I've been to the river on a skiff with no name

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

OK so I was going to name the Salisbury skiff I restored "Storm King" But I have found out that the name is taken by a local nonprofit building bridges building boats.
http://www.buildingboats.org/2003-site/bb-mainFrame2003.html I cant rightly steal that name from such a noble cause.

So I am going to entertain the idea of having the WBF name the Skiff.

So have at it post names here:

[J. Dillon]

SENTA

The lady who gave true love to the "Flying Dutchman",
Saving him from forever sailing the seas.
;)
JD

[AngWood]

Stan?

[L.W. Baxter]

How about STORM QUEEN, considering the sartorial predelictions of the Cap'n. :D

[Meerkat]

Tessie smile.gif

[Hwyl]

It seems that this boat has been good to you, it helped you focus and acted as a catalyst as you transitioned from a waiter to a succesful realtor. I would change nothing--just leave it un named.

Having said that that--someone has to mention "Salisbury Stake".

That's an interesting link for the non profit boat building. Do I remember correctly--didn't you think of starting a kayak building school a couple of years back (I've thought of it too)?. Did the existence of this group stop you?

If they use lumberyard material $550 is no bargain IMO

[ 08-04-2004, 04:04 AM: Message edited by: Hwyl ]

[Jonathan Kabak]

Joe,

How about the Garrison Keeler...

[htom]

The Roman goddess of storms was Tempestes.

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Meerkat I kinda share the Skiff with my buddy and he has a daughter so it wouldn't be fair. But I like the name smile.gif

Hwyl, No that group was not why I stopped the idea. I didn't get enough response. Funny how just yesterday I got a phone call asking if I was still doing the kayak building class :rolleyes:

I needed a min class of 6-10 every 6-8 weeks to make it profitable. I got about 4 people interested enough to call. But then I didn't advertise as strongly as I should have. Now I'm just too busy.

Keep up the good work, and not good work STAN :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :D

[Ian McColgin]

Learning your boat's true name is a bit like learning the cat's true name. Elliot was wrong, you can learn it but you must pay attention.

A few rules as you enter the meditative trance of finding her name:

No boastful names. Proper skiffs, unlike cigarellos and other over-HP'd vehicles let their virtues speak for themselves. So, no to 'storm king' and no to 'fast ash' etc.

No names after sea gods, goddesses, winds, etc. Remember what happened to the Posidon and to Shelly walk through the something. . .

No names beginning with A. Combining that with the above and you can see why 'Aurora' is out. Just a general superstition.

Nice modest names like 'Buttercup' or the more fameous 'Mayflower' or even 'Sparrow' (but why afloat?) are good but you might steer clear of 'Osprey' unless the boat really tells you. Definatly not 'Cormorant' for that skiff though I did meet a boat of that name and it was most appropriate for an effective fish killer.

For example, this boat might be "Kate:"

At my first view she seemed too fragile and slight
To venture open water far from shore
And I wondered if the delicate topsides' sheen
Of glowing coppery accents could withstand
Exposure to hard work in salt and sun.
She may have wondered also, when she first sailed.

She's not a hefty dory lunking fish
And she's surely not a pampered toy
Reflecting perfect varnish in serene sunsets,
But at the sea's life call she finds her way.
She's slender and lightly built to dance with waves
And not to fight them, and her buttocks' run
Is firm. She'll carry her sail on a hard beat,
Making way to weather with deceptively soft grace.
# # #

Now, go lie down with your boat and let her speak

[ 08-04-2004, 10:05 AM: Message edited by: Ian McColgin ]

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Ian that was beautyful WOW how do you do that ? Thank you

[cs]

What about Dave, in honor of Dave?

Chad

[Ian McColgin]

It's easy when sublimating a hopeless love for someone who wouldn't give me the time of day. I've been writing fewer poems now that I'm happy.

Like any poet I'll mix and match my old lines to turn past torture of the soul to present joy for my beloved. The muse, after all, is every woman.

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Originally posted by cs:
What about Dave, in honor of Dave?

ChadThat is not my call Chad far too personal for someone near and dear to us all. I named the Dhow Annette after my Step mother. She was small Italian woman but a stabilizing part of our families life generally strong and forgiving at the same time - Just like my Dhow - It has already been gifted to Tess as her first sailboat - She had a brief time with my step Mom but they bonded and she talks to her in heaven all the time.

[John Bell]

Whatever you do, don't make it cute, or worse, use a bad pun e.g. "Sailbad the Sinner" :mad: :confused:

There's nothing worse than cutesy boat names.

As for naming them after a person, I think it's better if the person to be honored has already passed. That way they won't be embarassed by the honor, such as it is. A grandmother, ("Annie Lee") a favorite aunt ("Lina B."), or even an historical figure ("Carrie Nation" ;) ) is safer than using a wife, girlfriend or daughter.

I also like odd names for boats as well. My last boat was "Mister Moon", and the next one will probably be "Wishing Blossom"*.

(*I happen to think Wishing Blossom is a great name for a small sailboat. My daughter calls dandelions 'wishing blossoms', as in you pick one, make a wish, and if you can blow all the seeds off in one puff your wish will come true. The little dandelion seeds are very evocative of a fleet of little sailboats on the water. But you can't have that name!)

