What's in a Name

[brackish]

Names.....our first boat was a plank wooden sailboat with cabin that was 17' long including bowsprit built by a local yard.  Owned in a partnership with my BIL it was affectionately known as "Sea Slut" although my wife refused to let us actually put the name on her.  She was replaced with a Columbia 24 Challenger which was named "Faux Pas" which fit both our personalities at the time as well as our sailing abilities.  She was replaced with a Columbia 8.7 which came with the name "Cygnus" which we kept, as it was an elegant sailing craft much like the "Swan" that the Constellation Cygnus means in latinized Greek.

My current Compac 23IV, owned by just me, is named "Arion". It came with that name and I intended to change it but didn't. At the time, my grandson was a toddler and my wife was reading him Jimmy Buffet stuff which included "Orion" which Eliott did not distinguish the difference and would talk about our sailboat when he was read the stories.

Arion was a mythical character who was essentially a poet and musician from the Greek Island of Lesbos, but traveled to a far land for his sponsor the King of Corinth to participate in a music competition. He won but on his return he was forced to "walk the plank".  He played his music before and it drew dolphins that ended up saving him.  All was well upon his return the King dispatched those who attempted to harm him and had stolen his prize from the contest.

Now the Island of Lesbos, as might be imagined is populated by many Lesbians.  The two very nice women who sold me the boat were of that persuasion and I can only assume that is where the name came from.  I've often wondered how many people know enough to make that connection........

So at this point I'm too old to be concerned and the boat is too old to change without leaving a shadow of the former name due to fading. 

[MarshHen]

One of my all-time favorites is a Gunboat that used to race in St. Bart named "Looking for Elvis".  The entire crew would dress up like The King.  I don't know how often they won but they sure had a good time.

[kickingbug2]

  i vote "tiller time"

[alsantini]

My first boat, that deserved a name was "Without a Clew" .  PO named her.  I then bought a Precision 21 that I decided would have a shortened name of "Clewless"  Sailors loved it and would comment as they saw the name on the stern.  HOWEVER, one evening out on Lake Geneva with a friend we lost all wind.  And, I mean all wind.  No problem I fired up the outboard, or should I say tried.  Realized I had drained or siphoned out all the gas from the tank through a faulty fuel pump.  Let's see no gas and no wind and 1 mile from my buoy.  I picked up my HT and before I said anything I realized how it would sound to say, "This is the sailboat Clewless and we have run out of gas and there is no wind....."  I figured everyone would hear Clueless NOT Clewless.  So I did not use the name of the boat. LOL  My next boat was a Precision 21 that I named Off The Wind.  Next boat was a Com Pac Eclipse (up for sale in April) that I also named Off The Wind.  My latest boat, a beautiful Horizon was named by the previous owner Petit Chat (little cat in French).  That's my story and I am sticking to it!  Sail On,   Al