Why is it assumed to be Unlucky to paint a boat Green ?

[ccscott49]

Dont understand thye green cars thing, what about all the old british racing green cars!!!
And long eared animals, well dont mention those in Brixham either!!
But green boats, never heard anything against them.

 

[Athene V30]

[ QUOTE ]
Friday 13th Should I stay home?

[/ QUOTE ]
Definately YES!

Unlucky Friday

It is believed that Friday is the worst possible day to start a journey on a boat and no enterprise can succeed which commences on that day.

The most well known reason for the dislike of Friday is because it is believed that Christ was crucified on a Friday. Therefore, this day must be observed and respected and will be unlucky for anyone who attempts to go about business as usual. Many fishermen state that various ships lost at sea disembarked on a Friday.

While Friday is the worst day to begin your journey, Sunday is the best possible day to begin a voyage. This observation is due to Christ’s resurrection on a Sunday, a good omen. It has led to the adage, “Sunday sail, never fail”

I am planning my shakedown cruise to sail on Fri 10 April - Good Friday - We must be doomed! Do I need to sacrafice a virgin? (if I can find one in Essex)

Click here for more

 

[Twister_Ken]

My first car was a yukky cream colour, so I had it resprayed bright orange. Shortly thereafter I crashed it into the back of a police car. Would I have an orange boat? Sure.

 

[25931]

Equinoxe is still happily green after 37 years,
Jim

 

[absit_omen]

It is not just the hull, it is anything green. I will not even have agreen tea towel on board.

I knew an ex-RN Commander who re-painted his green Volvo engine in white.

On the maiden sail of one of my boats my mate - a Royal - (Marine, that is) told me that a I must make a sacrifice to Nepune and that it must be a meaningful one. On my first night watch I struggled to think of something until, reluctantly, I threw a really nice porcelain sailor figure which my father had given me years earlier. I felt very happy (and a little sad) that Neptune would be happy at my gift.

Months later I was drinking with my mate. I confessed what I had done.

"Christ" he said "You didn't believe that crap did you?" /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Ariadne]

I've worked on many a green fishing boat when I first left school, that's a new one for me. Green is a very popular colour for boats.

Rabbits shouldn't mentioned in many places (underground greyhounds), neither should pigs, and don't whistle FFS!, don't start a trip on a Friday, and never set sail on Friday 13th.

Other than that I think its pretty safe.

 

[aslabend]

Owned and sailed a green drascombe lugger for 4 years and never had a problem. If i'd hve read this thread before selling it I'd have gone out this friday with a bucket of rabbits feet just to make a point. Don't know what the point would be but I'd have been happy I'd made it.

 

[fisherman]

I have a green boat........ Friday 13th nov, 1994. Got to the quay, found my wife's car keys in my pocket, she had to get a lift to work. The builder had a ton of sand coming, the car was blocking the gate, he had to shovel it over the wall.
At sea, foggy, 0830, yacht on passage from Ireland came alongside for a position, 3nm SE of the Lizard, he was very pleased, while talking to him I saw oil all round the boat: oil cooler gone. Phone the engineer, he said bypass it, take it easy and watch the gauges. Refill lost oil. 1630, alarms go off, no oil pressure. Now a pipe has burst, hydraulic hose with only 70 psi in it, we can repair it but we have no more oil. Home behind the lifeboat.

The cure for mentioning an underground racehorse is to touch 'cold iron'.
The cure for whistling is the same as in the theatre, turn round three times and spit on the deck.
Never stick a knife in a hatch board.
I saw a crewman eat his pasty lunch at 0600 on the quay because he was not allowed to bring it aboard.

 

[Cruiser2B]

[ QUOTE ]
Not just Cornwall. Never try buying a Duracell battery on Brittany Ferries! Why Duracell? because they have the toy rabbit logo, and the Breton crew refused to sail until all Duracells and their packaging were removed from the shop on cross channel ferry Bretagne!

[/ QUOTE ]

It's Energizer that uses a rabbit as a logo.

 

[oldharry]

Duracell were using it at that point - maybe they got wise to the lost sales? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[absit_omen]

Well, there you are.

Thanks Fisherman - case proven. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Cruiser2B]

I stand corrected.

 

[benlui]

They also say that it is "unlucky" to remanme your boat. Yet we decided not to once we bought it, yet still in the space of 5 months we suffered, a total engine loss which required replacment, a massive rig failure which resulted in dismasting, and heres the thing. If we did rename her, this would have all still happend right, but we didnt, and we still had all the bad luck. So one begs the question, if we actualy did rename the boat, would we blame that??? I think the colour doesnt matter........

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

[ QUOTE ]
Following on from the thread by Jobbie about anchor chain..........................why is it considered to be unlucky to paint a boat green ??

I have heard this in the past but was assured it only applied to Fishermen ?? Thats what they told me up in Scotland anyway.

Who told you that, bet he wasent a lover of the Irish.
Its sad to hear in this day and age, but there are still some very bigoted folk around (in minority thankfully) and as far as Scotland is concerned green has always been assocciated with the Irish, hence the few bigots that hate Catholics, Irish and green, are still in the belief that Green is very unlucky, at least thats what they want to believe. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Romeo]

Well, there is no way I would ever have a green boat. Indeed the inside of my dayboat was painted green and she sank at her moorings. After repairing the damage and removing the rotten centreboard case, refastening and recaulking I repainted the inside light blue and she has been fine ever since, so there you go.

ps. You would have to come from near or in Glasgow to suggest that a very long running superstition about the colour green in boats has anything to do with religious bigotry.