# Sailing Superstitions



## sailingnewby (Jun 21, 2007)

I'm not superstitious but I find it never hurts to have luck on your side. I can't seem to find a lot of superstitions though for sailing. I've heard that if you have a clean set of teeth before you go out on the water the wind will be on your side. So before I went sailing last time I brushed my teeth for a good ten minutes and as it turns out I had a great day of sailing. Anybody know some more?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I thought us sailors were plenty superstitious. One I hear often is never start a cruise on a Friday. Bad luck it is.
Kathleen
aboard
Schooner MISTRESS


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## TSteele65 (Oct 19, 2006)

Never bring your mother-in-law aboard.


OK, maybe that's just me.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

For most superstitions there is a counter "spell" that eliminates bad luck. Apparently spitting in your hat counters the bad luck of a cat crossing your path. I've never tried that since I rarely wear a hat.

In sailing, there's the cremonies that go along with changing the name of the boat to elininate the bad luck that may result.


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

Dolphins swimming with the ship are a sign of good luck. Killing one will bring bad luck.


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## zaldog (Mar 27, 2007)

bananas on boats = bad luck, so they say especially if you fish, plus you might slip and fall on the peel 

http://www.azinet.com/captjim/bananas.htm


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## imiloa (Mar 17, 2004)

*More superstitions*

Coiling a line counter-clockwise is bad luck. Potted plants on board are bad luck. Having a man of the cloth aboard was once thought to be bad luck (although many sailors have been known to pray with all their heart on certain occassions afloat).


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

"A naked woman on board will calm the sea. This is the reason for naked figureheads."


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

A silver coin placed under the masthead ensures a successful voyage.


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## equitiman (Jul 1, 2004)

imiloa said:


> Coiling a line counter-clockwise is bad luck.


Okay...how many people stopped an thought about which way they coil a line?

I tried to imagine coiling a line counter-clockwise in my head and let me tell you it was a very clumsy effort


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

Don’t rename your boat.
Don’t turn a hatch cover upside down
Don’t whistle on the boat
Put a copper coin under the mast if you want profitable voyage such as fishing
Put a silver coin under the mast if you want a fast trip such as racing.


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## sanctuarysam (Sep 16, 2006)

zaldog said:


> bananas on boats = bad luck, so they say especially if you fish, plus you might slip and fall on the peel
> 
> http://www.azinet.com/captjim/bananas.htm


i think you aren't supposed to take tuna fish sandwiches when you fish either..although last time out sailing i had tuna and we had perfect conditions and great sailing (okay, minus the crappy asymm gybe that was purely my fault, and running aground in the channel)


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

sanctuarysam said:


> i think you aren't supposed to take tuna fish sandwiches when you fish either..although last time out sailing i had tuna and we had perfect conditions and great sailing (okay, minus the crappy asymm gybe that was purely my fault, and running aground in the channel)


It's the Mayo on the tuna sandwiches that makes people seasick, it isn't the tune, lol


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## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

A pig tattooed on one foot and a rooster tattooed on the other is said to help prevent drowning. Both animals don't swim well and want to get to shore faster.

A pig and and rooster on the thighs is said to prevent hunger because you will always have your bacon and eggs.

A nautical star tattooed on the forearm is said to aid in returning home. The idea beaing that it helped you navigate by the stars.


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## sanctuarysam (Sep 16, 2006)

Freesail99 said:


> It's the Mayo on the tuna sandwiches that makes people seasick, it isn't the tune, lol


uhm and which tune makes em sick?..lemme guess "Sailing" by Christopher Cross... 
Remember you can tune a piano, but you can't tune a fish...


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Zaldog,
Thank you! I have been trying to figure out why I can only catch catfish. Wheather I use bait, left overs, lures, a bobber, does not matter, all I can land is cat fish. I even caught a dead cat fish once with a lure. I saw the dead carcus floating by and warned it not to get hung up in my lure, but sure enough, that's exactly what happened. NO MORE BANANAS on this boat.
Tomorrow we fish again. I'll let you know what I catch.
Kathleen
aboard
Schooner MISTRESS


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

A GPS on board brings you safely home! (g)
A sextant on board brings cloudy weather!! (G)


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## ebs001 (May 8, 2006)

A sail brings wind on the nose or calm.
Current is always against you.


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## WRD110 (Mar 10, 2007)

*Whistling*

We were always admonished not to whistle because that could bring a storm. However when becalmed, we whistled all we could to bring us some wind.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Boats shouldn't be named for the ocean gods...


