Why are boats named? Just curious

[Expo]

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.

Good point, but the name is usually displayed prominently on the boat so as to be read from a distance away. The number is usually much smaller and not visible from a distance. If you were in a situation where you needed to call out to another boat (a warning of danger, for example) it's got to be much easier to shout the name of the boat to get attention.

 

Which begs further questions. Do CRT have a right to veto any name if it's we're not acceptable for reasons of decency ... Swear words or expletives, for example?

 

And, going back to the original question relating to the stolen boat, why did it not have a name prominently displayed? Either it doesn't have a name (in which case, should it have had a licence? ... May have misunderstood the licence conditions here ....) or the owners have given it a name but failed to paint it on the side of the boat in accordance with licence conditions ...

 

 

Eta ..sorry ... I'm very new to all of this and still got masses to learn, so please ignore me if I'm asking stupid questions.

 

Time to put the kettle on, me thinks .....

[Phil Ambrose]

Simon, you are spot on re the contact thing, if a boat is carrying it's name it is so much easier to spot in the event of a hit and run thus enabling others to pass on the offending boat details to whoever.

Numbers are not easy to see whereas names are, the fact that on the Broads all boats carry their name saved me a fair few bob on more than one occasion. I was able to pass on the boat name to the Nav Ranger as well as report (if hire boat) the offending vessel to the hire base.

I had a dinghy that acquired a metre long split which the hire company paid for and on a small cabin cruiser (Chris's work transport) part of the gunnel moulding was trashed, again the hire company paid up.

Phil

Edited July 31, 2016 by Phil Ambrose

[Sea Dog]

Try ordering a Domino's Pizza to be delivered to "the blue boat with the number 5x5x5x in tiny numerals", Little Venice. Or call (RCR for example) for assistance to the same vessel. How is Mr Plod ever going to find that norty boater who pulls alongside your Narrowboat and nicks your batteries, generator, or whatever? Or, those in the build process excepted, how is the canal community going to quickly identify a newly stolen boat? Come to that, how are you ever going to easily spot friends and acquaintances? Or avoid those friendly folks if that's not your thing?

 

Or, if you're an undesirable who does unsociable things, how are the rest of us going to know how to avoid you - or CRT going to spot you easily when you're unlicenced or incorrectly licenced?

 

Now, I'm not saying that all, or even many, boaters with unnamed boats fall into the categories in the last paragraph. However, I can think of many good reasons why it's good to conform to this fine old tradition and, sadly, a few bad ones not to.

[Ray T]

First I know this does not appertain to the cut.

 

With off shore boats a name is less open to miss interpretation than a number which may get transposed when calling port authorities, coastguard etc.

 

Back in June 2003 I had reason to call Brixham Coast guard when a yacht we were travelling with got into difficulties. I can still remember the yacht's name now, no idea of its number though. Also I needed "our" yacht's name when making the call too. It is far easier to remember a name than a number especially in emergency situations.

 

As a matter of interest the Torbay AWB was dispatched, the coxswain being Mark Criddle who featured in this episode of saving lives at sea.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07lqldy/saving-lives-at-sea-episode-2

 

"Boats haven't always been named after women. Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians named their ships after their gods, in the belief that the honored god would protect the vessel at sea. Today, people may christen their boats with the name of a city or an event. However, the tradition of giving a boat a feminine name runs through centuries of sailing, although no one knows for sure why. Two theories have gained general acceptance: one rooted in language, the other in symbolism."

[David Schweizer]

Good point, but the name is usually displayed prominently on the boat so as to be read from a distance away. The number is usually much smaller and not visible from a distance. If you were in a situation where you needed to call out to another boat (a warning of danger, for example) it's got to be much easier to shout the name of the boat to get attention.

 

Which begs further questions. Do CRT have a right to veto any name if it's we're not acceptable for reasons of decency ... Swear words or expletives, for example?

 

And, going back to the original question relating to the stolen boat, why did it not have a name prominently displayed? Either it doesn't have a name (in which case, should it have had a licence? ... May have misunderstood the licence conditions here ....) or the owners have given it a name but failed to paint it on the side of the boat in accordance with licence conditions ...

 

 

Eta ..sorry ... I'm very new to all of this and still got masses to learn, so please ignore me if I'm asking stupid questions.

 

Time to put the kettle on, me thinks .....

