Never Christened my boat, what are my options?

Hi All,

So, I keep seeing that first photo in the slide show from Nick N (nice boat, by the way) and it haunts me.  Why?  The reason is that when I first launched my boat, I was so excited to get it on the water that I never christened it.  Anybody know what the superstitions are regarding this?  What is my recourse according to nautical tradition?

Now, I HAVE spilled a lot of beer IN my boat, maybe that counts?  Should I christen it next time I'm out, or is 6 years after the first launch a bit too late?  Is my boat doomed to some terrible event of bad luck due to this?  Any sagely advice on resolutions according to accepted nautical custom will be greatly appreciated!

Greg

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Permalink Reply by Dave Z on September 5, 2013 at 12:45pm

Fish slime.  away with tradition.  go use it, get it dirty, spill the beers, and get fish slime all over it. then go get a few dings in it!

I consider the first fish the christening in any of my boats.

Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on September 5, 2013 at 3:03pm

Dave has it right. No bad luck from not christening the boat. Now painting a boat green or bananas in the boat...........

Mike 

Permalink Reply by AJ DeRosa on September 5, 2013 at 6:03pm
The only way to properly christen an old boat is to use recycled beer. Just piss on it!
Permalink Reply by Terry E Walsh on September 6, 2013 at 6:18am

LOL

Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on September 6, 2013 at 7:12am

AJ: Speaking of pissing in boats- this is a true story.  One of my relatives( -who will remain unidentified) was a crewmember on a large sailboat.  They were participating in a race against other boats running from Newport RI to Bermuda.  Part of the strategy involved  knowing when they ran into the Gulfstream.  To do that they had a temperature sensor rigged to an alarm such that at any time they hit the warm water it would go off.  Are we getting the picture here? Off goes the alarm in the middle of the night-but they were still too far off the Gulfstream. All hands on deck to see one of the crew pissing over the side through a scupper.

 

Permalink Reply by Greg Max on September 6, 2013 at 7:18am

Haha, those are some pretty funny comments.  So what I'm hearing is that the only way to shake the juju off my boat is to use a special christening "boat soup" which is equal parts fish slime, beer, and pee?  Then I hit her with a few rocks.  Seems good as anything else to me!  Thanks fellas!

Permalink Reply by David Jensen on September 6, 2013 at 9:19pm

In light of earlier posts, not much new to add, but a bit of nautical background.  1970-1973 I was a Captain in the Marines, technically part of the Navy.  We had to learn a bit of naval history, including christening.  Since then, I have rowed woodies down everything in Oregon and Washington, and lots of Idaho and California.  I have christened every boat by peeing on the bottom ( shoe), then sipping the first of a beer, pouring the rest on the bottom (shoe).  This has worked, pretty much, but major wounds on the Owyhee (Oregon), and McKenzie (Oregon, where I live).  It hasn't been bullet proof, but a 1969 wooden drift boat is still drifting.  I am still drinking and peeing.  I will christen for good craft  beer.

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