[Meerkat]

Hmmm... how about Walden Pond - or Huck Finn? ;)

[Paul Pless]

My first two boats names were Maryjane and AliceDee. For some reason I was constantly harrassed by the state water patrol so I'd recommend against those two.

[Meerkat]

Originally posted by Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson ):
Meerkat I kinda share the Skiff with my buddy and he has a daughter so it wouldn't be fair. But I like the name smile.gif
Daughters
Kidd's Boat
Tessie & ??? (What's your buddy's daughter's name?)
Wind Horse (girls love horses - or will! ;) )

[Donn]

Someday, with Muriel Spark's permission, I'll name a boat Loitering With Intent.

[dmede]

I like names that require an explination to understand the connection to the boat or sea. Like "Wishing Blossom" (great name and story BTW). Or "Pomelian" from a recent WB article. It's the little round ball on the end of a cannon.

Sometimes the obvious is good as well. I intend to name my Fiddlehead canoe "Fern".

[Meerkat]

Ballerina

[Noah]

My dink's name is dumpyshitty if that helps.

[John Bell]

While I'm on the subject of Boat Names I Hate, let me add that a name that's play on the owners name always looks silly. They guy in the slip next to mine just slapped the name on the transom his brand new 26' Sea Ray: "Gillty 1"

This one is really egregious because it also has the elements of a bad pun.

So stay away from names like "Foster Care", s'ok?
:D

[Meerkat]

If you want something connected with Foster, consider Swanee River ;)

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Originally posted by Meerkat:
If you want something connected with Foster, consider Swanee River ;) We are actually related ;)

[Meerkat]

If you're going to tell a tall tale, might as well make it a wopper! ;) :D

[imported_Steven Bauer]

To steal one from the beer thread, TroutSlayer:

http://www.bayernbrewery.com/images/logotroutslayer.gif

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Sorry Steve I don't fish :(

I know I know - but I figure we might as well get to that fact now rather than later ;)

[Wild Dingo]

"Phuket... Phishit"?? :D :cool: well thats what I intend to call any fishin boat that I ever end up with! tongue.gif

cause you could always just go halves with yer missus... sorta play on words type thing that way its personal yet not... sorta?

Im with Ian... each name will come some before the boats even in existance others as it comes along and yet others after theyre in the water... you just got to let her tell you

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Waterbug

Splitrock

or my favorite.....Haywood Jablome. :D

[Ian McColgin]

A number of the WWII vets who formed the Setauket Yacht Club as they were raising young families named the the boats somehow after the wives.

Our knockabout was 'B Lou' - exactly mother's name and she really did not like it. Especially since the local paper was so chauvinistic that even though Mom was winning the races - Dad often out on a flight and only us kids for crew - the Three Village Herald dutifully reported that "'B Lou' captained by Franklin McColgin won . . ."

I crewed on a very hot and winning Raven belonging to and skippered by the father of a good friend, the only of my club peers (the son, his dad was an even better racer) whom I recognised as a better sailor than I. His mother's name was Ruth and she hated sailing. So, to celebrate both their fierce competative spirit and the austrailian war bride, the boat's name was 'Ruthless.'

[George G]

Glider

or, in the pun department, The Skiffer

[SteveFaehnle]

how about: "My Way"?

[Figment]

"Puff"

[Donn]

Estuarine

[Chris Stewart]

"Feather"
"Whisper"

[Bill Perkins]

Narsissus

Great boat .

[ 08-06-2004, 12:36 AM: Message edited by: Bill Perkins ]

[Garrett Lowell]

How about a few real estate terms?

Allodial
Chattel
Inter Vivos (latin for "during life")
Quiet Enjoyment
Sweetener
Undivided Interest

[Matt J.]

All time favorite boat name (didn't care for the boat itself toomuch though): DEFIANCE

Just like it. Halcyon is another one I like.

[Meerkat]

The Cold Spring On Hudson Princess (of course, you might have to stretch the boat a bit to fit it all on... ;) )

Maybe just Hudson Princess ;)

[ 08-06-2004, 01:18 PM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[Alan D. Hyde]

Cynosure.

Someone here may tell you the history.

It ties with New York, and it's good...

Alan

[John Bell]

cynosure

n 1: something that provides guidance (as Polaris guides mariners); "let faith be your cynosure to walk by" 2: something that strongly attracts attention and admiration; "if he was the cynosure of all eyes he didn't notice"

That's a good 'un, Alan.

[Meerkat]

What a neat word! smile.gif
Cynosure

\Cy"no*sure\ (s?"n?-sh?r or s?n"?-sh?r; 277), n. [L. Cynosura the constellation Cynosure, Gr. ????? dog's tail, the constellation Cynosure; ????, ????, dog + ???? tail. SeeCynic.] 1. The constellation of the Lesser Bear, to which, as containing the polar star, the eyes of mariners and travelers were often directed.

2. That which serves to direct. --Southey.

3. Anything to which attention is strongly turned; a center of attraction.

Where perhaps some beauty lies, The cynosure of neighboring eyes. --Milton.

