Changing a boat name?

[Doug SC]

I picked up a used Scamp a while back. There is no name painted on it, but I happen to know that the original builder named the boat "Piglet". Now if it had been "Porkchop", I might have considered keeping the name, but "Piglet" doesn't cut it. I have spent considerable time trying to come up with an appropriate name for this boat. Today I was thinking along the line of the handle I use on a Paddling Forum. I go by castoff for two reasons all my boats are bought used, and you also have to castoff to use them.

My Scamp is also used. I am the third person to own this boat. It sat at the sailing club collecting rainwater and leaf litter for several years. Which of course being a wooden boat led to rot and leaks. The second owner did a lot of repair work. Since I have owned her, I have fixed several leaks and replaced wood. Then it dawned on me a wooden boat that has pasted from owner to owner. I think "Driftwood" would be a good descriptive name for this Scamp. I like it better than "Leaky"! I feel it could be important that the name doesn't disrespect the boat I will be sailing!

Now I need to know how to properly re-christen a boat.

[rfrance0718]

I have never successfully named a boat.! I often come up with something and then decide against it before application. None of my racing boats have ever had names. Cruising boats need names for identification when docking etc. So far I have stuck with adopted names. The Oday had been named, The Doghouse". It always rated laughs and approval, so I was good with it. Pacific Seacraft is "Stolen Moments" and I kind of like it. The boat is documented and home port says, "Chicago". I'm still not up to speed on the whole documented thing. Can I change the home port? Not sure what the advantages of documentation are? Other than not having to have bow numbers. Tami is going to figure it out. I suppose we need to get that done by June.

[Wayne Howard]

You can change the homeport name whenever you renew the documentation.

Changing a boat name is more difficult. https://boatsgeek.com/renaming-a-boat-the-dos-and-donts/


My favorite boat name that I've seen was Miss Appropriated Funds

[Doug SC]

Thanks Wayne, there is no name on my title or my boat registration. I will check on my state's rules about boat names.

[Wolverine]

When registering with the USCG, the home port must have a "port". One cannot use a city, town, or village that is not on the water. We have several boats here with "Raleigh" on their transoms and a coast guard official told me that is reason to stop a boat. Whether they actually would...

🤔 thinking about it, I just realized my Orion doesn't have it's CG numbers permanently mounted anywhere.

[Dave Scobie]

Renaming ceremony –

https://www.sailnow.com/sail/denaming1a.html

[Riley Smith]

On a different note:

She's S R Cat and always has been. Her name came upon her amidst the sawdust and heat of the summer, as the hull took shape and parts were built and attached. Skeg, centerboard trunk, step and all the other parts of a boat that doesn't actually keep the water out. The "bulkheads" were in and the stem and stern there and the hull wrapped around them. Nothing was secure yet, and there was a long road ahead. And it came to Sonya and I as we looked upon the sweat and dreams that her name was a comment on the lack of a cat period we were going through. S R Cat.......it's our cat....and secretly Sonya and Riley's Cat. As she appeared out of the fog of dust and of sanding. And sanding again. And again.

Thanks Dave, enjoyed the ceremony!

[noelH]

I thought renaming a boat = bad luck, fate.....

[Roland of Macatawa]

I thought renaming a boat = bad luck, fate.....

noelH,

I renamed my sailboat upon purchasing it, as the second owner.
I thought owning a sailboat named for a woman other than my wife would be worse luck.

Regards, Roland

[Chris Muthig]

My friend's Siren was names "The Other Woman"

[noelH]

Old coworker divorced twice.  Wonder if renamed his larger fishing boat twice .   Need to check next time I look for his boat.