Old Stone wrote:- Let's hear yours -
We've only owned two named boats, and we still have them.*
La Pérouse is named for the French naval captain and explorer Jean-Francois de La Pérouse who was the first French explorer to visit the Pacific Northwest.* He was a ship captain of a French frigate in the fleet that fought the British navy on our behalf in the Revolutionary War during which he defeated some British shps up in Hudson's Bay.
Our other boat is a 17' Arima fishing boat named
Malolo, which is Hawaiian for "flying fish."
Other boats I have been associated with over the years with names I liked are:
Sceptre, the 12-meter sloop that was the the first British contender in the revived America's Cup race after WWII in 1958.
Daedalus, Boeing's first corporate yacht that was used for hosting airline executives as well as being a site for high-level meetings with customers and suppliers.* The boat was originally built in Germany for Augie Busch of Anheuser Busch and named the
A and Eagle.*
A and Eagle is the registered name of the Anheuser Busch logo.* When Boeing acquired the boat the then-CEO's secretary suggested the name
Daedalus, who was Icarus' father and who flew to freedom successfully, unlike his son.
Lucky Lady, a small San Francisco bay herring boat based in Sausalito.* It was the first boat I came to recognize by name when I was just a toddler and my mom would take me for walks on the docks.* It was painted green and yellow and is probably responsible for this basic configuration being my favorite boat design even today.
The "original"
Malolo, a 28' Uniflite sportfisherman owned by a friend with whom I did a great deal of blue-water game fishing off the north shore of Oahu in Hawaii.
Mud Puppy, a surplus LCM landing craft until recently owned by a friend in the San Juan Islands.* The local name for a shallow-water fish common to the San Juans,
Mud Puppy was named by our friend's daughters.
Other boat names I like because of the boats I associate them with:*
Endeavour (12-metre),
Elsie (Gloucester fishing schooner),
Kingfisher (UK narrowboat),
Ferret (UK narrowboat).
If or when we acquire another boat to replace the GB, if we don't retain the name
La Pérouse we will probably name it
Kingfisher both for the local bird of that name and for the unbelievably irridescent and jewel-like kingfishers that haunt the British canals.