What are the guidelines on "re-naming" a boat?

Answer 1

They suggested a Vigor's denaming ceremony:


"In the name of all who have sailed aboard this ship in the past, and in the name of all who may sail aboard her in the future, we invoke the ancient gods of the wind and the sea to favor us with their blessing today.

"Mighty Neptune, king of all that moves in or on the waves; and mighty Aeolus (pronounced EE-oh-lus), guardian of the winds and all that blows before them:

"We offer you our thanks for the protection you have afforded this vessel in the past. We voice our gratitude that she has always found shelter from tempest and storm and enjoyed safe passage to port.

"Now, wherefore, we submit this supplication, that the name whereby this vessel has hitherto been known _____, be struck and removed from your records.

"Further, we ask that when she is again presented for blessing with another name, she shall be recognized and shall be accorded once again the selfsame privileges she previously enjoyed.

"In return for which, we rededicate this vessel to your domain in full knowledge that she shall be subject as always to the immutable laws of the gods of the wind and the sea.

"In consequence whereof, and in good faith, we seal this pact with a libation offered according to the hallowed ritual of the sea."


And then a Christening ceremony:


After a boat is denamed, you simply need to rename it using the traditional christening ceremony, preferably with Queen Elizabeth breaking a bottle of champagne on the bow, and saying the words:

"I name this ship ___________, and may she bring fair winds and good fortune to all who sail on her."

Answer 2

There are some ceremonies that are suggested on some of the web sites... I don't remembe which ones now, but you can do a search and find them...

Renaming a boat, unless it's done in a solumn way, with libations to the 4 cardinal points and to King Neptune and Posiedon and a few other dieties... can be a trying thing. It's all serious because if you change a boat's name without the proper ceremoines... you can expect the boat to sink..

There are several web sites that have some recommended ways to change the boat name... just do a search for them.

Answer 3

The very first thing you have to do is get rid of any trace of the old name. Sand it off anything in the boat and make sure to bring old logs, charts, etc or anything else with the name on it on shore. Painting over the name is not good enough, you have to sand it off or replace the piece of wood with the old name.
Next make up your own ceremony to get rid of the old name of the boat. Address whatever gods you hold dear to the sea and ask them to strike from the records the old name of the boat. Mention the name! Pray for their extended goodwill and protection to the vessel in her new name. Do NOT mention the new name...yet. That will come in a separate ceremony.
Then without further words (this should be short and sweet), pour a libation of champagne, the best you can afford, over the bows. Be very generous. You may drink some yourself and offer some to your guests, but don't skimp on the gods portion. Remember, the champagne represents the blood sacrifice of the ancients. It saves you from having to slaughter your favorite virgin, so don't stint on the price.
Any time after that, conduct another ceremony for the naming of the boat as if she were a brand new vessel. And of course you will need another bottle of champagne!

1994, John Vigor-"The Practical Mariner's Book of Knowledge"

Answer 4

You can put any name you want on a boat if it hasn't been "Documented" with the U. S. Coast Guard. A documented vessel has to net above 5 net tons, so if your boat is smaller than that, you can put any name you want on it, as long as the letters are the height required by your state, and in the proper location on the vessel.

Answer 5

It is considered bad luck to re-name a boat.

Answer 6

I don't think there are any......just cross out your boats name on the license. Call the boat license bureau and update their records, then just spray paint the new name on the boat.

Answer 7

Helpful hints for applying and removing vinyl boat names.

How do I remove the OLD vinyl boat name?

In order to remove the existing vinyl name and hailing port without damaging the gel coat you'll need a hand-held hair dryer and a plastic ice scraper. DO NOT USE A METAL SCRAPER.

Hold the hair dryer about 6" from the surface and set to the low heat setting. Slowly move the nozzle of the hair dryer back and forth while gently lifting the edge of the vinyl by applying only light pressure.

The heat from the dryer softens the vinyl but if too much heat is applied, the vinyl will melt and leave a scorch mark on the gel coat.

After the name has been removed, the area will have to be polished in order to even out the color of the gel coat.

To remove the old adhesive from the boat use "Goo Remover" or any adhesive remover which can be purchased at Walmart, K-Mart or Target. Use this BEFORE the rubbing compound. It there is a discoloration from the old name, rub out with rubbing compound and DO NOT WAX area prior to name installation. You may wax over the name after it has been installed about a week.

