Choosing boat name, where to start

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Due South

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Old boat gone, survey for new one booked for new week :)

Just getting stuck on a name, where on earth do you start?

I'm not trying to come up with anything mind blowing just short and simply and no "of somethings". Will be part 1 registered. Anyone able to give any pointers??
 
You see some awful names on motorboats. Go for something simple, avoid trying to be humourous. Also try saying a mayday over an imaginary VHF and see what it sounds like.
 
RIN said:
You see some awful names on motorboats. Go for something simple, avoid trying to be humourous. Also try saying a mayday over an imaginary VHF and see what it sounds like.
Click to expand...

Sound advice, especially if going foreign.

ATB,

John G
 
Start with things that are meaniful to you, or things that you like.

People choose from many things: favourite bands, songs, films, characters, pets etc etc etc

Agree with everything said above bout naffness
 
Narrow it down. You start with a virtually infinite choice so you need to limit it. Choose themes, for example do you want it 'nautical'? Etc. If so then should it be a place, wildlife etc. You can use archaic terms which are less likely to already exist. Latin or local lingo such as Gaelic, Norse etc. Think of things you like or have an infinity with and then look at alternative names since many of the plain ones will be taken.

As others have said, do a virtual mayday and see how it sounds. It needs to slip of the tongue, be easy to spell and clearly pronounced. I also prefer them to sound 'romantic' rather than modern or clever but that is just me. Once you narrow it down it will get easier.
 
Rafiki was chosen on Safari in Kenya. One of several Swahili words we heard and liked. So it is short and sweet, and has some fantastic memories for us.
 
With part 1 the name has to be unique.
Though there are things you can do - both myself and JFM have got names which already existed on the register.

Match is in fact Match Z (the z looking like a 2) and my Seralia is in fact Seralia F, the F displayed as the Ferretti logo.

In reality day to day the boats are referred to as 'Match' and 'Seralia'
 
I have had 3 boats. First was named after the beach I got engaged on ( maroubra ) the second the combined names of my kids Madison and Harrison so Madharri, the third after the company sold that paid for it Sohnar. The next one who knows. I am in the middle of a divorce so I am sure I can find something apt ... But as it is not an experience I choose to associate with boating maybe not!
 
Fwiw, I apply the following...

Make it short, even one syllable or two. Easy to communicate. Otherwise folks always ask you to spell it. Also ss letters can approach £1k each.
Make it work in foreign language, ie not named after your favourite Welsh train station
Avoid a phrase or sentence "one for the road"
Avoid crummy humour; jokes have a short half life
Avoid references to money "damn the expense" or "kids inheritance"
Avoid boasting names "my latest toy"
Avoid random cheese: my marina neighbours include "to escape", "let's go" and "flying visit", none of which ever move, and "happy day" (not "days"). Something Cool is ok IF you're Alfred Heineken
Avoid boat cheese: Nauti Boy and NautiGal.
Avoid X of X. As said above deal with register duplicates using a letter (has to be non Roman so not d c m l x)
Avoid a word that isn't a word, eg an anagram/jigsaw of your last 8 dogs' names, unless luckily it really works well

I saw a boat in France today called Gary :) My Marina neighbour is called Splendid and very jolly people they are too. Number of cowes as mentioned by Jimmy is doubly odd because the number and the cowes are on the transom but the of is on the aft edge of the flybridge overhang! I saw doubleOseven berthed next to Zero Zero Seven today- different owners ( the former is owned by a guy I know, called James Bond).
 
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jfm said:
Fwiw, I apply the following...

Make it short, even one syllable or two. Easy to communicate. Otherwise folks always ask you to spell it. Also ss letters can approach £1k each.
Make it work in foreign language, ie not named after your favourite Welsh train station
Avoid a phrase or sentence "one for the road"
Avoid crummy humour; jokes have a short half life
Avoid references to money "damn the expense" or "kids inheritance"
Avoid boasting names "my latest toy"
Avoid random cheese: my marina neighbours include "to escape", "let's go" and "flying visit", none of which ever move, and "happy day" (not "days"). Something Cool is ok IF you're Alfred Heineken
Avoid boat cheese: Nauti Boy and NautiGal.
Avoid X of X. As said above deal with register duplicates using a letter (has to be non Roman so not d c m l x)
Avoid a word that isn't a word, eg an anagram/jigsaw of your last 8 dogs' names, unless luckily it really works well

I saw a boat in France today called Gary :) My Marina neighbour is called Splendid and very jolly people they are too. Number of cowes as mentioned by Jimmy is doubly odd because the number and the cowes are on the transom but the of is on the aft edge of the flybridge overhang! I saw doubleOseven berthed next to Zero Zero Seven today- different owners ( the former is owned by a guy I know, called James Bond).
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+1 -missed off one morer thing -----
Also
Avoid any sexual innuendo -check it out in local language too
In a rush we as a family to name our first Sunseeker -factory did the decals etc ,it was part 1 allready so as it was then the smallest of the range ( ad strap line 2005 was "from 37 ft to 37 M" ) -ours was the 37 ftr
Kids came up with Pip -of Poole being a pip in a fruit -you plant it and it grows into a bigger thing -tree ,ie small to big ,
37 ft to 37 M as we move up aspire to 37m
So far so good only 3 letters etc

But in French Pipe is pronounced the same as English pip and it means / slang for -------blowjob :):)

Wife and I lead a sheltered life :)

Well We did not know ---- and kinda wanted to get the kids involved at the start !

Lasted boat is named after an Italian fiery racey woman which is decall-ed nicely on -- Fiammetta -so I think we are safe here and keeping it as it suits the boat
Err unless someone MapishM tells me different!
 
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It's worth taking a cynical look at the choice before finalising it. Can it be turned into something you'd rather it wasn't?

Remember that kid at school with the name his parents must've thought was a beautiful choice - Stuart Edward Xavier Yentob?

Yup, dear old SEXY ended up in the SAS after being hardened by a daily regime of having his head pushed down the bog.
 
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