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## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

SchoonerMISTRESS said:


> I thought us sailors were plenty superstitious. One I hear often is never start a cruise on a Friday. Bad luck it is.
> Kathleen
> aboard
> Schooner MISTRESS


Skip Henderson has a good song about what happens when you set sail on a Friday, its called The Mermaid. Sailors Consolation is also a very good song.
This link has a good 2min. sample of his songs in the column on the left,
http://cdbaby.com/cd/skiphenderson/from/mhn


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## US25 (Jul 20, 2007)

Here's a list of Pirate superstitions from around the world. My favorite:

"Many seamen believe that it is unlucky to have a dead body aboard ship. A corpse should be buried at sea as soon after death as possible, but never parallel to the line joining the bow and stern of the ship."

Pirate Superstitions


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## ebs001 (May 8, 2006)

Never kill an Albatross here's what happened to one hapless sailor who did http://www.wonko.info/albatross/default.htm


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## badsneakers (Mar 7, 2007)

Figureheads:Sailors have always regarded the naked body of a woman as a luck-bringer, whether in reality or in the form of an effigy. 

a naked women on bored is always a good thing!


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Two guaranteed to bring bad luck to a ship: whistling and failure to pay your bill with the madam. Another case of, "don't ask me how I know".


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

SchoonerMISTRESS said:


> I have been trying to figure out why I can only catch catfish. Wheather I use bait, left overs, lures, a bobber, does not matter, all I can land is cat fish.


It could be that you're fishing too close to the bottom.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

Never sleep with a mermaid. While you'll notice a fishy odour, they have none of the usual docking arrangements.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

badsneakers said:


> ......naked women on bored is always a good thing!


If she's naked and bored, that's not a good thing. She might be thinking "Green. He should paint the ceiling green."


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

Know of a few mariners that believed that a black suitcase carried aboard the ship was bad luck


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## sailingnewby (Jun 21, 2007)

Red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in the morning, sailors be warned


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## sailingnewby (Jun 21, 2007)

Hows that for cryptic


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

sailingnewby said:


> Red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in the morning, sailors be warned


Good one.

Although i've always heard it slightly different:

Red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in the morning, sailors _take warning._


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## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

Joel73 said:


> Good one.
> 
> Although i've always heard it slightly different:
> 
> Red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in the morning, sailors _take warning._


That only works where weather systems predominantly move from west to east.


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

It's bad luck to step aboard with your left foot first


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

poopdeckpappy said:


> It's bad luck to step aboard with your left foot first


Dam, I always go that, now I know what the problem is


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Swallows at sea are good luck. Tell the Admiral!


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

I just realized that we are planning on leaving on a friday for our trip to Ocracoke.  How bad of an idea is this?


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## bestfriend (Sep 26, 2006)

sailaway21 said:


> Two guaranteed to bring bad luck to a ship: whistling and failure to pay your bill with the madam. Another case of, "don't ask me how I know".


I thought it was okay to whistle if there was no wind?


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## bestfriend (Sep 26, 2006)

CapnHand said:


> Swallows at sea are good luck. Tell the Admiral!


Oh, thats priceless!!!!!!!!!

Joel, very bad idea!

And, how the hell do I put multiple quotes in one reply????


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

bestfriend said:


> Joel, very bad idea!


How bad? And who made this rule up anyway!!???


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## bestfriend (Sep 26, 2006)

I don't leave the house on Fridays. And I heard it on sailnet, so it must be true.

Edit - Just pulled this off the net (sorry fo the long post) 
....*OH PIGSLO????!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?* You better read this.

"Ocean State is a well-earned nickname for Rhode Island. Beginning long before recorded history, people living around Narragansett Bay have depended on the sea for food, transportation, trade, recreation, and even artistic inspiration. But balancing the sea's bounty is her destructive potential. Whoever gains her treasures must also accept her wrath. No wonder this giver and taker of life has created an abundance of folklore among those who sail beyond the horizon.

Fishermen are no exception. Confronting danger and uncertainty on a daily basis, they tend to be conservative, even superstitious, about how they conduct their work. Since their success and survival are linked to elements they cannot control (including the weather, the migratory habits of fish, and the market price for their catch) or can influence only indirectly, if at all (such as a dwindling supply of fish, government regulations, and international treaties), fishermen put great stock in things they can control.

Down through the generations, Rhode Island fishermen have established an unwritten code that tells them not only what to do but also what not to do. These traditional taboos retain a powerful grip on behavior even though their origins, and any logical explanations for them, may be unknown. When pressed for an explanation, a fisherman who avoids turning a hatch cover upside down might say only that to do so is "bad luck." Searching for an adequate answer, one old-timer finally said, "It isn't good seamanship to turn a hatch upside down. It don't belong that way. I've seen it done a few times and we always had trouble."

