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04
Jan
2020
In the past the naming of a boat was considered an attempt to ‘insure’ the vessel against peril by protecting it in honour of a God. Similarly early Christians named boats after Saints.
Today, a bit like putting a cherished number plate on a car, people chose names personal to themselves, family or something else. Unlike a road going vehicle though, there are no rules about what a boat can be called.
A lot of people enter into this without anywhere near as much thought that has been given to the actual boat purchase, so what we are aiming to do in this item is to bring some considerations along.
Safety first, and following on from our item of 24 December 2019, any name should be relatively short and easily understood should a Mayday transmission need to be made. The last thing any one in distress needs is for the identification to be misunderstood or un recognisable.
Also many consider it to be courting bad luck to be naming a boat after a previous ill fated vessel, for example, Titanic. It can also be thought to be tempting fate by naming a boat after an unlucky event conclusion, for example ‘Bottoms Up’ or ‘On the rocks’.
If your going to use a wife or girlfriends name then best to check with them first, if you are going to use one thats not your wife or girlfriend then definantly check with them (with explanation of course) for approval. Joking names such as ‘Taking the other woman out’ could also bring relationship issues!
Touching upon boat naming in the past, it was considered generally bad luck to re-name a boat or ship. Today this is far less so but if you are to do this, please check the previous name is taken off any tenders, accessories etc to avoid any confusion.
Care should also be taken to avoid rude, offensive or just downright daft names that seek uncalled for attention. We came across a boat name which included a narcotic . This meant it was seized by customs and impounded for a lengthy period.
Earlier in this item we mentioned there are no rules to naming a boat and indeed there are no regulations in the UK either. You may decide you wish to join the HM Coastguard voluntary safety identification scheme, the CG66 run by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. In the event of an emergency, the Coastguard will already have the boats details affording the opportunity to respond quickly. While this scheme is free and can be done online details are only held for two years and used for search, rescue and safety purposes only.