Sailors have always had a great number of superstitions. Not surprising really considering the conditions they worked under.


In becalmed waters sailors would whistle to bring up a wind. On some occasions a knife would be stuck in the main mast indicating the direction that the wind should come from.

But whistling was used sparingly as if one whistled too much a storm could be whistled up. The other reason was that in these times a bosun's call (a type of naval whistle) would be used to tell the sailors what to do. There were different pipes for different actions to be taken.

Sailing on a Friday, particularly the 13th was to be avoided.

It was thought that firing even numbers of guns when saluting (i.e. 21 gun salutes) was unlucky. Gun salutes went in a sequence of 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21.

Sailors often tatooed themselves with lucky symbols. The cross being an obvious one. Sometimes a pig would be tatooed on one leg and a rooster on the other to prevent drowning. Men on board ships of sail were often unable to swim.

Rats leaving a ship in port was not a good sign.

When a ship is launched it is considered very unlucky that the bottle would not smash on the first occassion.