# sailboat names



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hello!! we just purchased a Helson 22 and we would like to name her and we want to find that just right name. any suggestions on where i can find some books or websites with boat names? i am having trouble finding any references. thanks!
deb


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## Denr (Feb 7, 2001)

I don''t know of any sources for boat names but, I do have a suggestion on a common sense approach to naming a boat. Multiple word names are a no-no in my opinion. The boat name should be a single word and be clearly and easily understood when spoken over the VHF to hail the Coast Guard, Sheriff’s Police, Conservation Department, Harbor masters, general distress calls, Bridge Tenders, you get the point. Many of the names that owners chose when the boat was new to them probably sounded clever at the time, are considered dumb and incomprehensible today. My suggestion is to stick to a one-word name. Cutesy names are dumb, no sugar coating here Jeff! That''s my story and I''m sticking to it.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Many people suggest the name of a star. This may come from celestial navigation or Shakespeare, "First star to the right, straight on ''till morning". Or, the line from the famous poem, "All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to guide her by". 

Hmmm Aldebaran comes to mind, Deb ;o). 

Best of luck,

John


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## PaulOuellette (Jan 15, 2001)

Deb :

Have a look at the Boat US website...ALL KINDS of names are listed there.

Good luck with your search.

Regards,
Paul Ouellette,
S/V Winpipe (Beneteau 361 #171)
Windsor Ontario.

P/S..I always liked the name "Wind Wagon"


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

For the most part I agree on one word names, for the same reason as the previous poster. It really is a bummer when you are hailing the CG or another boat and no-one can catch the boat name.

If you are looking for something original... think of a word for something that makes you smile... a thing, a place, a child, something. Then if you want to find out how original the name is go to the USCG Documentation site and see if the name has been documented on a boat. Also there is a way you can find out the most commonly (ab)used boat names.... like "Serendipity", Wind Song, and such.

If you try hard enough or even better, take a relaxed approach to it, I''m sure you''ll find a name you like.


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2001)

I don''t know a great source book on naming boats and by the time most names appear in print or on a website they are already over used.

When I have to name a boat I try to think of what that boat means to me. I often get an image in my mind and then try to understand how that image applies to the boat and also how I can define that relationship in one word. I am very superstitious about changing the name of a boat and so look at ways of working around the name that is already on the boat. I try to think if an existing name has meaning in my life. 

I like names that have some whit or whisdom. For example there used to be a racer- cruiser called ''Typee'' on one side and ''Type A'' on the other. 

I like names with a story around them. There is boat that used to sail out of Annapolis that was called ''Aunt Jean''. It turned out that Aunt Jean passed on and left the owner some money that he used to buy the boat. On the boom it said "Where there''s a will...." and on the battle flag was a tombstone and ''R.I.P.'' Aunt Jean was supposedly a cool old girl and would have actually enjoyed all of this. 

Many people look to traits of the wind, or desciptions of freedom (I''ve always liked the name ''Galivant'') or the sea. People often look to mythology; Greek, Roman, Norse, or American Indian. Or, to characters from literature, Shakespere (Puck has always been a favorite), and Don Quixote (L.F. Herrreschoff''s boats were usually characters from Don Quixote) being very popular. There are boat names drawn from the Stars or from weather. It is thought to be appropriate name a boat for one''s wife or children (My folkboat was named Diana for my first wife, both long gone and sometimes still missed). Images from the world of ballet used to be pretty common. Images of flowers used to be common (Cotton Blossom, Rose of Shannon or my current boat ''Rugosa'' (a type of rosebush) for example) I am not big on lewd or gag names which seem more popular on power boats but seem to show up on sailboats as well these days. I don''t mind a joke if there is a little bit of whit to it such as the Trawler named ''Quits''. When the retiree owner was asked he''d always say,"I had worked all my life but one day I just decided to buy a trawler and call it ''Quits''" 

Fast animals (''Tigress'' for example), sea creatures (''Turtle'',''Snapper'', Porpoise'',''Dorido'')birds (especially seabirds)(''Lark'', ''Hawk'', ''Petrel'' were quite common at one time.) often inspire boat names. Things that suggest speed (''lighting'') or sports or weapon images (''Javelin'' or ''Saber'' or ''Sprint'') for example. You some times see names that reflect some modern technology item (I raced on a boat called ''Fast Forward >>'')

