Denaming, renaming - Blog

You have just purchased the perfect boat. What next? One of the first things new boat owners do is change the name of their boat. We have all heard of boat superstitions. Don’t leave on Friday, never paint your boat blue of green, bananas are bad luck. These are all simple things to avoid but what about de-naming and re-naming your boat? I’m not superstitious but I also don’t want to press my luck. I have enough difficulty with basic seamanship. The last thing I want is a boat with bad juju because I broke the code of the sea in renaming my boat. I have heard everything from placing a silver dollar under the mast to sailing backwards a full boat length to erase the old name. I have owned many boats but never renamed any of them. Our last boat came with the name Dangerous. How could you ever want to change that? Can you imagine if Bob Bitchin changed the name of The Lost Soul to something like “Obsession” or “My Panacea”? Most boats come with their proper name and a soul not to be reckoned with.

My most recent boat and current home had been named Ruby. She was named by her builder but to us just didn’t seem to be a Ruby. When we purchased her she was and still is on the hard. Seeing as she had only seen half a dozen short trips in the eleven years since she had been launched I didn’t know what to do, but she just wasn’t a Ruby.

After consulting the gods I came to the conclusion that since every boat is different every ritual of boat naming must be individual. Rather than an elaborate ceremony I decided to bond with her and let her spirit guide me.

First came our initial bond, the kind you have long before she has safely carried you through yet one more storm or sat gently bobbing at anchor patiently waiting for her next journey. I simply sat by the light of her lantern with a nice bottle of scotch staring at every nook getting used to her feel and smell.

Eventually her name came to Lizzie. Who am I to question a woman, she would be forever hailed as the Roo. Rather than an elaborate ceremony I chose to make her my blood sister. I waxed, buffed, sanded and oiled every inch of her leaving a trail from bloodied knuckles as I went. In the process I have touched and examined every inch of her inside and out. There is not one scratch, chip, or nick I don’t know about. I know every wire, every leak. Every loose screw has been tightened. My blood lives in her bilges and lockers. Like a newborn infant her genetic makeup will never change. Her soul has been intact since her first conception but together we will continue to bond and grow. We will learn our limits together and push those on every horizon. As a last measure I bought her a bottle of scotch, poured a pinch in her bilge and have saved the rest for her first visitors. When the bottle is empty we will paint her name.

If you happen to stumble across us in the yard feel free to stop by for a drink.