Seaside Ceremonies

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
Superstition has been part of sailing since the days when three sheets to the wind was a comment about weather, not detox.

But many superstitions are still observed today, particularly when it comes to christening or renaming a boat.

Have you performed any naming, renaming, launching, or other ceremonies on your boat?

If so, tell us about them. If not, what convinced you it was safe to ignore them?

ceremony.jpg
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I don't believe in superstition or luck. Its just chance. I really need to find a worthy expression to replace "good luck".
We renamed our first boat without ceremony. The second boat we kept the name 'cause we liked it. .
 
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Likes: TomY
Dec 27, 2014
2
Catalina 250 Margate
Not super stitious, but can have fun when the chance occurs, and renaming the boat is time for a party (It's not like it happens that often)

We held our ceremony at one of our sailing clubs events, some of them turned up in God & Goddess costumes. We couldn't find a virgin so used a bottle of champagne. Here's the link to my blog article: Eximius Renaming Ceremony.
 
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Likes: Justin_NSA
Feb 14, 2014
7,400
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Can you "whistle up" the wind?

Drink a toast to Neptune to find lost items? Not Poseidon [no planet named for him]:pimp:

Turn counter clockwise 3 times for luck, before a Sail?

Fly a good luck burgee?

Sail with a Good Luck Charm? [Mine is the Admiral]
Jim...
 

WayneH

.
Jan 22, 2008
1,039
Tartan 37 287 Pensacola, FL
Years ago, I was quietly sitting on deck with not-my-first adult beverage of the night when a dock neighbor approached me. His daughter was getting married that night but the preacher bailed on them. As I owned a sailboat, didn't that make me a captain and therefore I could perform a marriage ceremony? I explained that the floating dock did not qualify as a vessel and we were not out to sea so it would most likely not be a legal ceremony. As the dock was already decorated and no one else was drunk enough to volunteer, I performed the ceremony to the best of my abilities.

IMG_3098.JPG

Cast: Drunk Sailboat Owner, Groom, Bride, Father of the Bride, Various drunken sailors. A good time was had by most.

After the ceremony, the young couple went north to the groom's hometown where they had a second ceremony before a JP.