Apr 09 2007
A Limpet by any Other Name…
What’s in a name? When it comes to your first boat there is a lot to the name. I was actually excited to see that #759 was nameless when I bought it… Though I suspect that a lack of name might also explain the lack of connection & general state of disrepair she was in.
I have always had very particular ideas about boat names. In my dreams my boat always has a single noun name like Endeavor, Constitution, Defiance, Enterprise, or Bounty. Unfortunately, I didn’t think a beat up 1974 San Juan 21 could pull off a name like “Victory,” or “Ideal.” I needed something a little smaller in scope.
With a San Juan it is easy to get sucked into a desire for a word play with the name. I think at various points I considered:
- Juan Ton
- Juander Lust
- Juan for the Road
- Hole in Juan
- Juan Good Turn
- Juan for the Money
- Don
There might have been Bourbon involved.
Eventually I hit on Limpet.
Limpets are not particularly big, or beautiful, or fast, but they do hang around. They persevere as the tides come and go, with many species returning to the exact same spot on a rock known as their “Home Scar,” after foraging. Limpets are also known to be fairly long lived for small mollusks, often living 10+ years. These seemed like great qualities for describing my little San Juan 21.
I also can’t resist posing for silly pictures with Limpet shells over my eyes.
So just before my first race I bought some Red and Yellow electrical tape for $1.99 at the hardware store, and I gave Limpet her name in Red letters with Yellow drop shadow.