If there is a wax barrier between the adhesive on the vinyl and the gelcoat, it does not allow the adhesive to bite into the surface and make a permanent bond. Customers who say the name does not stick have not removed all the wax properly!!

You are now ready to apply your new boat name!

How do I apply the NEW vinyl name?

Applying your vinyl graphics is simple if you follow some basic guidelines.

The boat names generally come in one piece and are sandwiched between a paper layer of transfer tape and a wax layer of backing.

Flatten it out in a warm room where pets and children can't find it. That transfer tape is a low tack sheet that will lift your graphic in one piece. The transfer tape is no match for the vinyl's pressure sensitive adhesive which will bond to the surface of the boat very tightly. Done properly, this job will last for over seven years, (or until you sell the boat.)

You will need only a few items:

Mildly soapy water in a spray bottle or mister.
Just enough dish detergent to break the surface tension and suds up a little. Maybe three or four drops per quart.
A piece of hard plastic, (squeegee)
A roll of masking tape.
An Exacta blade.
A tape measure

Wait for a nice day, unless you are a fearless pro. The worst weather is windy weather. Rain is OK, but not while you're applying. Tarp it off if you have to. Vinyl should never be applied in temperatures less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees Celsius. Also the lettering surface should be free of dirt and wax for best results.

1. Temporarily tape name to boat. To get the name to go up straight, start with a piece of tape on one corner. With the backing still on the graphics (that's right, don't get ahead of yourself now!) slap it up there where you think it should go. Go ahead! You can always move it if you don't like the position.

2. Bring the other side into position and tack it down with another piece of tape. Use a tape measure to be sure it is level. If you have a straight edge on the paper backing to measure to, great! If not, measure from the edges of similar letters.

Remember that some letters (like O's and S's) normally sink below the line of text. If you like coffee, now is the time to stand back and take a break. Breathe deeply that air of satisfaction, knowing that you are actually getting somewhere!

3. If you're lettering both sides of the vessel, pick a piece of hardware common to both port and starboard as a reference point BEFORE you begin. You'll really want to double check position of both sides before adhering either! Sometimes one side of the boat surprises you with a drain or a mystery window. Seriously! Stand back and take a moment to look.

4. "Hinge" the graphic along one of the straight edges with a long piece of tape. Half the tape should be on the transfer paper and half on the boat. Make sure you've got a grip.

5. Now when you flip the graphic back to remove the wax paper, everything stays in place. Test it! Make sure it's not getting loose on you! If you can't flip it back because you're on a curved surface, cut between the letters.

6. Peel back the wax paper and expose the sticky side of the vinyl. Big long names sometimes call for a helper at this point, but if you have a name that can be divided into smaller sections, cut between the letters so that you're dealing with a more manageable piece of vinyl.

Separating the letters after hinging is also very helpful when lettering on curves surfaces...each letter needs to fall differently and cutting between them will assure that you steer clear from leveling problems.

7. Many times it's easier to smooth out the name if you mist the adhesive backing with a little soapy water. Wetting it also prevents it from sticking immediately and the soap makes "the water wetter."

Usually a wet application is good, then again, if it's too soapy and doesn't stick at all, you have to rinse some of that soap off with fresh water. Generally, use the wet application as it's easier to squeegee out water bubbles than it is to squeeze out air bubbles.

When all the water evaporates out from under the name in a few days, the vinyl will adhere as if it were going up dry to start. If you're one of those daring pros, you'll start with a dry application because you know it's going to stick better right away.

8. Lay the vinyl close to the hull. It won't stick if you've wet it down, especially if you don't press it too hard. It's called "pressure sensitive" vinyl which means that the harder it is pressed, the harder it sticks. Holding the free edge tautly, just off the surface, pull the squeegee across the center of the graphic to get a good center line of adhesion.

9. Now you can lift one of the sides up and squeegee from the center line toward the edges. ALWAYS work from the center toward the edges!! Do this to avoid trapping air or water bubbles.

10. Finish off the other half the same way (from the center to the edges, then from the middle to the top and bottom). If you started with a good centerline, the rest of the vinyl will fall into place, naturally!

11. Finish by spraying down the transfer tape with that spray bottle. Squeegee a little more for good measure and let that water soak into the paper.

The water not only helps you apply the vinyl smoothly, it also loosens the paper and helps to remove it without pulling the vinyl back off the boat.

Pop any bubbles with a pin point and press out the air or water. Any water bubbles will evaporate.

Answer 8

Depends on the state.

Answer 9

none if its not documented small pain in the but if it is....call coast guard