Renaming a boat

[Denizen of the Deep]

I've heard that boats should only be named or re-named when they are out of the water, otherwise the curse of a thousand sand eels causes the boat to sink slowly from an untraceable leak, or else her crew become sad beyond telling, then dwindle and fall into the deepest of melancholy torpors, and stuff like that.

 

Is this true?

[NB Lola]

Yup⚓️⚓️⚓️

[FadeToScarlet]

I've heard that boats should only be named or re-named when they are out of the water, otherwise the curse of a thousand sand eels causes the boat to sink slowly from an untraceable leak, or else her crew become sad beyond telling, then dwindle and fall into the deepest of melancholy torpors, and stuff like that.

 

Is this true?

If you've got a salty water boat, yes.

 

Inland, however, there were different superstitions; renaming an inland boat wasn't a problem at all.

 

People will probably come along and say "you've got to pour beer over it" or "only do it out of the water". These are all modern inventions- but hey, any excuse for a drink.

[MisterDave]

you've got to pour beer over it

 

 

Pouring beer away might make the crew sad beyond telling!

Edited May 24, 2015 by MisterDave

[Ray T]

 

 

Pouring beer away might make the crew sad beyond telling!

 

We used Newky Brown and got accused of polluting the cut by a passer by:

 

Maiden voyage 002

Edited May 24, 2015 by Ray T

[valrene9600]

Inland boat or sea going, just paint on the new name and get on with your life. Listening to all the stupidity about re naming a boat just uses up valuable boating time.

[MisterDave]

I was going to rename mine during this refit, but there were so many people quoting old superstitions at me about wasting beer or bubbly, rivetting an old penny under the gunwale, destroying anything with the old name on etc etc that I delayed my decision and ended up with the new hull survey carrying the boats old name, so I guess I'm stuck with a boat named after a Plantagenet folly which never saw a battle.

[John V]

I have always believed in sticking with the original name ..............unless its a real horror.........like "Luverrrleee buberleee"

 

then I think its change it, its better to risk general ill fortune than to own a boat suffering from possibly terminal embarrassment

[Emerald Fox]

Do you live in the year 2015 or the 6th Century? It's really time people swept this nonsense under the carpet.

[MisterDave]

Do you live in the year 2015 or the 6th Century? It's really time people swept this nonsense under the carpet.

 

Nothing wrong in keeping alive some harmless traditional superstitions, these "old wives tales" deserve to be preserved as part of our history, re-enacting them is a kind of homage to the past.

[Peter X]

There are some pretty toe-curling boat names out there, but I think if/when I get a boat I'll keep the name unless I really cannot stand it, if only to avoid a little paperwork. My brother didn't like the name that came with his boat much at first, but I did, it grew on him and now he's glad he kept it.

 

Ray T probably did the best thing with that Newky Brown; back in my younger days when I drank beer I tried it once or twice but didn't like it.

[DeanS]

I think if you change a name of a boat when it changes owner.....is fine.

I think if you change the name of the boat while you own it, .......wooooooo...badddddd.....;-)

[AMModels]

If you've got a salty water boat, yes.

 

Inland, however, there were different superstitions; renaming an inland boat wasn't a problem at all.

 

People will probably come along and say "you've got to pour beer over it" or "only do it out of the water". These are all modern inventions- but hey, any excuse for a drink.

not sure thats 100% accurate, always said in my family it was bad luck to rename a boat in the water. Had to pour some beer over the bow as well to appease the cut gods or some such. Depends on your definition of modern as well I suppose.

[Emerald Fox]

 

Nothing wrong in keeping alive some harmless traditional superstitions, these "old wives tales" deserve to be preserved as part of our history, re-enacting them is a kind of homage to the past.

 

I agree with you, actually, but sometimes common sense strikes me like lightning. It's OK - it's gone now.

I've read that the old name should be on the boat somewhere to ward the curse off, and our CRT licence has already come with the old name printed on both 'discs' - so we're safe for the next year!

[bottle]

I have lost count of how many times this has been discussed over the last few years.

 

Use the search facility and see what I mean.

 

You can either believe or treat it as a load of bunkum, your choice.

 

While there check out toilets, pump out, cassette.

Edited May 24, 2015 by bottle

[Guest]

I have lost count of how many times this has been discussed over the last few years.

 

Use the search facility and see what I mean.

 

You can either believe or treat it as a load of bunkum, your choice.

 

While there check out toilets, pump out, cassette.

I wonder how many people ask questions like this on the forum even or exactly because they have used the search facility?

 

A sort of attention seeking?

[Ange]

When I was new to the forum I asked which sterns would be best - cruiser, trad or semi trad. There were a few mutters of "been there before" but also some helpful linkies to previous threads and a lot of discussion which I was grateful for. It didn't cross my mind to use the search facility because being totally new to boating and the forum I had no idea this was a question that may have been asked before. Also most members admit the search facility on here is far less than ideal.

