Why are boats named? Just curious

[reg]

As above, why are boats named?

 

Also If it is historical should it be compulsory in the future taking into account that registration is now controlled by the boat number?

 

It appears to me that boats are uniquely the only form of transport that have to have a name, why is that?

 

My curiosity was raised by some of the posts in the lost boat thread but I didn't 't want to take that off topic

[RLWP]

To identify them. It's historical

 

I'm changing our boats name to 1000111010010001011100

 

Richard

[Jerra]

It appears to me that boats are uniquely the only form of transport that have to have a name,

Steam engines sorry steam locomotives?

[RLWP]

Steam engines sorry steam locomotives?

 

And traction engines, and some significant stationary engines

 

Horses have names too

 

Richard

[reg]

Steam engines sorry steam locomotives?

So locomotives in general do not have to be named is that correct?

 

Traction engines do have to be named?

 

And significant stationary engines are sometimes named so that means stationary engines in general do not have to be named.

 

Not loosing any sleep over this by the way just curious, can almost see QI setting some questions from this

[churchward]

Certainly sea going vessels do have to be named as a form of identification along with port of origin. There may be numbers involved too as in fishing vessels.

 

We name our narrowboats and other inland craft in modern times because we like to more than anything.

 

Not all boats are registered as a number. CRT use number as identity rather than name so multiple names are OK and are not a unique identifier (aprox 40 "Kinfishers" for example). It used to be (perhaps still is) on the Thames etc that it was boat name that was the unique identifier so you could not have the same name as another boat to be registered there hence why there were names like "Willow IV"

[alan_fincher]

All the Brighton and Hove buses carry a name.

 

Details here.

[Guest]

Eddie Stobbart names all his lorries, so why not boats..

 

All,joking aside the OP has a valid question to which I bet nobody can definitively answer.

[Jerra]

Eddie Stobbart names all his lorries, so why not boats..

 

All,joking aside the OP has a valid question to which I bet nobody can definitively answer.

I have seen other fleets which name all their lorries as well.

 

I know some people who name their cars so it is probably (for canal boats anyway) more an affection/desire to identify, rather than say "the boat" or "number 123456".

[reg]

 

CRT use number as identity rather than name so multiple names are OK and are not a unique identifier (aprox 40 "Kinfishers" for example).

That's almost why, apart from the general curiosity, I was pondering why CRT require a name seeing as they require a name as well as a number but only official use the number when checking registration. It raises the question as to why the name in compulsory rather than optional, is it just history and romance?

 

It does have a practical side in that a few years ago I was threatened with a ticket for not showing the boats name won't say where won't say when, guy long since gone, because I was repainting my boat at the time and name was over painted during the repaint job.

 

RWLP

Set me thinking about your binary naming idea, why use binary why not just use a real number such as, let me think.. Got it.. name the boat the same as the registration number. Could be fun getting that one through but I know I'm not brave enough to try it.

[Dalesman]

As above, why are boats named?

 

Also If it is historical should it be compulsory in the future taking into account that registration is now controlled by the boat number?

 

It appears to me that boats are uniquely the only form of transport that have to have a name, why is that?

 

My curiosity was raised by some of the posts in the lost boat thread but I didn't 't want to take that off topic

All sea going craft now have to display their IMO number as well as their name and port of registration.

[Guest]

That's almost why, apart from the general curiosity, I was pondering why CRT require a name seeing as they require a name as well as a number but only official use the number when checking registration. It raises the question as to why the name in compulsory rather than optional, is it just history and romance?

It does have a practical side in that a few years ago I was threatened with a ticket for not showing the boats name won't say where won't say when, guy long since gone, because I was repainting my boat at the time and name was over painted during the repaint job.

RWLP

Set me thinking about your binary naming idea, why use binary why not just use a real number such as, let me think.. Got it.. name the boat the same as the registration number. Could be fun getting that one through but I know I'm not brave enough to try it.

On CRT waters I don't believe a name is actually compulsory, just a number.

 

The Thames is however different I believe.

[reg]

Steam engines sorry steam locomotives?

Eddie Stobbart names all his lorries, so why not boats..

All,joking aside the OP has a valid question to which I bet nobody can definitively answer.