You often see combinations of words (my family''s boats when I was growing up were named ''Windrift''.) Sometimes names comment on the size of the boat like ''Imp'',''Pixie''or ''Titanic''. There are names that suggest friendship with the boat (''Amigo'' was common for a while) Race boats tend to have more Xtreme names (''Phycho Killer'', ''Hot Ruddered Bum'', ''Taxi Dancer'') while names out of nature are more common on cruising boats. Sometimes poetry itself inspires a name, (The name ''Rage'' typically comes from the Dylan Thomas poetic line which reads something like, "Rage, Rage against the long dark night" which means to struggle to be alive and don''t die without a fight. Or "Without Feathers" which is a pun on the Emily Dickinson line to the affect of "Hope is a great feathered thing".) Which of course brings us to human traits, (''Hope'', ''Joy'', ''Rapscallion'', ''Inspiration'', ''Freedom Won'') or heros of sailing (''Slocum'', ''Hornblower'' ''Magellan'' have graced many a transom) 


Anyway, if you have any poetry in your soul, that ought to get your juices flowing. What ever you do, don''t rush. Get a feel for the boat and what she means to you and the name will come to you the way the lost name of a seldom thought of childhood friend one day just appears upon your lips.

Good night,
Jeff


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2000)

I fully agree with Denr.

However you`ve asked for http://www.mouseherder.com/names.html

Regards


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2001)

Go to www.google.com and enter boat names or sail boat names etc and will take you to sites with hundreds of names.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I think you mean www.google.com

And I still think Aldebaran, name of a star and a play on Deb, the name of one of the owners. 

All the best,

John Drake
S/F INVICTUS


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## rbh1515 (Jul 7, 2000)

My advise is think of your favorite sailing experience and a good name may follow. Unfortunately this did not quite work for me. My wife gave me this advise when we bought our boat this year. And right away I thought of the name Sucia (some of you know where I''m going with this). Sucia is my favorite island in the San Juans (north of Seattle). It is a gorgeous island and I thought it would make a good name. I decided to research the name before I put it on my boat. These islands were explored by the Spanish. The explorer that named it thought it looked foul and dirty when he saw it, and that is what Sucia means in Spanish. Oh well. We still don''t have a name.
Here is a name I saw recently in our marina I thought was clever:
JAFEICA
See if anyone can figure it out. I''ll post the answer in 3 days if no one gets it.
Rob
~~~~_/)~~~~


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Had the same problem, what to name ''er .... I was taught to sit at the helm and the boat''ll tell you ''er name. This may take some time so there is no rush. My problem was, when the name came to me the wife had already made up a name, turned out to be a fashion magazine. 

moral is ... take your time, it will come to you


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## rbh1515 (Jul 7, 2000)

Answer to mystery nane: JAFEICA

Just Another @&#@%^! Expense I Can''t Afford

Rob
~~~~_/)~~~~


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## Denr (Feb 7, 2001)

I think your name suggestion sucks! This also violates my rule of being easily understood on the VHF. You are the weakest link......good bye!


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## rbh1515 (Jul 7, 2000)

Denr,
Which name suggestion are you referring to. If you are referring to JAFEICA, it was not a suggestion, it was just a funny story. Lighten up buddy.
Rob
~~~~_/)~~~~


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## Denr (Feb 7, 2001)

You''re assuming that 
a.)we all thought it was a funny story
b.)I am a guy


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## rbh1515 (Jul 7, 2000)

Denr,
What''s your problem. I have noticed that occasionally you let loose on this board. People have questions. If you disagree with the answers thats what the board is for. State your viewpoint. If all you want to do is be a jerk then stay out!!
And BTW by calling you "buddy" I was not assuming that you are a male. The only assumption I made is that you are not a lady.
Rob
~~~~_/)~~~~


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## fmclean (Dec 3, 2000)

"This also violates MY (MY caps!!!) rule "... I sure as heck don''t like the sound of THAT... are YOUR rules ALL-important?
By the way, the names "Queen Mary", "Queen Elizabeth", "United States", "Isle de France"... are all good names which "violate" YOUR rule and survived... now "Titanic", which FITS YOUR "rule", on the other hand.....!!!!!!

In MY humble (but never wrong) opinion, naming a boat should NOT be based on the pessimistic principal of having to call for help... boats are about being SELF-COMPITENT!!!


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## Guest (Aug 25, 2001)

Jeez Folks, This is an easy thread. Nothing all that controversial here. 

Denr''s advice that the best names for a boats are typically single word names and easy to understand words is very classic advice that goes back at least to Herreshoff (which also preceeds yachts calling over a radio for advice). The use of a single word and a clearly understandable name is important not just for rescue but for any less dramatic kind of radio communications be it rescue (either as the rescuer or the rescuee), contacting a marina or other sailing vessel (i.e. shipping in a confined channel or any other kind of communications. It has little or nothing to do with pessimism or lack of self reliance. On the other hand, it is not a rule that I have stuck with having owned boats called Midnight Express, Havn, Miss B. Havn, and Rugosa. 

