Boat names - what are yours, why?

[jmayton]

First boat was called "Nightrainbow" taken from a children's book named "If you are afraid of the dark; remember the nightrainbow." Our current ketch is called "Kittiewake" after a seabird, however it has a double meaning in as much as my daughter insists that we have a boat cat (kitty) and the boat makes a "wake", hence, Kittiwake.

 

[chance]

When I purchased my current boat my wife (Ruth) wanted me to name it "Ruthless", because she seldom sails with me. As much as I love my wife, I couldn't bring myself to put my wife's name on my boat. So I cited the old adage about bad luck changing a boat's name and left the previous owner's name "Chance".

 

[mauruuru]

I agree the name of the boat should be significant. My first two boats had already been named when I purchased them and both seemed appropriate at the time so I left them. However, during a trip to Tahiti I decided that the name of my next boat would be Mauru 'uru. I didn't realize that it would be over a decade before that event would occur but even more so, I am "Thankfull" that it did and hence the name.....

 

[DRhoads]

PERCHER........
That was good Thanks

 

[redhead78]

I named mine after a great Lady, Carrie-Ann my daughter....Red

 

[Scubagirl62]

We named her "Aft-R-Fore" with a play on the words. We can't sail most days until "after four" o'clock because we're still working and the weekends are too crowded on the lake to enjoy it. Our last sailboat was "DanCyn on the water" with a play on the first three letters of our names and the fact that she did just that, danced on the water. I think boat names should be what you wish to convey about yourself, your boat, or just your general attitude on life! Let the creative juices FLOW!

 

[Dalliance]

Dalliance. The PO named it 20-some years ago. He sailed until he was 83 and I sailed with him the last seven years before I bought the boat, so it just didn't seem right to change it (Probably really bad luck too.) and I like the name anyway. Especially the double meaning; 1. amorous flirtation or 2. dawdling, frivolous expending of time (and money).
Saddly, it seems that many people under about 40 or so don't know what it means. They just think it's a flower or a woman's name.

 

[uncledom]

Just bought a Beneteau 35s5 last year and renamed her Wicked. Every time I look at her whether in real life or pictures all I can think is "man that's wicked". And she is.

 

[Joe11688]

I named my sloop Trinkka after reading about a guy in BC named John Guzzwell who built a small sailboat and named her Trekka. He was going to take her on a long trek and he added and extra "k" and also the letter "a" at the end as in most female names.
To me, my boat represents a trinket, which in definition means a bauble or a play thing and most boats are named after women. Thus the name Trinkka,- not to be confused with that little manufactured pram that was advertised with a little mouse figure known as a "Trinka."
My first choice was "Adventure Galley" but it would have cost me a small fortune to have the vinyl name made up for both sides of my boat. I named my cat boat "Polly" and I saved a lot of money both in the lettering and applying the vinyl myself.

I've seen and heard a lot of funny names that people have named their boats like, "She'brokus" and "Rappa'scappa." Some were clever names like ''Foot Loose and Fancy Free."
Years ago I ran into a guy in a cove on Prudence Island in RI who told me that his daughter is named Trinkka. I also talked to a lady who told me that Trinkka is a Scandinavian word that means something which I cannot remember.

 

[Freedom77]

We bought our first boat in 1969 and I named it after my beloved, Penny Sue. Bought second boat in 1971 and named her Penny Sue Too. Bought third boat in 1976 and since it was bicentenial year named her Freedom. We christened our dinghy "A little Freedom." Later Dennis connor named his America's Cup boat Freedom. Someone in our Club named his boat B--- Job. Needless to say we wouldn't publish it in the roster.

 

[Jackdaw]

Just bought a Beneteau 35s5 last year and renamed her Wicked. Every time I look at her whether in real life or pictures all I can think is "man that's wicked". And she is.

+1!

 

[Kestrel]

Just bought a Beneteau 35s5 last year and renamed her Wicked. Every time I look at her whether in real life or pictures all I can think is "man that's wicked". And she is.

++1

 

[DAVA390]

As a boy growing up in Annapolis, my Dad crewd on and then captaineed his uncles` Chesapeake 20 "Riptide". My boat name "Chasing Riptide" is sort of a nod to him. I`m thankful he is still here to see me finally get into sailing!! My birthday present from him last year was an engraved cigarrette lighter he won in a 1947 boys race at West River Sailing Club , third place. He had the other side of the lighter engraved: "David, Now it`s your turn". Coolest present ever!!

 

[saildog]

Our boat is Ilya, the name of a manatee we "adopted" through the Save the Manatee Club. My daughter is really into manatees, and after kayaking among them in Florida, we are too.

It's kinda nice that the name is only 4 letters -- definitely less expensive for purchasing letters than longer, more complicated names, and the kind of name folks don't see everyday.

It does seem kind of strange though, to refer to the boat as "she" when Ilya is a male manatee. We usually just refer to "the boat," rather than "she."

When I first got to sail on the Atlantic Ocean, I sailed with an "old salt". We saw a pod of dolphins and a little one jumped out of the water.... he said " look at the sea puppy". Imature dolphins are considdered "pups" and that name stuck with me. When I got my first real sailboat, I took that name and have used it ever since. I'm on boat # 3 now and they were all re-named Sea Puppy... all with proper re-naming cerimonys.


Mel
S/V Sea Puppy
Hunter 34

 

[Juice6576]

Our first boat Hunter 23.5 was named "Summer Rental" after the John Candy movie that inspired my wife to say yes to getting our first sailboat.
Our second boat was a Hunter 26that was named after the water bird inhabiting our northern lakes..the Loon.
Our current boat name was inspired by the Harry Potter series. We named our Hunter 33 after the charm used to repel despair and sadness.."Patronus"

 

[klemsaba]

My wife and I named our boat Coming About. As our kids are growing up and moving out buying our boat signified a change of direction in our lives. A chance to do something different than we have been doing the past 22 years. A chance to do something new with our remaining kids before they go off to college. And a chance for anyone in our family to join us to just get away from the pressures of life if only for a few hours.

2011 was our first season with the boat.

 

[Couni]

Y.b.normal

My parents' original family boat, a Chris Craft 22' Utility, was named COU-LIN BREEZE, after the co-owners COUnihan and LINquist.

My current Mac 26M is Y.B.NORMAL. Not a normal sailboat, not a normal powerboat, and (as all our friends know) WE'RE not normal.

We get a lot of good comments about the name.

 

[Mick143]

Rhythem & Blues just seemed right..

 

[Piratenorm]

Guilty Pleasure. Simple, I'm a retired law enforcement officer whose win/loss column registered heavily towards win, ie: Guilty. The boat brings me great Pleasure. My wife, being Catholic, exercises Catholic Guilt with great regularity and it amplified itself when I was buying the boat (though I don't recall it appearing when she was buying her new Mustang Convertible!) So I thought Guilty Pleasure was it. And as she's not the sailor in the family, and I usually single-hand, I have even more pleasure on her sailing alone.
I thought about a variation of Jimmy Buffett's song 'One Particular Harbor', making our boat Our Particular Harbor, but thought better of it if I ever have to yell for help. Might confuse a rescuer, if radio reception is compromised.

 

[kitxu]

I have a Hunter and as I am Chilean we named it "Cazador" beacuse in spanish means Hunter