Actually it has, in my mind become two different questions

Why and how is it like that now?

Why must it be compulsorily like that in the future?

 

 

 

One question curiosity the other question political

 

 

EDITED TO ADD:just found this "British Waterways primarily keeps track of boats by registration number. They do require that a boat has a name, however, but the name need not be unique. "

 

http://www.waterwaysworld.com/questionspost.cgi?post=194

Edited July 30, 2016 by reg

[Guest]

Actually it has, in my mind become two different questions

Why and how is it like that now?

Why must it be compulsorily like that in the future?

One question curiosity the other question political

See my post above, is it compulsory on CRT waters?

[Texasboater]

Some airlines name the Planes too.

[reg]

See my post above, is it compulsory on CRT waters?

Just edited my post above to show a quote was doing it whilst you posted this.

Also as I said above I was threatened with a ticket when I was repainting my boat because I wasn't showing the boat name.

Edited July 30, 2016 by reg

[FadeToScarlet]

To identify them. It's historical

Although not every boat had a name. Think of the vast fleets of BCN dayboats, with numbers only.

 

Some carriers didn't name their boats either. Severn and Canal didn't name their wooden motor boats, merely giving them numbers, despite the fact that several were converted from horseboats that had names already.

[reg]

Although not every boat had a name. Think of the vast fleets of BCN dayboats, with numbers only.

Some carriers didn't name their boats either. Severn and Canal didn't name their wooden motor boats, merely giving them numbers, despite the fact that several were converted from horseboats that had names already.

Thanks for that nugget Fade to... Adds another little piece to the puzzle.

It would appear that at some point it was decided that both names and numbers should have to be displayed in which case when was this decided? OR possibly names do not have to be displayed?

 

Might do a bit more digging on this just out of historical interest

Again thanks for the info

[Phil Ambrose]

On the EA waters that I boat on and the Broads insist that as part of your registration that you sign up to, your boat must carry it's registration number as well as it's name.

Phil

[reg]

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/original/8376-boat-licence-terms-and-conditions-revised-jan-2015.pdf

 

Section 7.1 of the above definitively states that the name must be displayed on both sides of the boat.

So that clarifies the current position.

 

It leaves the historical question as to when this ruling came into place taking into account FadeToScarlet's historical nugget above.

 

It also leaves the political question should it always have to be a compulsory requirement bearing in mind modern technologies and licence checking procedures do not require it.

[NickF]

My inflatable canoe has a name but it is not displayed. Lots of dinghys are unnamed so how small does a boat have to be before it's OK not to name it?

[system 4-50]

I have problems with the names my parents gave me, I think I'll just use a number from now on. Number 000006 sounds nice.

[Bloomsberry]

My boat has a name but this isn't displayed on the boat.

 

I thinking of renaming it soon.

 

How will anyone know ?

[Paul C]

As nuclear winter settles over Eurchina, the grandsons of three rebels are huddled around a makeshift campfire, burning propoganda material in the ruin of a hospital. They share stories about the "struggle". One of them recalls the tale when his grandad took on 100 armed officers singlehandedly. Another says how his grandad ran 20 miles to deliver a message to the resistance HQ including swimming across a river. The other mentions how his grandad didn't write a name on the side of his narrowboat.

[Scholar Gypsy]

 

It used to be (perhaps still is) on the Thames etc that it was boat name that was the unique identifier so you could not have the same name as another boat to be registered there hence why there were names like "Willow IV"

 

This is right - we always took care with the Thames Conservancy (and their successors) to hang on to the registration of the name Scholar Gypsy. We spotted Scholar Gypsy VI, I think.

 

With narrowboats, the other issue on the Thames - though I think they are much more relaxed about it now - is that the name had to be displayed on the bows and on the transom! We made various temporary signs to deal with that. One of the arguments at the time was that this enabled the lock keeper to give instructions to a particular boat, if needed in an emergency.

 

Slightly off topic,but I find it interesting that so few boats - trip boats or day boats aside - display the owner's contact details. I put mine on a card in the windows, so that I can be contacted easily e.g. if there is a break-in or if I have left the boat moored on an water point by accident (not that I ever have).