, as was often used in the French navy, in effect meaning "The hour has come - to the water!".

[Mike Tee]

Many years ago when we had a boat built, there were many discussions about the name. After much disagreement, I said if we couldn't come to a mutually agreed name it was to be named 'Beefer'  (Beefer boat). We soon agreed a 'proper' name!

 

[MartinC]

15 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

Thanks for that Howard, my memory had not failed  me.

 

15 hours ago, howardang said:

Kayser Irving was the parent company of a large group of shipping companies - Clan Line, King Line and Union Castle among others, and also managed others. I worked for one of them - South American Saint Line.

 

Howard

The spelling is Cayzer, which, although it looks foreign is a Scottish family. In the end they only had one ship left, a reefer on charter.

[howardang]

1 hour ago, MartinC said:

 

The spelling is Cayzer, which, although it looks foreign is a Scottish family. In the end they only had one ship left, a reefer on charter.

Quite right, I ought to have known, I visited Cayzer House more than once in the early 60's; I had a mental block which I put down to senility?

 

Howard

[sueb]

13 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

At the Coal Canal have Occam's Razor, a plea for the simple life perhaps. Until recently one of Juno's neighbours was Meander, but the new owner is heading for the Thames where boat names must be unique, and didn't fancy Meander 53 so renamed her - i can't recall the new name. 

 

I nearly renamed Ripple, my first boat, until I realised she was named after a village in Kent, not an insipid wave.

It's a very tiny village. My daughter went to the village school which had 30 pupils in two classes

[Athy]

On 02/08/2020 at 07:11, magpie patrick said:

 

 

I nearly renamed Ripple, my first boat, until I realised she was named after a village in Kent, not an insipid wave.

An elderly-looking, shortish n/b called Ripple went past us at Cropredy on Saturday. Perhaps that was yours.

21 hours ago, Marc Hartley said:

In 2013 we passed a boat, called Snowgoose. It had a French quotation under the name -

"A l'eau c'est l'heure".

The story goes that before the battle of Trafalgar, as was customary, the French admiral was boated over to speak to Nelson aboard The Victory, gentleman to gentleman, before the battle. As he left, he said this phrase, as was often used in the French navy, in effect meaning "The hour has come - to the water!".

Very droll.

[Victor Vectis]

12 hours ago, sueb said:

It's a very tiny village. My daughter went to the village school which had 30 pupils in two classes

And a school in the London Borough of Barking.

 

I know 'cos I went there.

 

A long time ago.

 

Ripple Primary School

[Athy]

Some years ago we met a very upmarket-looking boat called (from memory) 'Occethaeus'. I asked the lady in the bows if it was a classical name. She explained that the steerer had made a lot of money from manufacturing and/or marketing table sauce. The name was an anagram of "The Sauce Co".

 

Our boat at that time was called 'Batto', an obvious French reference from someone for whom spelling was not a strong point. We looked it up, and it was the only boat of that name in the register. Perhaps we should have gone for "Martin-pecheur".

Edited August 3, 2020 by Athy

[Jen-in-Wellies]

How about unimaginative boat names. I've seen one and there are several listed on CanalplanAC called Das Boot, literally The Boat. 

 

Wonder what would happen if you shouted ALARM! down the hatch? ?

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

Our boat at that time was called 'Batto', an obvious French reference from someone for whom spelling was not a strong point

 

There's one we've seen recently beautifully signwritten with a glorious butterfly picture proudly displaying the name 'Papyon'.

 

The owner either should have given written not verbal instructions to the signwriter or they speak Haitian Creole.

 

 

[robtheplod]

I always fancied 'Womble'..

[Athy]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

There's one we've seen recently beautifully signwritten with a glorious butterfly picture proudly displaying the name 'Papyon'.

 

The owner either should have given written not verbal instructions to the signwriter or they speak Haitian Creole.

 

 

Perhaps the same signwriter who wrote the name on 'Antartic'.

[Mike Todd]

1 hour ago, robtheplod said:

I always fancied 'Womble'..

There's one wandering the Bridgewater

Edited August 3, 2020 by Mike Todd

[Bewildered]

I’m pretty sure pun names would be fun to start with but wear thin very quickly.

 

What I really don’t understand is why people feel the need to have their own names sign written on a boat, this must make it more difficult to sell unless it says something like The Jones Family and you just happen to be lucky enough to sell it to another Jones. Either the buyer needs to repaint or live with someone else’s name on their boat.

There was a boat on the South Oxford this year the had something like “Dave and Sandy Jones” painted on it, which the current owner has changed to “Not Dave or Sandy Jones”; or words to that effect.

I just don’t get it, you wouldn’t paint your name on your car unless you were a professional race car driver; or would you?

2 hours ago, robtheplod said:

I always fancied 'Womble'..

Pretty sure making statements like that could get you arrested if taken in the wrong context ?

[GUMPY]

Something like 20 years ago there used to be a brown painted boat called:

Morning Flatulence

 

[Machpoint005]

1 hour ago, Bewildered said:

I’m pretty sure pun names would be fun to start with but wear thin very quickly.

 

...and you would very quickly get fed up of explaining a "clever" joke to all comers.

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, Bewildered said:

I’m pretty sure pun names would be fun to start with but wear thin very quickly.

 

[Mike Todd]

44 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

...and you would very quickly get fed up of explaining a "clever" joke to all comers.

Ours is not a 'joke' name but there is a story behind the name ie it was not used just cos it sounded nice. And we enjoy telling the story to anyone mistaken enough to ask!

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Ours is not a 'joke' name but there is a story behind the name ie it was not used just cos it sounded nice. And we enjoy telling the story to anyone mistaken enough to ask!

 

Ok, I'll bite ...

[ditchcrawler]

Passed a boat today called "Pearl's a Springer" and yes it was a blue Springer

[matty40s]

One in Market Harborough today...

Anna Dinn

[magnetman]

6 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

There's one we've seen recently beautifully signwritten with a glorious butterfly picture proudly displaying the name 'Papyon'.

 

The owner either should have given written not verbal instructions to the signwriter or they speak Haitian Creole.

 

 

To be fair there is a long established history of boat names being spelled incorrectly. It happened a few times with the old work boats. For example "Bilster" which is a town class H&W boat and was meant to be called "Bilston". 

 

So it could be someone keeping old traditions alive. I quite like "papyon". 

 

I've got two boats with French names myself. "LA POUBELLE" and "LAISSE LES DIRE"

 

I like French names. 

Edited August 3, 2020 by magnetman
Typo error ...

[matty40s]

[GUMPY]

So named because it had two toilets

 

 

[David Mack]

Somewhere I have a photo, but not on this phone:

Moose Drool Built by Db Boat Fitting - Length : 21.34 metres ( 70 feet ) - Beam : 3.81 metres ( 12 feet 6 inches ) - Draft : 0.76 metres ( 2 feet 6 inches ). Metal hull N/A power of 93 HP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 512343 as a Powered Motor Boat.  ( Last updated on Wednesday 22nd May 2013 )