Renaming of our Yacht

Everyone knows that renaming your boat will bring nothing but bad luck and make your boating experience something that you will want to forget. But what do you do when you find the boat of your dreams and its name, written across the stern or some other very public location, is just not going to work for you. My example, is the name, well, as you will read, I can't actually mention the name. Now I am absolutely sure that the previous owner had a wonderful reason for giving her that name. In fact he did explain that it combined names of family members. Clever!

Our Bayliner 3218 Motor Yacht getting a bath and showing the face of the bridge with the old name on it.



But there was just no way the name was going to work as the name of our boat. It didn't take long for us to come up with a re-name for our boat--The Key of Sea. Since last August when we finally took ownership of our boat, we have been waiting to make that change. But what with all the other more critical needs aboard we just didn't get around to removing the old name and having the new one put on. Then the winter weather came along and it just wasn't the right time.



That all changed this weekend. And today, the last of the name removal took place. I removed the old vinyl lettering on Saturday. Today, I went back to get the residual adhesive taken off. I took along rubbing alcohol and paint thinner which I had heard would remove the adhesive. Turns out the rubbing alcohol wouldn't touch this particular adhesive. But the paint thinner loosened it up no problem. A razor blade helped scrape the stuff right up into little globs that wiped right up. So at this moment our boat sits nameless in the harbor waiting for the new name to be put on later in the week.

As to renaming a boat, it is, according to tradition, not something to be done lightly. At least not if age-old superstitions are to be believed. Since the beginning of time, sailors have sworn that there are unlucky ships and that the unluckiest ships of all are those who have defied the gods and changed their names. So, is there a way to change a name and not incur the wrath of the gods of the sea?

Apparently there is and it is quite an undertaking. It requires getting rid of all reference to the old name from any documents, records, anywhere it might be possibly be found. Then there are the incantations which must be recited in the correct order and in the correct compass direction. Finally, a bottle of reasonably good champagne must be poured into the sea in each compass direction in a prescribed way, leaving only a glass for the captain and first mate. A separate bottle of the bubbly is required if serving any guests.

The ceremony is quite complex and must be followed exactly or it is all for not. Or, you could ignore the entire thing and just get on with things. Personally I'd rather pour the champagne, toast my friends and cast off all lines!

Stay tuned and a post with a photo of the new name will get added to this entry when it gets applied.