As I said before, I won’t decide on a name until the boat is near completion. It just has to feel right for the craft and the vibe (and the Admiral and the swabs should have a voice in the process).
I think there are four main types of boat naming approaches:
1. Keep the inherited name
When a boat changes hands, there are semi-elaborate measures to appease Neptune in re-Christening a vessel. Often, the new caretaker opts to leave things well-enough alone and keep the original name – especially if it is/was a famous craft (such as racing boats), or if re-naming will be labor-intensive.
2. This isn’t your first boat, so let’s add some Roman numerals
This was the case with my Grandfather’s primary boats. He had Aquarro, then Aquarro II, Aquarro III, and then just after I was born, Aquarro IV. I’m betting there was very little decision making in the naming of the last three vessels, other than what font to use on the transom. Often owners use completely different names for their successive crafts – they don’t have to be locked-in to the first boat name. But regardless you lose points for using “Too” instead of “II”.
3. The name of the boat is already decided
This can be done to be in honor of, or to appease, the owner’s respective Admiral with a transom dedication. Additionally, it could be a historic association, or if the boat is a tender to a larger craft potentially a name related to its larger sibling. Other times it’s purely to honor the owner, their family, or sometimes even their company.
4. Undecided Until It’s Done
That’s the boat I find myself in. I have a short list. I have a long list of less-likely names. I tend to move names in and out of my “Top 5” on a regular basis. It’ll also depend on the boat that I build, So here are the current standings:
Current Leader: Stardust
Pretty solid, I think. The Tahoe Maritime Center maintains “Star Dust” – two words. “Stardust” has a late-50s/early-60s Las Vegas (casino) vibe along with the nascent Space Program. Would enjoy using the old hotel/casino font. Additionally, that place was the Vegas favorite of my father, so as a kid I stared at that logo on ashtrays he had absconded with in the 1960s.
Rest of the Contenders:
- Stardust
- Scirocco
- Moonlight Cocktail
- Woman! Whoa-Man!
- Bad Idea