The issue of whether or not its bad luck to rename a boat comes up perennially. We renamed our big boat from “Christina” to “Bryn Awel” so I thought I’d post our ceremony, as we described it in our invitations. One thing I noticed that’s not in this is that you must remove any trace of the former name, receipts, log books, transom name, etc. from the boat before renaming.
Good Luck!
Capt’n Pauley
“We’re going to change the name of our boat and found this ceremony in one of our old sailing books. Please don’t be offended by any part of it.
De-naming Ceremony
Sailors are a superstitious lot and changing the name of your boat has been called a risky proposition. Too cavalier an attitude might anger the gods. Therefore it is customary to go through a de-naming ceremony before renaming. So here we go!
“Christina” first took to the water in San Francisco Bay in the late 1970s. She sailed well and kept her crew safe. Later she changed coasts and sailed the Atlantic from her new homeport of Little River, South Carolina. She sailed the coast, served as a floating home for a while and cruised the ICW until her owner found other interests. We found her in the Coquina Harbor in 1997. We brought her here to Tennessee to begin her life anew.
So, in honor of her past life and in accordance with seafaring traditions from time immemorial, we ask Zeus, god of thunder, Poseidon, god of the oceans and Aeolus, god of the winds to witness the renaming and rededication of the fair ship “Christina”, bless her and all who have sailed in her.
Re-naming Ceremony
It is now time to rename and rededicate her. Let all gathered here witness the rededication of this vessel to the care of the Seas and the Winds. May she never anger Typhoon and may Zephyrus, Boreas, Argetses and Auster favor her in proper turn. May the Sirens sing her not to wreck but to safety and may the gods be pleased with her new name. Your name is now “Bryn Awel of Bristol”. May the Gods be pleased wherever they find you and favor you with their care. Fair winds and following seas.
In England it is customary to name the houses. Bryn Awel was the house of maternal grandparents near Winchester, England where I lived for the first seven month of my life. It is Welsh and roughly translates to “Windy Ridge”.
The custom of christening a ship with champagne is an affectation of the Victorian era. In earliest times, ships were christened with the blood of a virgin. Since they are in short supply these days, red wine is the liquid of choice.”
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