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(It's
not so much being superstitious as being v-e-r-y
careful. |
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It's an essential
part of good seamanship) |
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First you must remove all physical
traces of the boat's old name. Take the old log
book ashore, along with any other papers that bear
the old name. Check for offending books and charts
with the name inscribed. Be ruthless. Sand away
the old name from the lifebuoys, transom, top-side,
dinghy, and oars. Yes, sand it away. Painting over
is not good enough. You're dealing with gods here,
you understand, not mere dumb mortals. If the old
name is carved or etched, try to remove it or, at
the very minimum, fill it with putty and then paint
over. And don't place the new name anywhere on the
boat before the denaming ceremony is carried out.
That's just tempting fate. |
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How you conduct the ceremony
depends entirely on you. If you're the theatrical
type, and enjoy appearing in public in your yacht
club blazer and skipper's cap, you can read it with
flair on the foredeck before a gathering of distinguished
guests. But if you find this whole business faintly
silly and embarrassing, and only go along with it
because you're scared to death of what might happen
if you don't, you can skulk down below and mumble
it on your own. That's perfectly okay. The main
thing is that you carry it out. The words must be
spoken. |
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There are two things to watch
out for here. Don't use cheap-cheap champagne, and
don't try to keep any for yourself. Buy a second
bottle if you want some. Use a brew that's reasonably
expensive, based on your ability to pay, and pour
the whole lot on the boat. One of the things the
gods of the sea despise most is meanness, so don't
try to do this bit on the cheap. |
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What sort of time period should
elapse between this denaming ceremony and a new
naming ceremony? There's no fixed time. You can
do the renaming right after the denaming, if you
want, but I personally would prefer to wait at least
24 hours to give any lingering demons a chance to
clear out. (Scroll down for the wording of the ceremony.)
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Afterwards
- Now you can pop the cork, shake the bottle and
spray the whole of the contents on the bow. When
that's done, you can quietly go below and enjoy
the other bottle yourself. |
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| VIGOR'S
DENAMING CEREMONY |
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| "In
the name of all who have sailed aboard
this ship in the past, and in the name
of all who may sail aboard her in the
future, we invoke the ancient gods of
the wind and the sea to favor us with
their blessing today." |
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| "Mighty
Neptune, king of all that moves in or
on the waves; and mighty Aeolus (pronounced
EE-oh-lus), guardian of the winds and
all that blows before them: We offer
you our thanks for the protection you
have afforded this vessel in the past.
We voice our gratitude that she has
always found shelter from tempest and
storm and enjoyed safe passage to port." |
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| "Now,
wherefore, we submit this supplication,
that the name whereby this vessel has
hitherto been known (_____), be struck
and removed from your records. Further,
we ask that when she is again presented
for blessing with another name, she
shall be recognized and shall be accorded
once again the selfsame privileges she
previously enjoyed." |
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| "In
return for which, we rededicate this
vessel to your domain in full knowledge
that she shall be subject as always
to the immutable laws of the gods of
the wind and the sea. In consequence
whereof, and in good faith, we seal
this pact with a libation offered according
to the hallowed ritual of the sea."
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Commander
Bob's Boat Christening Ceremony |
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| John Vigor is a boating writer
and editor. He is the author of |
| The
Practical Mariner's Book of Knowledge: 420
Sea-Tested Rules of |
| Thumb
for Almost Every Boating Situation |
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| Description: You'll find
rules of thumb for hull thickness, bottom
paint coverage, estimating distances, when
to hoist and lower flags, predicting weather,
which colors are unlucky, rope size and strength,
anchoring rights, making a rum punch, and
a lot more. This is either the most useful
boating book ever designed to entertain or
the most entertaining book ever designed to
be useful. |
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