 

I am not sure whether there are any regulations as such, but I am sure that I read of a couple of cases where a particularly offensive name has been refused. However, they must have been fairly obvious, as some boats seem to get away with an offensive name hidden behind contrived spelling, for a couple of years there was a boat on our moorings named "Firkham Hall" , and the owner told me he had recently re-registered that name with C&ART.

[Sea Dog]

I believe that the Navy still have a Narrowboat named "Shy Talk", named (for those unfamiliar) after the naval term for a seagull.

[Scholar Gypsy]

 

I am not sure whether there are any regulations as such, but I am sure that I read of a couple of cases where a particularly offensive name has been refused. However, they must have been fairly obvious, as some boats seem to get away with an offensive name hidden behind contrived spelling, for a couple of years there was a boat on our moorings named "Firkham Hall" , and the owner told me he had recently re-registered that name with C&ART.

There is a property with that name in Skegness: maybe he lives there? Also the name of a soccer team.

[Athy]

for a couple of years there was a boat on our moorings named "Firkham Hall"

Surely, innocently named in honour of a class of Great Western 4-6-0 locomotives?

Only them as drops their haitches would see anythink offensive in the name.

[mark99]

Same reason why we don't address each other by our NI number.

[Ray T]

Same reason why we don't address each other by our NI number.

 

Slightly , when I worked for BT "it" decide to dispense with its personnel department and call it "human resource" thereby reducing its employees to an "asset." Much easier to dispose of an asset than a human being. We were all given ID numbers, mine 803088441! When ever we applied for computer systems, image clothing or contacted human resource etc., we had to give the number not our name.

 

I suppose it dispenses with the possibility of name confusion but the company managed perfectly well before computerisation.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Ray T

[David Schweizer]

There is a property with that name in Skegness: maybe he lives there? True, and it has had that name for some while according to Zoopla

 

Also the name of a soccer team. I think you may be confusing it with Kirkham Hall Football Club.

 

Surely, innocently named in honour of a class of Great Western 4-6-0 locomotives?

Only them as drops their haitches would see anythink offensive in the name.

 

I see you are enjoying being obtuse again Mike, No such locomotive (but then you already knew that)

 

To be honest, If you had ever met the bloke, you would have been in no doubt as to why he gave his boat that name, He knew it could offend some people, and he thought that was funny. He was eventually evicted from the moorings for not paying his rent. We were not sad to see him go, he was a pain.

Edited July 31, 2016 by David Schweizer

[Ray T]

 

 

I see you are enjoying being obtuse again Mike, No such locomotive (but then you already knew that)

 

To be honest, If you had ever met the bloke, you would have been in no doubt as to why he gave his boat that name, He knew it could offend some people, and he thought that was funny. He was eventually evicted from the moorings for not paying his rent. We were not sad to see him go, he was a pain.

 

I seem to remember he had a horn set which blasted out the General Lee Dixie horn sound.

 

Edited July 31, 2016 by Ray T

[Athy]

 

 

I see you are enjoying being obtuse again Mike, No such locomotive (but then you already knew that)

 

 

I trust that you are deriving equal enjoyment from being courteous, David.

[reg]

Same reason why we don't address each other by our NI number.

Good point succinctly made.

In summary the number is good for administrative purposes but the name is both for practical day to use and, perhaps I underestimated this, part of the soul of the boat.

Without the name we live in the world of "the prisoner" where administration is all.

 

 

 

I am still curious though on the "when" part of this if anyone knows

Edited July 31, 2016 by reg

[Ray T]

Good point succinctly made.

In summary the number is good for administrative purposes but the name is both for practical day to use and, perhaps I underestimated this, part of the soul of the boat.

Without the name we live in the world of "the prisoner" where administration is all.

 

 

 

I am still curious though on the "when" part of this though if anyone knows

 

From post #29

 

"Boats haven't always been named after women. Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians named their ships after their gods, in the belief that the honored god would protect the vessel at sea. Today, people may christen their boats with the name of a city or an event. However, the tradition of giving a boat a feminine name runs through centuries of sailing, although no one knows for sure why. Two theories have gained general acceptance: one rooted in language, the other in symbolism."

 

As boatmen moved from the sea to rivers, from rivers to canals the traditions followed with them.

