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Ok so, all this talk of baby name consultants makes me wonder about the boat-naming industry. Since boat names are generally longer, and often complete phrases, maybe people actually invest as much time naming boats as naming children…?
My father, a sailor, always talked about this boat named Rebecca Lynn and then one day he finally sent me a picture of it: well wouldn’t you know. And then when I was in college my dad let me name his fishing boat: Get me away from here I’m dying, after a Belle and Sebastian song and, yes, also referencing the side effects of spending a summer at home after nine months at college under the aegis of free beer. As far as consulting goes, a found a site called namethatboat.com to be helpful if staggering. My top votes there were: My Quota!, Knot Now Kato (??), and uh, Spider Farm. View the list in exhaustive totality here. And this just in from the Boat Owners Association of the United States:
The top 10 names in America, in order, in 2006 (the latest data available): Aquaholic, Second Wind, Reel Time, Hakuna Matata, Happy Hours, Knot Working, Life Is Good, Plan B, Second Chance and Pura Vida (Spanish for “pure life”). Knot Working, Life Is Good, Plan B and Second Chance made the list for the first time. While witty boat names tend to attract all the attention, said Scott Croft, a BoatUS spokesman, most boats are named for family members or favorite pastimes. After the Sept. 11 tragedy, patriotic names such as Freedom and Liberty were in vogue. BoatUS has tracked boat names for 20 years.
Indeed they have, and you can follow the trends through time here. Check out 2003, where “Mental Floss” made the list! Boats you’ve named…Anybody? The hypothetical also welcome.
Comments (12)
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Hah! “Know Now Kato” is a nautical play on the phrase, “Not now, Kato” uttered by Inspector Clouseau from the (older) Pink Panther movies.
Clouseau has instructed Kato (who is something akin to an assistant/sparring partner/major domo) to attack him at random intervals throughout the day to keep him sharp. But as a result of these instructions, Clouseau often ends up creeping through his house calling out to Kato not to attack him as he goes about his day-to-day activities, like answering the phone. Which Kato usually ignores. Mayhem thus ensues.
Ah, the good old days. Although the newer Pink Panther quite exceeded my hilarity expectations.
posted by Soni on 7-12-2007 at 7:47 pm
Amazing! Thanks for enlightening me, Soni…I probably need a Kato of my own.
posted by Becky on 7-12-2007 at 7:59 pm
I guess some dot commers would name their submarine “Options.”
Depeche Mode: New Wave
News Anchor
Tom Brokaw: Keeping Current
Charles Gibson: Anchor’s Away
Katie Couric: Sputumus Dictumus
posted by Going Like Sixty on 7-12-2007 at 8:11 pm
Uh Oh, change Tom Brokaw to Brian Williams, brain fade.
One more for pennance:
Jeff Taylor (Monster.com) Hire Authority
posted by Going Like Sixty on 7-12-2007 at 8:24 pm
Great post! I’m going over to my place and post some more.
Here’s my best shot so far:
Marina and golf course developer:
Prop or Tee
posted by Going Like Sixty on 7-13-2007 at 7:04 am
The late Dale Earnhardt’s yacht was named “Sunday Money.” As a seven-time NASCAR champion, Sunday was the most lucrative day of the week for him.
But…in the spirit of this thread: Would a computer programmer name his boat “Floating Point”?
posted by Mike on 7-13-2007 at 9:27 am
Tim and I have agreed that if and when we ever buy a boat, we will follow in the footsteps of LL Cool J and Muhammad Ali and name it “The B.O.A.T.”
posted by Mary on 7-13-2007 at 10:24 am
My father, the most dedicated sailor I’ve ever met, named his boat, Phoenicia. She’s named after the boat my great-grandfather rode on from Italy to America.
posted by Maria on 7-13-2007 at 1:23 pm
My gawd, I have totally OCD’d on this post.
posted by Going Like Sixty on 7-13-2007 at 3:24 pm
i always preferred “my wet dream”
posted by David on 7-13-2007 at 4:45 pm
I saw a boat in Monaco called “The One.” If it sinks, will there be “The One II”?
posted by caroline on 7-16-2007 at 5:58 pm
Think this post is addicting, you might enjoy the Boat Name Idea generator on CustomBoatNames.com
posted by custom boat names on 7-27-2007 at 1:25 pm