Superstitions: Green and Hat Overboard

Never Say P*G – The Book of Sailors’ Superstitions is the nautical reference book you never knew you needed. Compiled by R. Bruce MacDonald, he goes through the alphabet detailing on what provides good and bad luck at sea. Here’s a sampling from G and H:

Green
Green has traditionally been frowned upon in the maritime world, mainly because it is considered a color of the land and a green boat will want to run aground. Another possible origin of the unfavorable estimation of this color is that some slave ships were painted green as camouflage, to hide in among the rushes near shore.

Hat Overboard
Losing a hat overboard was an omen that the trip would be a long one.

For more sage advice, click here.