alant
Active member
More to the point, what is the mechanism for any name change, how do you avoid duplication etc?
Changing a boat name
- Thread starter gertha
- Start date
More to the point, what is the mechanism for any name change, how do you avoid duplication etc?
PaulRainbow
Well-known member
Pick a name, have some vinyl lettering made, stick it on :encouragement:
Duplicates don't matter, there are 15 vessels named "Alice" in the MARS database. Although you can't have duplicates for part 1 registration.
PaulRainbow
Well-known member
My current boat has been re-named several times during my ownership.
Usually when i'm working in a tight space and bang my head, or scrape my knuckles. I'd better not post thos names on here though :nonchalance:
Usually when i'm working in a tight space and bang my head, or scrape my knuckles. I'd better not post thos names on here though :nonchalance:
johnalison
Well-known member
After I sold it, my last boat's name was changed to something very inelegant. I have spent much of the last 17 years hoping that it had brought bad luck.
Hydrozoan
Well-known member
IIRC, we were told by the broker that the previous owner was ‘taking the name with him’ to his next boat, and gained an impression (though that may well have just been down to our sensitivity) that we should re-name as a matter of courtesy. As the previous name did not appeal, we wished to do so anyway.
Lacking a counterfactual I have no idea whether or not any ill luck since can be attributed to doing so, but rationality strongly inclines me to doubt it. A certain measure of ill luck surely attends the mere fact of boat ownership anyway – but I am irrational enough to think it unwise to blame, or swear at, the boat when I bang my head, find a problem etc.
Lacking a counterfactual I have no idea whether or not any ill luck since can be attributed to doing so, but rationality strongly inclines me to doubt it. A certain measure of ill luck surely attends the mere fact of boat ownership anyway – but I am irrational enough to think it unwise to blame, or swear at, the boat when I bang my head, find a problem etc.
johnalison
Well-known member
One of the pleasure of going to Germany is the sight of boats with three or four blokes on board, who have got away from their wives and are determined to enjoy themselves while affecting to behave badly. We asked the skipper of one such boat, himself a professor of something or other, why one of his crew always wore a cycle helmet. He replied that he needed to do this because he was always banging his head.
Hydrozoan
Well-known member
My great aunt’s sister lived in a pair of thatched cottages knocked into one, in which every low doorway beam had hanging from it a bright yellow felt duck. For some unknown reason a friend of Mrs H’s gave us a small human figure when we acquired the boat, and he hangs from the saloon door frame to remind me – which, to be fair, he occasionally does.
gertha
Active member
I originally asked the question of bad luck when changing name was to help with a small decision that I have to make.
A small piece of history.
Gertha 1 was an enterprise dinghy named by daughter
Gertha 2 a Dehler 25 the deal was we keep the name if we change boat, I knew nothing of bad luck
Gertha 3 a new Hanse so no problem here
Gertha 4 a mother new Hanse , again no problem
Gertha 5 , this the challenge , have bought into a big old boat, do we keep the sailing story going or keep existing name?
Now is the logical time to change as she is in UK having a small makeover, originally German reg in Spain , changing name and all details would have been a pain on trip back to UK.
As the forum has established that changing name is not a problem and family is in favour of a Gertie five, a name change ceremony will be organised.
Levington in a month or two there will be a modest ceremony, all welcome.
Simon
A small piece of history.
Gertha 1 was an enterprise dinghy named by daughter
Gertha 2 a Dehler 25 the deal was we keep the name if we change boat, I knew nothing of bad luck
Gertha 3 a new Hanse so no problem here
Gertha 4 a mother new Hanse , again no problem
Gertha 5 , this the challenge , have bought into a big old boat, do we keep the sailing story going or keep existing name?
Now is the logical time to change as she is in UK having a small makeover, originally German reg in Spain , changing name and all details would have been a pain on trip back to UK.
As the forum has established that changing name is not a problem and family is in favour of a Gertie five, a name change ceremony will be organised.
Levington in a month or two there will be a modest ceremony, all welcome.
Simon
duncan99210
Well-known member
Only ever changed the name on a boat once: my Hurley 18 was called Snipe, too close to Snape for the Admiral so she was renamed Lady J to the Admiral's embarrassment..... There was a ceremony but only a small one involving me and a bottle of rum. However, reading this thread prompted me to do some research and I should have followed the ritual outlined here, if only for the sheer fun of it! http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/rename.htm
Gargleblaster
Well-known member
I thought maybe if you drank enough rum you would forget you changed the boat's name.
30sqm
...
I've changed the name of my boat which, although a little sad to loose the history, was done because the name wasn't pleasant and I've changed to name if after my mum. If that brings bad luck then I don't believe it. On the contrary I believe that when doing things out of love - then it ain't wrong. May she (the baot !) be a safe and comfortable cruiser. 
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johnalison
Well-known member
Poseidon makes special dispensation for commemorative names, so you're OK. My last boat was named Queen Mab as a gesture to my late mother Mabel whose legacy had helped a lot.I've changed the name of sailing 1972 Aristocat catamaran 'NoVAT' from Mersey, which was a little sad to loose the history was done because, to me, the name wasn't pleasant (though poignant to a change of tax laws in the March of that year which led to the bankruptcy of so many UK boat builders)., but I've changed the name to honour my dearly departed mum. If that brings bad luck then I don't believe it. On the contrary I believe that when doing things out of love - then it ain't wrong. May 'Barbara B' be a safe and comfortable cruiser and (soon to be liveaboard) home.
There were quite a few Novats around in the early '70s when the tax was introduced. One was an Arpege sailed by a club-mate of ours called Tim Coode-Bates. He was a journalist and introduced himself to me by name and "I'm an alcoholic, you know". He was a lovely chap and unfortunately his wife chose the same route to the grave.
Bigplumbs
Well-known member
I am quite superstitious but the main reason I think for not renaming is that you loose the History that goes with the boat somewhat. 2 of the boats I have were not named and as I bought them on a whim I named then Add2Cart and ClickNCollect
Dennis
Dennis
Hamish1
Member
So who all has one got to contact if one wants to change a boat name - is it easy?
Regards, Hamish
Regards, Hamish
duncan99210
Well-known member
If your boat isn't registered on either the Part 1 or Part 3 (Small Ships Register or SSR) the you don't need to tell anyone apart from your insurers and the mooring/marina operators. Oh, and Neptune which was the point of the this thread: how to let the deity know you've changed the boats name so he can continue to provide protection from the evils of the deep.
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Hamish1
Member
Thanks Duncan, her present name IS on the small ships register, so I'll need to contact them but presumably also need to contact the "radio" people to make sure my radio (and PLB) is registered to the new name?
duncan99210
Well-known member
SSR will need to be informed of the name change as will Ofcom. When telling Ofcom, make sure that you retain the original MMSI otherwise you'll have to pay to get the number changed on your vhf. Your PLB should be a personal registration not a ships registration like an EPRIB, so shouldn't need changing.
Hamish1
Member
Sound advice - and I'm sure you're right re the PLB when I come to think of it.
I'll phone them and see what they're saying tomorrow - many thanks, Hamish
I'll phone them and see what they're saying tomorrow - many thanks, Hamish
Capt Popeye
Well-known member
Humm very interesting, how did the Coast Guard respond when you call them up ?
maby
Well-known member
They seem to be pretty good at keeping a straight face when confronted by strange boat names. I did hear a young CG girl struggling a few years ago while handling a Mayday call from a boat called "Oh My God" - she was fine for the first couple of exchanges, but it all started to go wrong when she asked "Oh My God, are you sinking?" - after that, she had quite a lot of difficulty avoiding breaking down in laughter.....
