What's in a name?
Here are some things to think about when naming your own boat:Choose a name that reflects something about yourself as a boater and avoid cliches.Think about safety. Pick a name that’s easy to say and easy to understand in case you are in a situation that you have to call upon the Coast Guard for help.Don’t rush it. Wait until you find a name you’re completely happy with. Remember, it’s bad luck to change the name of your boat.
Superstitions abound in sailing lore. A lurking shark foreshadows death, while happy dolphins suggest safe travels. Women onboard are bad luck, whistling onboard a blunder. Setting sail is best saved for Sundays - never for Fridays.
Perhaps one of the most pervasive superstitions has to do with the name of the vessel itself. Hundreds of years ago, when boats were the main mode of transportation, naming a vessel was serious business, and changing the name of a boat was largely discouraged. In fact - even to this day - if the name must be changed, various ceremonies and special words (which differ depending on who you ask) must be offered in order to appease the fickle gods of the sea.
You see, once a ship was named and embarked on her first journey, sailors believed she began to develop a life of her own. Through her countless travels, destinations, storms, fair-weather days, loads of cargo and passengers, the boat came to fit her name just as we humans grow to fit ours.
Today, in land-locked Chattanooga, the boats that float along the Tennessee River and sail around Chickamauga Lake are painted with names that tell the story of the locals who own them. Read on to meet the boats and their owners, and to learn their stories of romance, celebrations, long-standing jokes, and more.
Babydoll
Owners: Pamela and Tim Damron, of Chattanooga Yacht Club
Pamela and Tim Damron began their love story in high school. Their first date was with each other, as was their first kiss. Friends joked that the pair was like a real-life Barbie and Ken; quintessential sweethearts.
As is typical with many high school romances, the two eventually went separate ways. But, 25 years later, their paths crossed again. Both divorced at the time, they reconnected and picked up where they'd left off. But they didn't get married right away. "I made him chase me for eight years," jokes Pamela. "I told him, 'You let me get away the first time.'"
Finally, the longtime sweethearts joined their hands and lives. The couple held their rehearsal dinner aboard their 52-foot bluewater yacht, named Babydoll by Tim after the pet name he had for his sweetheart and, now, his bride. "It's a term of endearment, I guess you could say," says Pamela.
"When we bought the boat, he said this is Babydoll No. 2, because he loves his wife and he loves his boat."
The Damrons continued to celebrate their love aboard Babydoll. Their first anniversary celebration as well as numerous birthday parties and cocktail parties have been held on the water.
"This was a love story that began 25-plus years ago," Pamela says. "It's a unique story and the boat is just equally as special."
Big Chill
Owners: Randy and Sandy Kerfoot, of Chattanooga Yacht Club
On a trip to Kentucky with a friend, Randy Kerfoot found himself checking out some rather large houseboats. "They have a big show up there every year," he explains. "We looked at them and laughed at them because we were used to cruisers."
They laughed until they spent some time on one. "We realized it was just the best thing in the world because it was like a house on the water and it moved. The engines are so far away you barely hear them, and it's just smooth as silk," he says.
So, he and his wife Sandy bought a 105-foot-long by 20-foot-wide house boat, complete with multiple bedrooms, a huge living room and kitchen, three baths and a party area upstairs.
When it came to naming the large vessel, the Kerfoots kept it simple. "It's big and you chill on it so it seemed like the perfect name," Randy laughs. Their fellow Chattanooga Yacht Club members have a party on it every May, he adds, and he and Sandy stay on it almost every weekend during warm weather.
Next up for Big Chill is Riverbend. "It'll be a blast," says Randy.
Anorexia and Weeble
Owners: Scott and Marilyn Irwin, of Privateer Yacht Club
Scott Irwin has a knack for naming his boats with a splash of humor. When he first started sailing, he bought a Catalina 22. "I was single at the time, so I would haul stuff down to the boat and would never haul anything home," he says with a laugh. "My waterline was about 4 inches under the water."
He named his loaded-down boat Maximum Obesity. Later, as he became interested in sailboat racing, he bought another Catalina, but this one was stripped down to make for speed and fast racing. Thus, this time he chose the name Anorexia.
His wife Marilyn, on the other hand, waits for the right gut feeling when it comes to a boat's name. And that's how she feels about their cruiser named Weeble. "Scott likes to race and I like to cruise, and to cruise you need a nice big comfy boat," she says. In their search for such a vessel, they came across Weeble, a 30-foot sailboat. "The first thing I always look at is the boat's name, because you're not supposed to change it.
"[I saw Weeble and said] 'We've gotta get that boat because it has a great name," she says with a laugh. "You know, weebles wobble but they don't fall down."