The Baptismal Rights of Boats

by Robert Beringer, SpinSheet
So, what’s in a name? Well, for a boat it’s everything; those letters you see affixed to the hull are a long-time tradition of the sea and transform the average vessel into a succinct expression of an owner’s wit, passion, humor, sarcasm, love, or faith.

In ancient times the sea was a dangerous and unpredictable place. Boats were given names of gods or saints in the hope that the deity would intercede on the crew’s behalf and safely guide them to the next port. Sometimes it worked (Santa Maria), and sometimes it didn’t (Santo Cristo de Castello). In more recent times boats were named for the ladies those sailors left behind and to this day are still referred to with a feminine pronoun.

To non-boaters, this custom of giving boats a name may seem eccentric. I’ve been asked many times why it is done; someone even ventured, “Do you name your car and house, too?” – Full report