Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs

Subject: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: GUEST,Julia
Date: 22 Aug 04 - 07:52 PM

My brother is launching his new boat and I am looking for some traditional songs, rites and customs to help celebrate

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 22 Aug 04 - 10:49 PM

This depends in part on the size and nature of the boat.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: Cluin
Date: 22 Aug 04 - 10:51 PM

Most of the boat songs I know involve their sinking. As such, they're probably not a good choice omen-wise.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: DonMeixner
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 12:40 AM

Break a bottle of cheap champagne, drink the good stuff.

Sail Boat: Lay a fresh minted silver dollar in each mast step.

Power Boat: We always welded a Silver Dollar into the keel. Or into the mast step if she carried one.

Launching we always used real tallow on the ways for lube. And we never failed to smoke a launch.

We must have done something right for none of our boats ever sunk except by the owners hand. And one of them "The Seneca" is mentioned in The Perfect Storm and she floats well to this day.

Don

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 05:21 AM

Deep The Water, Shallow The Shore: Three Essays On Shantying In The West Indies, by Roger D. Abrahams contains lyrics and melodies to some boat hauling shanties, used for hauling boats in or out of the water. It has been re-published in paperback by the Mystic Seaport Museum. Robert Walser has recorded a CD of rare sea songs, including a beautiful boat launching chantey from the West Indies, "Long Summer's Day," commemorating the maiden launching of a new boat. The CD is called When our Ship Comes Home, available from CAMSCO.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: GUEST,Julia
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 10:22 AM

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: GUEST,julia
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 10:22 AM

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: GUEST,julia
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 10:24 AM

This time "I'll type the message first! Sheesh- I guess my computer is over anxious
Enny whey- thanks all

Chanteyranger- this is Tad I am talking about. He's finally getting his Pod in the water

Anymore ideas?
cheers- Julia

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 01:39 PM

Beware of the champagne-bottle routine! Those are STRONG bottles, and if you're going to break one over a boat you need to deeply score the bottle so that it's ready to break. Otherwise you could do some damage.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: DonMeixner
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 03:41 PM

Good point Dave,

The boats I'm in reference to were steel or ferro-cement hulls, 32' and more in length.

Don

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: BB
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 04:08 PM

The tune 'Off She Goes' used to be played at West Country launchings.

There is also a poem 'The Launch of the John Patchett', although it is boat-specific, of course. She was built by Westacott's at Appledore in N. Devon, and launched in December 1843. It was given a tune in 1979 for a series of shows in Instow, and a tape to raise funds for the N. Devon Maritime Museum in Appledore.

THE LAUNCH OF THE JOHN PATCHETT

Through the grey mists of dawn all curling around,
The ponderous notes of the shipyard resound;
The fires by which builders are plying their toil,
And loud voices clashing increase the turmoil.

They lift the huge hull from the spot where it grew,
A monument vast to the ship-builders true;
E'er the gloom that o'erhangs the broad river is fled,
Men with sinewy arms and by friendliness led,

Hand o'er hand they silently climb her tall side
To help the good ship to the deep rolling tide;
They pause from their toil, for the time it is come,
And soon the glad ship shall approach her new home.

Hark! The dog-shore is struck, and loud voices proclaim
Her name as she springs from the land to the main;
Now she moves; cheer me hearties! She's launched on the tide;
Now the waters caress her and flow to her side.

From the crowd on the shore her praises resound;
How proudly they view her fair form all around;
Hurrah and hurrah, the John Patchett is free;
She has found her true home on the deep rolling sea.

Probably no use at all in your circumstances, but enjoy it anyway.

Barbara

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: Melani
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 10:36 PM

Marine stores sometimes sell special champagne bottles for launchings, guaranteed to break easily. Say hi and congratulations to Tad!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 11:27 PM

Hi to Julia! And to Fred! And of course hello and congratulations to Tad. Once he get her in the water he can sail her out here to me!

We launched our canoe last month with hula dancers, traditional song and conch shell horns blowing. There were chamorros running around in traditional costume, loincloth and tattoos as well as various woven coconut frond decorations. The effort of dragging a 22 foot outrigger canoe down to the water includes a chant but I haven't been able to record it yet.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: Gurney
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 06:38 AM

Don't even consider using the viking tradition.


More seriously, hook the anchor over the forepeak or somewhere and crack the bottle over that. Wear safety glasses. There is considerable pressure in a champers bottle.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 12:09 PM

FYI: A dog shore is the strut which keeps the vessel and its poppets from sliding down the ways prematurely. In theory, a worker with a sledgehammer stands by and, as soon as the bottle breaks, strikes the shore out of the way, allowing gravity to send the launching cradle and vessel to the sea, river or other convenient water. EBarnacle

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: GUEST,Ironmule
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 02:15 PM

I know over on the WoodenBoat Forum I found some good and not so good advice for launching days. here it was advised to have a designated photographer, since your brother will have his hands full with the launching. You can probably disregard the advice about virgin's blood to sprinkle the rudder. But have a plan.

Try to avoid "Stupid Launching Mistakes" , and if it has one, Don't forget the drain plug!

This five page thread on "Boat Names" had some launch day stories, and here's the photo's of a Danish town's launch, with draft horses, of the Smakke "Beeke Selmer"

I don't recall any songs being important to these, but I didn't reread them in detail, nor search every division of the forum. They must be searched seperately. I hope there's some help in these.