On the other hand, even if Denr did not find Jafeica amusing, at least some of us may have found it cute. I also normally think of the word ''buddy'' as meaning friend and not having a gender preference. Chill pal!

Lastly, Fmclean there is no need to shout (words in all caps on the net means the word is shouted). That said, I suspect that all of us would agree with you that, ''naming a boat should not be based on the pessimistic principal of having to call for help" and that a part of boats is being self- competent. Its is still easier to comunicate self- competent sailor to self- competent sailor with a simple to understand single word names. 

Group hug folks. That''s better!
Jeff


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## rbh1515 (Jul 7, 2000)

Thanks for you comment JeffH.
I think Denr had good advise, but for some reason he lost it. (I think he has his boat on a mooring in Milwaukee and we have been having a weed problem in our harbor, esp. bad in the mooring area. Its hard for some of the people on moorings to get their boats out--maybe we should cut him/her/it some slack).
Jafeica was not a suggestion for a name, I just thought it was funny. BTW, the name was on a motor boat. Kind of typical of a motor boater.
Rob
~~~~_/)~~~~


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## fmclean (Dec 3, 2000)

I do apologize... I didn''t mean to SHOUT... I''m just a rotten typerist and editor... kinda like a lot of other people who don''t intend to offend, but aren''t totally typing-perfect. Again, sorry to offend, and thank you for your (I''m sure) well-intentioned advice.
But I still stick to my belief (boat-name-wise)... as I sincerely hope others will stick to theirs.
That''s SAILING (SHOUTED!!!).


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Great suggestions and spirited discussion.
We just bought a Lagoon 410, closing due at the end of November and We''re having the same soul search.
So far the kids want to name her "Phat Cat", my assistant thinks that "A buncha Yahoos" would reflect perflecty on her crew.....My brother who runs a sporting good store think that "ADIDAS" is great ( all day I dream about sailing ) since I seem to do that...I''d like to tink of her as an "Alee Cat" but she probably will be named "Mama Cocha" after the Inca sea goddess since it seems to be the name preferred by " She who runs all things and must be obeyed"....
Still a couple months to go and things could change....
Happy sailing

Herve


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## Denr (Feb 7, 2001)

No my yacht is not in Milwaukee. I am in Waukegan but the weeds are pretty bad there as well. Just last week a new herbicide was applied that should help but can''t say how it will affect the fish that ply the waters in the harbor. 

I was just yanking your halyard last week when I made the comment about JAFEICA. I don''t consider boat ownership an expense. I can''t tell you how sick I am of hearing the "hole in the water" story. Nothing gives me more pleasure than sailing.

By the way, when are they going to update McKinley? This marina has got to be one of the most pathetic on the lake for a major city. When going north, most of the cruisers I know try to skip Milwaukee. I was forced to stop there (2) years ago seeking refuge during a gale we had been caught in. Milwaukee was a welcome port at the time, but in good weather we always go by.


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## rbh1515 (Jul 7, 2000)

Denr,
McKinley is being updated in 3 phases. The north section has already been updated with floating docks. The center section will be updated at the end of this season, and the south section next year. It will be a big improvement over what we have now. We had a terrible weed problem this year. They had milfoil(sp?) problems earlier in the season and sprayed for that in early July. Then about a month later another weed came in and the county was dragging their feet, and doing nothing. During the Milwaukee Yacht Clubs Grand Prix race all the boats were getting stuck in the weeds in the harbor and everyone was having to jump in the water to clear the weeds off before racing. On the J35 I was crewing on there were clumps on weeds as big as a volkswagen wrapped around the bottom of the boat. Finally after alot of pressure from everyone, the county spayed for this 2nd weed and now the harbor is back to normal. You should see a big improvement in McKinley Marina over the next 2 years.
Also, since I am writting this comment in the sailboat names thread I guess I should make this pertinent to the thread. The latest name that we are considering for our boat is Lone Star (both of our children were born in Texas). I suppose this name breaks your rule of a one word name, but it really is no different than a single word two sylable name, is it?
Rob
~~~~_/)~~~~


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## Denr (Feb 7, 2001)

LoneStar sounds great and does not violate any rule as far as I''m concerned. Maybe I''ll plan a stop at McKinley next season and look you up. If you get down to the land of FIB''s I''m in N16-24.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

WE FINALLY HAVE A NAME!! I must say i was rather disturbed at having caused an uproar on the board. anyways---the name is going to be the Sjora Jack. Sjora being a swedish sea goddess and Jack being for my husband''s grandfather who passed away last year on his 95th birthday (rotten luck!) without him my husband and i would have never met. so there it is--the Sjora Jack.
deb


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2001)

Thank you John Drake, I did mean google.


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