Red Sky at Night, Yachters' Delight.
Superstition and the modern seaman.

Sailing traditions are part of the allure of the open water and the superstitions of sailors have been integral to nautical life for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. There's no-one more superstitious than a sailor: almost every aspect of life and work at sea has a superstition attributed to it.

What's in a Name?

There is an age-old sailing superstition that says you should never rename a boat. Sea God Neptune (or Poseidon if you're from ancient Greece) keeps a record of every vessel in his waters and he doesn't like change. What if you can't bear taking your new yacht, Titanic II, to sea? The answer is to hold a renaming ceremony:

- First, remove all traces of the old name, not only from the yacht itself, but also from the lifebuoys and transom, as well as from any logbooks, charts or papers it features in.
Those monogrammed towels will have to go too.

- Second, thank Neptune and Aeolus (he's the keeper of the winds) for the protection they've provided your yacht so far.

- Then kindly request that Neptune strike the old name from his Ledger of the Deep.

- And ask that the Gods give your newly named yacht their blessing.

- Finally, it's necessary to sacrifice some alcohol to appease the Gods.
Ideally, have Queen Elizabeth II on hand to break a bottle of expensive champagne over the bow.

Other superstitions pertaining to naming your yacht include:

- Always giving her a woman's name but never naming her for your wife (she will get the yacht in the divorce.)

- Never naming her after an engaged woman (the sea will be jealous.)

- And never naming her after your daughter (in case you have another one.)

TGI Friday?

Not for sailors! The reasons behind the superstition have become lost in the mists of time but some say that, because Christ was crucified on a Friday, it's extremely unlucky to set sail on this day. Just ask Captain Friday - legend has it that his Royal Navy ship, HMS Friday, was laid down and launched on a Friday ... and never heard of again.

No redheads, no cross-eyed, no flat-foots, no clergy!

All of the above are said to bring bad luck to the sailor. If you do happen to meet with a redheaded, cross-eyed, flat-footed clergyman on your way to the harbour, misfortune can be avoided by speaking to them before they speak to you. If you are a redheaded, cross-eyed, flat-footed clergyman, you're in a fix.

And definitely no women!

Unless she's naked. In days

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