 

 

Also from Wiki: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship

 

From about 4000BC the Ancient Egyptians were making wooden sail boats. By 1200BC the Phoenicians and Greeks had begun to make bigger sailing ships which were about 30 metres (100 feet) long and could carry 90-180 tonnes of cargo. The Romans made even bigger ships which could carry up to 1,000 people and 1,000 tonnes of cargo. The 8th century saw the rise of the Vikings, who were famous for their "longships" and which were mainly used for raiding other countries, but also for trading. The longships had flat bottoms so they could move in shallow (not deep) rivers.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Ray T

[David Schweizer]

 

I seem to remember he had a horn set which blasted out the General Lee Dixie horn sound.

 

 

Yes, certainly something like that. There were even more annoying aspects, but I will desist.

Edited July 31, 2016 by David Schweizer

[Neil2]

There seems to be a primeval desire in humans to name inanimate objects but in the modern world it's a very sporadic thing and completely inexplicable.

 

For example, I have never felt any inclination to give something that doesn't breath air a name, but my wife has christened every bicycle she has ever owned.

 

I do know some people who give their car a name, I do not consider them friends.

 

I have even heard of people anthropomorphising their computer, FFS.

 

Then again, BB King called his guitar Lucille and BB is, basically, God, so who knows.

 

 

[rustydiver]

We name all our cars. My old camper van was Archie even older pick up Luigi Citroen c1 little Eric. And our Citroen berlingo I call it a Pig Ugly.

Edited July 31, 2016 by rustydiver

[churchward]

There seems to be a primeval desire in humans to name inanimate objects but in the modern world it's a very sporadic thing and completely inexplicable.

 

For example, I have never felt any inclination to give something that doesn't breath air a name, but my wife has christened every bicycle she has ever owned.

 

I do know some people who give their car a name, I do not consider them friends.

 

I have even heard of people anthropomorphising their computer, FFS.

 

Then again, BB King called his guitar Lucille and BB is, basically, God, so who knows.

 

 

It is just a human thing to do as you say. I don't think it is always just a sentimental anthropomorphism of objects either just a form of familiarity not a humanisation of the thing.

 

I have named many things, my two morris minors ( I have had them for a long time, over 30 years) are Albert and Gertie. The modern car has no name. The house has a name (but it's part of the postal address) it does not have a number or a street name with it.

 

I call my Sat Nav "Sally" as it reminds me of a rather bossy girlfriend years ago and it's alliterative.

 

I don't have a name for the computer other than the rude names I call it when it doesn't do what I want fast enough! Mind you with Ai the way it is developing it won't be that long away you will be able to have a reasonable conversation with a home computer device so it will be more understandable when that happens if people start to see them as a personality.

[Neil2]

The house name thing is interesting in that it seems to me to be a peculiarly British thing.

 

As for cars, - hoisted by my own petard. I remember years ago I had a red Austin Allegro and shared an office with two other guys who had blue and yellow versions. We christened them Bluebell, Buttercup and Poppy and whenever possible parked them alongside each other.

[Guest]

I believe that the Navy still have a Narrowboat named "Shy Talk", named (for those unfamiliar) after the naval term for a seagull.

Saw a boat called "Shy Ted" once.

[RLWP]

a sentimental anthropomorphism of objects

 

I swear at engines

 

and say thank you to parking barriers

 

Richard

[churchward]

The house name thing is interesting in that it seems to me to be a peculiarly British thing.

 

As for cars, - hoisted by my own petard. I remember years ago I had a red Austin Allegro and shared an office with two other guys who had blue and yellow versions. We christened them Bluebell, Buttercup and Poppy and whenever possible parked them alongside each other.

The house name is essential where we are in North Wales. traditional house names describe the location or purpose of the house eg is it is in a spot that catches the morning sun it may be called Bron Haul or on a windy hill, Bryn Awel, at the head of some land Pentir or above a bridge Pen y Bont So rather than a humanising addition it is descriptive and needed. Sometimes people are known by there first name and house name rather than surname.

 

The road to our house has no name and the house no number so it is just the house name, nearest village and postal town (plus the postcode of course) that identifies our house to the postal service. We would have to get permission from the Council who then inform the post office to change the house name.

Edited July 31, 2016 by churchward

[churchward]

Saw a boat called "Shy Ted" once.

Last time we were out I saw a boat with just 3 playing cards drawn on the side which was a 4 (of something) a King and an ace. I was puzzled for a bit until my dull brain kicked in.

[Sea Dog]

I swear at engines

 

and say thank you to parking barriers

 

Richard

I usually say thank you to the ATM, which I realise is silly because the gnome of Zurich who counts out the cash and pokes it through the slot probably can't here me.