Fishermen often tell personal experience stories to show that, no matter how illogical these beliefs may seem, they are not to be taken lightly. Oh, they say, you can joke about them and laugh on the outside, but in the end you'd better heed them. A young mate on an offshore dragger told me that the first two boats he was on were both sold and that, contrary to accepted tradition, their names were changed. "One boat sank and the other had nothing but problems," he said, convincing him that he would never change the name of a boat if he bought one.

And, just as inexplicable, *pigs are bad luck on a boat*. Even mentioning the word is tempting fate. A retired fisherman, whose career spanned the days of sail and the electronics revolution, referred to this animal as "the curly-tailed guy, you know, the pea eye gee." He was "a kid" when he first heard of this prohition from an older crewman, so he "paid no attention" to it. He thought, "That guy's gotta be nuts. What's that got to do with it?" Of course, he found out:

As I got older and went skipper, we're sitting at the table one day having dinner and this guy was talking and he come out with that word. Me and this other fella had been speaking about the old-timers, how crazy they were about the pig. I looked at him and said, 'Don't say nothin'. If you say anything, then everybody's laughin'.'

So, we're fishing along, you know, and it was rough that day. We're haulin' back, scallop drag full of scallops, rocks and everything else. When it came up, the boat took a roll and the scallop drag went way out. The guy that was on the winch head wasn't too familiar with it, you know. He could handle it, but not on a rough day. Now, the scallop drag's turned around, she's comin' like this. And we got this boom across the middle of the deck that we had just put new lights on-nine lights, all brass, underwater lights. Great big, beautiful lights. Brand new, the first trip!

That scallop drag come in, headed right for that brand new strip of lights that was on a pole almost at big as the booms were. It hit that goldarned thing and doubled-up like a horseshoe. We finally landed the drag on deck, in a mess. That boom cost eight hundred and some dollars. Eight hundred and some dollars in them days was like five thousand today! So, anyway, after that a few things happened and the word was brought up again. And I never, ever seen it when it was brought up that we didn't have some kind of trouble. I don't know why. I have to say it this way: Everytime it's mentioned, something happens-to me!

Fishermen usually are not eager to test these taboos. One old salt made this point by telling me a story that "happened a long time ago." He prefaced his legend by explaining that "Friday was always a superstitious day. I had a lot of friends that wouldn't sail on a Friday." Then he described how "some Englishmen" set out to prove this superstition wrong. They began by building a boat. They laid the keel on a Friday, launched the boat on a Friday, and even christened it Friday. Naturally, it was Friday when they embarked on their maiden voyage. And, no surprise, they haven't been heard from since.

It's been said that someone who would go to sea without a darn good reason would go to hell for a holiday. Based on some of the sea stories I've heard, the difference between the two isn't always so clear."


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## davester (Aug 8, 2007)

Sapperwhite said:


> A pig tattooed on one foot and a rooster tattooed on the other is said to help prevent drowning. Both animals don't swim well and want to get to shore faster.


When I first read this, I thought you were talking about actually having the live animals aboard, with tattoos on their feet...


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

> When I first read this, I thought you were talking about actually having the live animals aboard, with tattoos on their feet...


The tattoos last a lot longer than lipstick.


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## seawitch1906 (Oct 10, 2006)

*no no no Dog you got it wrong ..*



sailingdog said:


> Boats shouldn't be named for the ocean gods...


actually all boats should be named with some nautical reference in her name !

side note ( if one more "Carpe Diem," show up in my waters .. i will have to sink her . I must (. how mindless you have to be...)

also you have to maintain your "black box" virtual box it is and you collect virtual points you keep there when you do some good it is fill the box, and if you in need .. well use up those tokens.. problem is when your box empty !! 
so make sure you always help your fellow sailor , and keep your box full ,for good measure at sea !


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## philsboat (Oct 16, 2006)

It's bad luck to be superstitious!!!

Phil


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## WouldaShoulda (Oct 7, 2008)

seawitch1906 said:


> side note ( if one more "Carpe Diem," show up in my waters .. i will have to sink her . I must (. how mindless you have to be...)


Aquaholic.

Wet Dream.

Sun/Wind/Moon Dancer.

SHEESH!!


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## seawitch1906 (Oct 10, 2006)

*what 's in the name? a lot !!*



WouldaShoulda said:


> Aquaholic.
> 
> Wet Dream.
> 
> ...


O YES .. how about "chaser", (wind , moon, sun,) pegasus,knotty,anything with knot...


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## painkiller (Dec 20, 2006)

seawitch1906 said:


> O YES .. how about "chaser", (wind , moon, sun,) pegasus,knotty,anything with knot...


Add "Destiny" to that list as well. While we're at it, let's add bizarre bastardizations of nautical and professional themes. There's a boat in Annapolis called "Sea Section". I bet you can guess what HE does for a living.


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## CalypsoP35 (Jul 24, 2006)

*Superstition or pick up line?*



Joel73 said:


> "A naked woman on board will calm the sea. This is the reason for naked figureheads."