Jeff Smith

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: Ironmule
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 07:17 PM

Ooops, I've now reset my cookies

Jeff Smith

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: GUEST,Julia
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 11:30 PM

These are great- I like the loincloth idea... on the right person, of course! tattooed people should be pretty easy to find these days- I think some of my offspring have them. And I've got a great conch shell- Fred is great at blasting it.Or maybe his didgereedoo?
Draught horses could be fun, too. I think I know some big dogs...
I think Tad said something about rum,so we don't have to worry about sledge hammers and shattered glass. But he won't tell me the name of the boat as he says it's bad luck. Actually, I think he hasn't made up his mind.
As for virgins, well I think the Bath Iron works gave up on that idea a long time ago as they couldn't find any in Bath, at least not on the waterfront. Fred says they still would knock out the blocks with battering rams when he worked there. Pretty primal
I have a friend who is fluent in Gaelic who said she would dig up some old blessing or other. Will let everyone know when she gets it to me
I still would like to sing something
TTFN- Julia

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: GUEST,Julia
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 11:44 AM

Refresh?

I have a great Boat Blessing given to me by Frank Gotwals, a singing lobsterman fro Stonington ME
He wrote it for the launching of his friend's boat

Bless this boat
And those who take her out upon the northern seas
Always carry them to plenty
And bring them safely home again

Homeward Bound, Homeward Bound

Once you were
A dream that led a young heart to the waiting sea
Generations ask in silence
Bring them safely home again

Homeward Bound, Homeward Bound

Brave the gales of late November
Find a path through summer fog
Weather all the storms of winter
April brings new hope

Bless this boat
And those who take her out to work the northern deep
Take them to good life and living
And bring them safely home again

Homeward Bound, Homeward Bound
Homeward Bound, Homeward Bound

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: GUEST,Julia
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 11:55 AM

Saturday August 28 at 10:30 am the peapod Phoibe took to the waters of Pemaquid Beach, Maine. A small gathering of family and friends of the builder/owner, Tad Lyford, were in attendance. The boat, painted in glowing white with pine green trim was bedecked with a lovely bouquet of summer flowers- sunflower, cosmos, snapdragons and Queen Anne's lace set off with purple ribbons.
The spirits were summoned by the blowing of a conch shell performed by Fred Gosbee, brother-in-law.The blessing was invoked by Joan Lyford, mother. In keeping with the Greek origin of the boat's name, a bottle of red Greek wine was broached and splashed upon her bow, offered to the sea and consumed by those attending.
The boat was then guided into the water by Tad Lyford with the help of his niece, Bronwen Lane who wore a lovely shell pink tank top that revealed her delicate oriental tattoo. Music was provided by Castlebay who played the lively jig "Off She Goes" on pennywhistle and fringe harp.
Enthusiastic onlookers cheered as the Phoibe glided effortlessly through the water of the cove rowed by her proud owner. Rides were offered and taken while more wine and hors'd'oevres were consumed.
The Phoibe was declared to be an exceptional craft, graceful in demeanor yet well built to withstand the rigors of the north Atlantic.
Photos may be viewed at www.castlebay.net within the week.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Boat launching songs & customs
From: HuwG
Date: 11 Sep 04 - 07:04 PM

Not really a launching tale, but a nice piece of boat folklore, or perhaps urban myth. However, I heard it from an Army Officer who, Max Boyce-like, claimed "he wos there".

Enough prologue. In South-West Pembrokeshire, there was until only a few years ago, a tank gunnery range at Castlemartin. Because rounds could occasionally fly out to sea, a suitable large "Danger Area" was marked, and all yacht clubs and other nautical bodies in the region were notified.

Now, a peculiarity of the British "Chieftain" tank, and its successor, the "Challenger", is that the shell and propellant for its main gun are loaded separately. This means the loader has to reach down to one side, grab the shell, shove it into the breech, reach down to the other side and do the same for the charge. This sounds like a drawback, but on the other hand he doesn't have to struggle with a single four-foot long, fifty-pound weight round, as in the American "Abrams" tank.

Another peculiarity; the Chieftain's gun fires either an armour-piercing round, which takes a full-power propellant charge, or a high-explosive round (HESH) which takes a half-power charge. Those aware of Murphy's Laws will know what is coming next. A flustered trainee loader put a HESH round in the breech, followed by a full-power charge. He shouted "Ready", then, "Oh, sh..", but it was too late. With a bang which gave the gunner a spectacular black eye and didn't do the recuperating gear much good, the HESH PRAC shell was on its way.

Some five miles outside the marked danger area, a yacht was pottering up the Bristol Channel. There was a sharp "crack", and the skipper looked up to see a neat 120 millimeter hole in his mainsail. When he had worked out what had happened, taken cover, decided that he hadn't been mistaken for a target and that no more shells were coming his way, he started complaining loudly to whoever would listen on the radio.

Unfortunately, what he did on reaching shore cost him several thousand pounds in compensation, and saved the careers of one or two people in the Army. He decided that a perfectly neat, round, 120 mm hole didn't look spectacular enough and ran a cigarette lighter round the edges of it. Everybody believed him but the Army, when they turned up, instantly said, "We didn't do that."

The arguments went on for several weeks, but to settle it the Army purchased another mainsale, rigged it up between two hard targets at the end of the range and fired a shell through it. Being extra-sneaky, they fired an armour-piercing round, which leaves only a 60 millimeter hole.


It has to be said that my father, who has held various posts at nearby Saundersfoot Yacht Club, claims never to have heard the tale, except from me.