what does No 1 mean

[deckhand 29]

I see a lot of boats with numbers 1 or 2 on their sides.  Ours has a large No. 1 on it.  Is there a reason for this? 

[Ray T 1147]

Possibly harks back to working boat ownership days when those who owned and worked their own boats were known as "Number ones."

 

Or it could be the first build by a boat company.

 

Or just a whim.

 

Who knows?

[PD1964 203]

Some builders put numbers on like Louis & Joshua running in sequence for the boats they built. I think the last one they built was around No 150??? (Someone on here might know the exact No)

  There is a Jonathan Wilson “No1 Embrace” which they say was the first complete boat he built, hence the No1.

 I think most newer boats the numbers are just for show or maybe have some relevance to the owner maybe a birthday??

Edited September 4 by PD1964

[mrsmelly 8056]

Some owners paint what number of boat ownership it is for them. So number 1 on their first boat, number 2 on their second etc etc.

[deckhand 29]

3 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Some owners paint what number of boat ownership it is for them. So number 1 on their first boat, number 2 on their second etc etc.

so it doesnt necessarily form part of the name. We will be painting the outside in spring and are not looking at painting the number back on.  keeping the name, will just omit the number.

[The Happy Nomad 726]

2 minutes ago, deckhand said:

so it doesnt necessarily form part of the name. We will be painting the outside in spring and are not looking at painting the number back on.  keeping the name, will just omit the number.

Its your boat and if it has no real personal significance to you just lose it. I think like Ray said its a bit of a nod back to working boat days. A bit 'fake' really.

[PD1964 203]

3 minutes ago, deckhand said:

so it doesnt necessarily form part of the name. We will be painting the outside in spring and are not looking at painting the number back on.  keeping the name, will just omit the number.

Put your own number on, Birthday, Anniversary, children’s birthday, lucky/unlucky number and keep people guessing like yourself👍

[ditchcrawler 1901]

1 minute ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Its your boat and if it has no real personal significance to you just lose it. I think like Ray said its a bit of a nod back to working boat days. A bit 'fake' really.

"bit"

[Dorlan 10]

 

We had to add '2' to our boat name to go on the Thames as there was a boat already registered with the same name.

We are on No. 5 now! 

[deckhand 29]

it will be some time before we are anywhere near the Thames, so will lose it for now

[PD1964 203]

18 minutes ago, Dorlan said:

 

We had to add '2' to our boat name to go on the Thames as there was a boat already registered with the same name.

We are on No. 5 now! 

I take it your boat wasn’t called “Kingfisher” 

[Dorlan 10]

20 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

I take it your boat wasn’t called “Kingfisher” 

Yes it was, but in Welsh!

[PD1964 203]

34 minutes ago, Dorlan said:

Yes it was, but in Welsh!

 I imagine there’s not much chance of the Welsh spelled name getting 351 Boats in the CaRT boat index. With 3 your Colecraft may be the last, I take it you are Welsh?

[dave moore 484]

As a working signwriter, I’ve often painted “ No XX” on the cabin side of many boats. Often, these days, it refers to the number of the boat owned, be it first, second etc. As has already been mentioned, Number Ones in working days were owner boatmen, to distinguish those who worked for others. As the boat is the personal property of the owner, I’ve been asked many times to paint just that. Until a few years ago I shared a boat with Graham Edgson of Norton Canes Boatbuilders. I painted the name, Resolute, in an arc in the smaller engine room panel, and No 20 below. Why 20? We both lived in houses with that number.

[ditchcrawler 1901]

2 hours ago, deckhand said:

I see a lot of boats with numbers 1 or 2 on their sides.  Ours has a large No. 1 on it.  Is there a reason for this? 

Its 2008 but its about No 1

Edited September 4 by ditchcrawler

[David Schweizer 874]

12 hours ago, dave moore said:

As a working signwriter, I’ve often painted “ No XX” on the cabin side of many boats. Often, these days, it refers to the number of the boat owned, be it first, second etc. As has already been mentioned, Number Ones in working days were owner boatmen, to distinguish those who worked for others. As the boat is the personal property of the owner, I’ve been asked many times to paint just that. Until a few years ago I shared a boat with Graham Edgson of Norton Canes Boatbuilders. I painted the name, Resolute, in an arc in the smaller engine room panel, and No 20 below. Why 20? We both lived in houses with that number.

And you painted No.20 on our boat :-

[WotEver 3159]

4 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

And you painted No.20 on our boat :-

Shame he couldn’t spell Helvetica

[Man 'o Kent 43]

'Cos I C there 'aint room . . .

[David Schweizer 874]

3 hours ago, WotEver said:

Shame he couldn’t spell Helvetica

Why would I name my boat after a 1960's designed typeface?

 

 

Edited September 5 by David Schweizer

[WotEver 3159]

57 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Why would I name my boat after a 1960's designed typeface?

It was a joke, David, hence the big smiley face. 
 

And some fell on stony ground...

[David Schweizer 874]

26 minutes ago, WotEver said:

It was a joke, David, hence the big smiley face. 
 

And some fell on stony ground...

If I had a pound for every person who made that joke, I would be a rich man. It is compounded by the impression that most people seem to not understand the difference between Helvetia and Helvetica.

[WotEver 3159]

4 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

If I had a pound for every person who made that joke, I would be a rich man. It is compounded by the impression that most people seem to not understand the difference between Helvetia and Helvetica.

One's a land-locked country and the other is a boring typeface.

[David Schweizer 874]

29 minutes ago, WotEver said:

One's a land-locked country and the other is a boring typeface.

Correct. However, it is surprisung how many people don't know that, and have you deduced why I called my boat "Helvetia"

[WotEver 3159]

Just now, David Schweizer said:

have you deduced why I called my boat "Helvetia"

I figured it was either because you were advertising a large insurance company or one of the family were Swiss. 

[David Schweizer 874]

1 minute ago, WotEver said:

I figured it was either because you were advertising a large insurance company or one of the family were Swiss. 

Certainly nothing to do with the first suggestion. The second is correct but a bit vague, the connection is far more direct.