You know the brilliant sailor who first came up with this one wasn't just thinking about getting safely to the hard. (or was he?) 

And yes I know this thread was started back in 2007, but I'm glad someone revived it.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Naming a boat with a nautical reference doesn't mean the same thing as naming it for a sea god. I don't believe that you should use names that imply conquering the oceans, as the sea gods are often known to punish such hubris.



seawitch1906 said:


> actually all boats should be named with some nautical reference in her name !
> 
> side note ( if one more "Carpe Diem," show up in my waters .. i will have to sink her . I must (. how mindless you have to be...)
> 
> ...


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## seawitch1906 (Oct 10, 2006)

*"bare naked lady" ?*



CalypsoP35 said:


> You know the brilliant sailor who first came up with this one wasn't just thinking about getting safely to the hard. (or was he?)
> 
> And yes I know this thread was started back in 2007, but I'm glad someone revived it.


actually the bare chested woman ease the "sea gods" hostility , against "expected male ship .. that is why the female figure head become popular , but originally it was just a a reference what ship registry listed as a description ( figure head) identification if you like..

today the figure head evolved .. become a mindless book keeper, nerd office clerk .. etc..


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## WouldaShoulda (Oct 7, 2008)

sailingdog said:


> Naming a boat with a nautical reference doesn't mean the same thing as naming it for a sea god. I don't believe that you should use names that imply conquering the oceans, as the sea gods are often known to punish such hubris.


I wanted to name the vessel "Humiltas" but the Mrs. wouldn't go for it. 

"Aristides" got nixed also.  

Oh well, there's always the dinghy!!


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

Actually the coins under the mast of your vessel are to pay Charon so that he may ferry your soul across the river Styx into the underworld. It is like having a pre-paid ticket to heaven for some of you.
There is only one very small group of men who are allowed to whistle on board a ship and they are the Boatswain's mates. And seeing that is the Rating I held and still do... I can whistle all I want. But you others keep your eyes down and carry out the orders given by the Boatswain's Pipe. Or you'll have a taste of my Rope Starter.


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## retclt (Nov 7, 2006)

Wearing colored pajamas in the cockpit.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Yes, but remember, gold and copper don't work... the coins must be SILVER... for that is all Charon will accept for passage.



Boasun said:


> Actually the coins under the mast of your vessel are to pay Charon so that he may ferry your soul across the river Styx into the underworld. It is like having a pre-paid ticket to heaven for some of you.
> There is only one very small group of men who are allowed to whistle on board a ship and they are the Boatswain's mates. And seeing that is the Rating I held and still do... I can whistle all I want. But you others keep your eyes down and carry out the orders given by the Boatswain's Pipe. Or you'll have a taste of my Rope Starter.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

retclt said:


> Wearing colored pajamas in the cockpit.


My Eyes! My Eyes! You have blinded me with those multi-colored PJs.


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## captbillc (Jul 31, 2008)

*whistling on board*

every navy man ( i suppose they call it person now) knows only the bosn whistles aboard ship . i heard it when i was a deck ape, before i got smart & switched to the black gang.. i retired as a master chief engineman in 1982


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## WouldaShoulda (Oct 7, 2008)

retclt said:


> Wearing colored pajamas in the cockpit.


But do they bring ill wind or fair??


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## Captaingriz (Sep 22, 2006)

Last June 13th, a Friday, I pulled my N33PH out of harbor for a weekend cruise; Rudder post snapped off at the hull-line; And that was schedule 40 SS pipe! You can bet I'll be shying away Friday departures and definitely if it's on the 13th. Also now have icons of St. Herman, St. Nicolas and St Brendan by the inside helm. 

--
S/V Arctic Enchantress - N33PH
Home Port - Seward, Alaska


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## retclt (Nov 7, 2006)

WouldaShoulda said:


> But do they bring ill wind or fair??


Looks to me like they're breaking wind.

Ouch Griz!!! Tuff break. I hold fast to the Friday thing . . . . . . . . and the 13th? What the &%$# were you thinking?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

He's learning...the hard way, but bet he doesn't forget any time soon.


retclt said:


> Looks to me like they're breaking wind.
> 
> Ouch Griz!!! Tuff break. I hold fast to the Friday thing . . . . . . . . and the 13th? What the &%$# were you thinking?


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## Harvester (Mar 1, 2008)

Valiente said:


> Never sleep with a mermaid. While you'll notice a fishy odour, they have none of the usual docking arrangements.


It depends ...


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## raisin56 (Jul 26, 2008)

Don't forget "Never pee into the wind" .... ummm ...well... maybe that one's true.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

Never Up-chuck into the wind either. Had two acquaintenances that did it.
It went out then came back. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.


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