give it a name...

So... What do you do if your boat has been renamed & you're pretty sure it wasn't done right? And we are also giving this a major hull-down refit, almost rebuilding the boat... Do we restore it to ther original name or the new one?

We've now stripped the paint off the hull down to the bare gelcoat. The outermost layer said Augusta, but as we sanded through the finish, we uncovered another name: Wyvern. We think this was probably the original name as it also shows Marblehead, Mass. as its port of call.

Neither of us like "Wyvern" and we want to stick with "Augusta," but what's the protocol here? Is it unlucky to go with the new name (Augusta) or is it unlucky to go back to the old name (Wyvern)? And if the boat was properly renamed to Augusta and we start calling it the Wyvern, then what kind of luck is that? Should we do the renaming ceremony? And what the heck is the renaming ceremony? I've read a few different things...

For the superstitious, this might explain how the boat managed to get a hole in the hull and nearly sunk in the first place. As we're doing a complete tear down of the boat, we want to make sure we do everything right.

John Vigor has a riotous name changing protocol requiring expensive champagne and many friends. I think it's good for the Pacific Ocean, and the Mediterranean.

[here's an argh, hope it works...]

www.48north.com/mr_offline/denaming.htm


Vigor is one fine writer, the best. Name changing is not to be sanded lightly :)
Look for an article of his called The Fifth Essential. Should be read in conjunction with the above.

Cap'n
Bravo on the undertaking. Those of us who are luckiest to be found be these boats in need of care are truley blessed. You know the feeling (it's not the one you get when you're only half way through sanding the hull, your shoulders are burning and its only ten in the morning).
The renaming issue means nothing to some and alot to others. If something is important enough to recieve a proper noun, proper name then some event or protocol should be followed. It would be similar to showing up for work one day and finding your name changed. You're not an ingrate, you would not have such an outstanding boat nor ask about this issue if you were. Do a search on renaming. I think you'll want a celebration when you're done with the refit. Let us know what you find, Tony G

...and oh yeah, post lots of pictures :D

I will definitely be posting pictures - so far, the biggest, ugliest problem is that hole in the hull that looks to have been repaired with (no kidding) Bondo.

One of the jack stands was then resting against this bad repair for at least 2 years, so a lot of the hull around it was badly delaminated. We've already ground out a lot of material around the hole on the inside and now just sanded off all the paint on the outside. It's about as bad as we feared.

Just think if that bondo repair hadn't been under that jack stand and gone unnoticed until "one stormy night....."
That's real good luck!

If you are looking for the best opportunity to have good luck, that is if luck is your principal concern, I would rename the boat after your wife/significant other.

It may be that Wyvern is someone else's wife/signifcant other, in which case keeping the original name could be bad karma.

Cap'n Crunchie-
I wade in here with some trepidation, but it seems to me a few metaphysical points of order seem sensible in mulling-over the act of renaming a boat. All my reading suggests that a man runs afoul of the boat gods in direct proportion to his recklessness in renaming, and that this possible recklessness springs from two main sources: a) a flippant or insouciant attitude viz a viz the sea itself, or; b) arrogance toward the boat itself. In the present case, it seems to me that you have earned, fair sir, the right to name as you will. Neptune has certainly noticed your reclamation of this fine vessel, and so you have satisfied the primary point of protocol: an interest and active participation in worthy sea-going projects. In particular, discovering and correcting the bondo on this boat will earn you immediate points with the sea-going cosmos. As to the question of names from previous incarnations and their potential import: perhaps the vessel itself provides the answer. It has survived previous namings under dubious circumstances and has as yet withstood even the insult of bondo. It seems the boat wants to live badly enough that it--and the gods--would appreciate a good re-fit and would make every allowance and excuse for you in your choice of names. Fix her. Sail her. Name her as you will.

The naming ceremony is just a silly nautical tradition, and therefore should not be trifled with.

Remember to also put a coin under the mast.

Never whistle for wind.

Never carry bananas.

Never utter the name of the animal from which bacon comes, the one with the curly tail.

I agree that Wyvern is not a very pleasing name. A "Wyvern" is actually the name of a type of ancient dragon. A myth, they say, but every sailor knows there be dragons out there.

In addition, Marblehead Mass. was Carl Alberg's homeport.

Not to worry, name the boat as you wish. But, I would take a simple precaution. Fly the burgee of the Green Wyvern Yacht Club.

http://www.gwyc.org.uk/

http://www.gwyc.org.uk/images/wyvsmall.jpg

Wyvern was, or is also the name of an Alberg 30 that used to have a web page. Perhaps it still does, but my link to that site now ends with an error message. As I recall, the Alberg 30, Wyvern had a dragon picture painted on it.

Here is a picture of the newer name, Augusta, which my friend and I agree is going to be the name of the boat. It's what we've come to know the boat as. Somehow, naming the boat after either of our girlfriends just didn't seem to fit and I don't want to be sailing a boat named "Suzanne," personally. As nice as the name is...

The green finish that we're sanding off here was done with Rustoleum and a lot of it was coming off with a scraper, so we decided that the whole finish could be sanded down rather than using a chemical peeler.

as is Aunt Augusta. Probably has a sister named Agatha.

GUSTO, for short!
And a lot of that
aboard your new boat!