French, Ursa Minor (which contains the guiding star Polaris), from Latin cynosra, from Greek kunosoura, dog's tail, Ursa Minor : kunos, genitive of kun, dog; see kwon- in Indo-European Roots + our, tail; see ors- in Indo-European Roots.

[Meerkat]

Beat me to it John - we cross posted smile.gif

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Cynosure hmmmmmm I like the meaning not sure about the word. Ill go ask the skiff see what she says ;)

[Donn]

Tidal Search

[John Bell]

Just for kicks I Googled "most beautiful words" and found the following. I've C&P'ed it for your reading pleasure.


BEAUTIFUL (AND NOT-SO-BEAUTIFUL) WORDS

Wilfred Funk's list of the most beautiful words in English: ASPHODEL, FAWN, DAWN, CHALICE, ANEMONE, TRANQUIL, HUSH, GOLDEN, HALCYON, CAMELLIA, BOBOLINK, THRUSH, CHIMES, MURMURING, LULLABY, LUMINOUS, DAMASK, CERULEAN, MELODY, MARIGOLD, JONQUIL, ORIOLE, TENDRIL, MYRRH, MIGNONETTE, GOSSAMER, ALYSSEUM, MIST, OLEANDER, AMARYLLIS, ROSEMARY. [Alysseum may be a misspelling of alyssum, but this is how the word appears in Paul Dickson's Words.]
In the same poll, other American writers, poets, and critics responded with these selections: HOME (Lowell Thomas), CHATTANOOGA (Irvin S. Cobb), MELODY (Charles Swain Thomas), NOBILITY (Stephen D. Wise), VERMILLION (Lew Sarett), GRACIOUS (Bess Streeter Aldrich), PAVEMENT (Arnold Bennett), LOVELY (George Balch Nevin), HARBORS OF MEMORY (William McFee), and NEVERMORE (Elias Lieberman). Louis Untermeyer responded, "The most musical words seem to be those containing the letter 'l'. I think, offhand, of such words as VIOLET, LAKE, LAUGHTER, WILLOW, LOVELY, and other such limpid and liquid syllables" [Charles Turner].

According to James Joyce, CUSPIDOR is the most beautiful word in English [Dickson].

In A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (page 86), Annie Dillard writes: "My friend Rosanne Coggeshall, the poet, says that 'sycamore' is the most intrinsically beautiful word in English" [Sarah Gossett].

The ten worst-sounding words in English, according to a poll by the National Association of Teachers of Speech in August, 1946: CACOPHONY, CRUNCH, FLATULENT, GRIPE, JAZZ, PHLEGMATIC, PLUMP, PLUTOCRAT, SAP, and TREACHERY.

According to reporter, editor, writer, and author Willard R. Espy, the ten most beautiful words in the English language are GONORRHEA, GOSSAMER, LULLABY, MEANDERING, MELLIFLUOUS, MURMURING, ONOMATOPOEIA, SHENANDOAH, SUMMER AFTERNOON, WISTERIA [The Book of Lists 2 (1980)].

According to Espy, the ten ugliest-sounding words in English, excluding indecent words, are FRUCTIFY, KUMQUAT, QUAHOG, CREPUSCULAR, KAKKAK, GARGOYLE, CACOPHONOUS, AASVOGEL, BROBDINGNAGIAN, JUKEBOX [The Book of Lists: The '90s Edition].

VICTUALS (pronounced "vittles") is the ugliest word in the language according to Harry Golden [Dickson].

NYNEX was deemed to be the worst name of any company in America by the publisher of Advertising Age [Dickson].

There may yet be a boat name in there somewhere!

[Donn]

Realist 8

[Larry P.]

Muhheakantuck

Indian name for the Hudson, translated as the river that flows in both directions

[Larry P.]

As I remember most of the vegetated tidal wetlands on the Hudson are officially mapped as Coastal Fresh Marsh so maybe somethnig along the lines of Coastal Fresh or Fresh Marsh.

[Larry P.]

Also when I was working on the Hudson we once caught a Northern Stargazer, I always thought that would be a good boat name

[Evan Showell]

Given the lineage, surely "Sal" or "Sally" are in the running.

[Phil Young]

Lots of great ideas there, but Joe, surely its got to come from you.

[Garrett Lowell]

So, Joe, what did you come up with?

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Yea I was thinking Swift Boat :D

But seriously no. I’m still working on it. None of the ones in this thread do it for me Ian’s Idea about letting the boat tell me the name has not worked thus far. Even after many hrs rowing on Tuesday evening she would not give up her name smile.gif I have some requirements esthetically I think it the name needs to be two words so it will be on either side of the transom with the rudder between and follow the sheer curve. Preferably two words with the same amount of letters so it will look balanced. Then one keeps crawling around my head and its one word JOY wadayathink?

[ 08-26-2004, 01:53 PM: Message edited by: Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson ) ]

[Garrett Lowell]

Joy. Small, elegant, and simple. That says it all.

[Garrett Lowell]

Or Joyous, which would give you 3 letters on each side of the rudder.

[AngWood]

Yeah, but then it'll say JOY OUS, and people will say, "What's ous?"