 

Sometimes it's good when old topics are reopened with new members able to add their views and experience. Most questions that need to be asked have been asked, mostly the answers are contested. If it's compulsory to rely on the search facility and not ask previously asked questions we might as well close the forum down and turn it into a FAQ site.

 

How about giving folks the benefit of doubt and giving helpful advice and linkies? If you're not willing to do that then maybe refrain from posting?

 

The forum is definitely a less welcoming place than when I first joined. I'm embarrassed when I look back at the newbie questions I asked but I was treated with tolerance and goodwill and I can't remember anyone ever telling me to use the search facility.

 

ETA to answer the OP superstitious nonsense IMO. Just change the name - waste some alcohol if you like but only take it out of the water if it needs blacking or surveying

Edited May 24, 2015 by Ange

[NB Lola]

Do you live in the year 2015 or the 6th Century? It's really time people swept this nonsense under the carpet.

Defo, come on guys, smell the coffee!!!!

[Timx]

My only worry would be, if you want to sell it soon it might worry a potential buyer, if he cant paper chase the name.

[Denizen of the Deep]

I wonder how many people ask questions like this on the forum even or exactly because they have used the search facility?

 

A sort of attention seeking?

Made you look

[Denizen of the Deep]

When I was new to the forum I asked which sterns would be best - cruiser, trad or semi trad. There were a few mutters of "been there before" but also some helpful linkies to previous threads and a lot of discussion which I was grateful for. It didn't cross my mind to use the search facility because being totally new to boating and the forum I had no idea this was a question that may have been asked before. Also most members admit the search facility on here is far less than ideal.

 

Sometimes it's good when old topics are reopened with new members able to add their views and experience. Most questions that need to be asked have been asked, mostly the answers are contested. If it's compulsory to rely on the search facility and not ask previously asked questions we might as well close the forum down and turn it into a FAQ site.

 

How about giving folks the benefit of doubt and giving helpful advice and linkies? If you're not willing to do that then maybe refrain from posting?

 

The forum is definitely a less welcoming place than when I first joined. I'm embarrassed when I look back at the newbie questions I asked but I was treated with tolerance and goodwill and I can't remember anyone ever telling me to use the search facility.

 

ETA to answer the OP superstitious nonsense IMO. Just change the name - waste some alcohol if you like but only take it out of the water if it needs blacking or surveying

 

Thanks for this Ange. I'll probably wait till she's out of the water. Poor boat will have been through several name changes. Two names ago her name was a Grade 2 Toe Curler; the current name I'm inheriting is just too darn long - she'll go to the bottom before I've finished the mayday call!

Do you live in the year 2015 or the 6th Century? It's really time people swept this nonsense under the carpet.

It's rude to ask someone what century they live in

[Emerald Fox]

My only worry would be, if you want to sell it soon it might worry a potential buyer, if he cant paper chase the name.

 

Surely the seller would say "We changed the name" and the old name appears on all of the old paperwork, service & repairs papers, seen in old photos of the boat, etc.

Shown on the old licence discs also - and probably Jim Shead's boat listing (although that seems to be quickly getting out of date and gathering cobwebs).

 

Why would you change the name if selling soon? Who would buy a boat without all the old paperwork that should have been stored?

[John V]

Don't worry about it, using the "search" can be awkward when looking up name changes as it might throw up some confusing entries (what do you reckon Martin ???)

[Guest]

Made you look

 

Indeed you did but this one really is a load of superstitious tosh it truly is. This is the issue I have with this particular question, not so much the fact that it has been asked several times before, as indicated by a previous poster. If you think about it logically there can be no basis in fact for a boat to come to harm by virtue of changing it's name. For the record it happens all the time in commercial shipping particularly if they change ownership, many a RO-RO ferry I have sailed on for example can have their previous names just visible even though they have painted over.

 

Yes, commercial boats sink but it's not because they changed their name it's because somebody does something stupid/negligent or it encounters really adverse weather.

[Guest]

When I was new to the forum I asked which sterns would be best - cruiser, trad or semi trad. There were a few mutters of "been there before" but also some helpful linkies to previous threads and a lot of discussion which I was grateful for. It didn't cross my mind to use the search facility because being totally new to boating and the forum I had no idea this was a question that may have been asked before. Also most members admit the search facility on here is far less than ideal.

 

Sometimes it's good when old topics are reopened with new members able to add their views and experience. Most questions that need to be asked have been asked, mostly the answers are contested. If it's compulsory to rely on the search facility and not ask previously asked questions we might as well close the forum down and turn it into a FAQ site.

 

 

For the record the original poster is not new to the forum, they have been a member since August 2012.