A de-naming ceremony consists of Five parts: an invocation, an expression of gratitude, a supplication, a re-dedication and, of course, a libation!

First you must remove all the physical traces of the old name. lithe name is painted on the hull use Easy Off oven cleaner to dissolve it. (yes, really. Ignore the warnings on the can, just wear gloves & eye protection). If the name is in vinyl, pull it off after heating it with a hair dryer or a heat gun.

You can make up your own ceremony as long as you follow the rules: Here is an example:

The invocation:
"Mighty Neptune, king of all that moves on the waves, and mighty Aeolus, guardian of the winds, we ask that, in the name of all who have sailed aboard this boat in the past, and in the name of all who may sail aboard her in the future, we invoke your favour with these blessings today".

The expression of gratitude.:
"We offer you our thanks for the protection you have afforded this vessel in the past"

The supplication:
"That the name whereby this vessel has hitherto been known (speak the old name here) be struck & removed from your records".

The re-dedication:
"We re-dedicate this vessel to your domain in full knowledge that she will be subject, as always, to the immutable laws of the ancient gods of the wind and the sea. I name this boat" (insert the name here) "May she bring fair winds, safe passages and good fortune to all who sail on her"

And the moment you've been waiting for:

The Libation
"We seal this pact with a libation offered according to the ritual of the sea". Now the champagne! Smash the bottle over the bow (put it in a fine net bag first so no-one cuts their feet on the glass shards in the water), or pour the champagne over the bow. It's important that you use the whole bottle... no cheating & tasting a little. The WHOLE bottle!

A note from Gillian's experience: It's surprisingly difficult to break a regular bottle of champagne on a boat without damaging the boat! Order a pre-scored bottle from the LCBO. Don't try scoring it yourself ...we blew up five bottles in the attempt before we gave up!

Fortunate enough to have a previously un-named boat?
Go straight to the re-dedication exercise, THEN smash the champagne!

• Is the name disgusting or an insult? At Limi we've seen some awful ones, including 'Slick As Snot'!



• How easily can the name be repeated the three times required over the VHF radio? Try saying 'Inevitability Two' quickly three times without blowing it!



• Can anyone reading it pronounce it? 'Ceildih' is an often-used classic example of this problem.



• 'Cute' usually doesn't work. Puns, childhood names & 'in jokes' usually fail.



• Anagrams can work and may invite conversation with other boaters as to the name's meaning. Our favourite is 'Aftica', acronym for 'Another F.....g Toy I Can't Afford!



• Tempting fate, Murphy (or the gods of the sea) can be vindictive! Naming your boat 'Money Pit' one day may mean you'll need a new engine the next!