Unusual or Comical Boat Names - The Best and Worst

[David Mack]

Not forgetting "Wet Dream" (ugh!) and "The Dogs, Bow Locks".

[Naughty Cal]

Moored locally, there's " Norfolk & Chance". I've seen " Beau Locks" and an " R.Swipe" too. Hmmm....

On our travels we have seen Norfolk Enchants

[Felshampo]

Always thought the Far Canal Narrow Boat Co would be nice?

[magnetman]

The rudest one I have seen is "up yaws" but its a splitter not a canal boat.

There was a boat from 'far canal' on the K&A when I went in 2000

 

 

"misses bridges" always gave me a smile

[Naughty Cal]

I saw a wide beam called "Wide Awake" which I thought was quite good. I don't usually like the corny names, "Narrow Escape" as an example.

There is a Bayliner at the end of our pontoon called Wider Wake.

[john6767]

When I see these sort of names I always think about how they would sound on VHF.

 

"Gloucester Lock this is The Saucy Mrs Flobster over"

 

"Gloucester Lock this is Norfolk & Chance over"

 

Would they be able to keep a straight face replying, and what are the changcs of getting a "station calling..." reply particularly with ones like the second.

[The Maestro]

My favourite is SAWLEY MIST.

[John V]

When I was looking for a Keel to buy one that I saw was the lugubrious "Tobias of Goole" That would sound great over the radio!

[PeterScott]

Did a couple of trips on SHIP HAPPENS (subsequently refitted and renamed Piedaleau.)

 

I always liked TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN (not moored at Lapworth junction any more)

 

and BARELY A WAKE

 

And I wonder if the joke wears thin, and only the ££££ of repainting makes the name endure:

SIR

.T.

FIABLE

[magnetman]

I wonder if one would be allowed to call a boat 'May Day' ?

[MoominPapa]

Saw Ummagumma in Tewkesbury a while back, I'm assuming the owners were big Pink Floyd fans

Have seen more than one "Comfortably Numb".

 

MP.

[Guest]

That'll be on 'Wandering Snail', isn't it.

Yes just checked their blog and you are correct, I missed an s though as it's actually 'Less' not 'Les'

[Wanted]

We plan on changing out boat name properly as soon as I can afford the paint, at present she is Promises which makes me want to vom.

 

So, at present we unifficially call her 'Mudlark' because we live near the Thames and most of the interia has been scavenged.

 

We are now going off that so all may change again...

 

I think might just hang a chalk board on the side and change weekly...

[larryjc]

Fed up with seeing tiny little boats called 'Tardis'

 

The RN owned narrow boat on the K&A - Shy Talk (Sea gull in jackspeak)

 

Seen in the past:

 

'She got the house'

 

'Unsinkable the Second'

 

'Five flip flops' - never got that one.

[comfortably numb]

Have seen more than one "Comfortably Numb".

 

MP.

 

I think there are 8 Comfortably Numb's including ours, of which I've seen 3 of them.

 

As well as an 'Ummagumma' there was a 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' I saw near Middlewhich a couple of years ago.

 

Recently we needed to cover up some old sign writing and (this will only be understood by Floyd fans) I wanted to have 'Is there anybody in there?' on one side and 'Is there anybody out there?' on the other side. But the wife was dead against it unfortunately.

[MoominPapa]

 

I think there are 8 Comfortably Numb's including ours, of which I've seen 3 of them.

 

As well as an 'Ummagumma' there was a 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' I saw near Middlewhich a couple of years ago.

 

Recently we needed to cover up some old sign writing and (this will only be understood by Floyd fans) I wanted to have 'Is there anybody in there?' on one side and 'Is there anybody out there?' on the other side. But the wife was dead against it unfortunately.

 

The last Comfortably Numb I saw, on the Weaver, had the signwriting done in Gerald Scarfe-esque spidery writing which included "Is there anybody in there".

 

MP.

[magnetman]

Corrie d'or

 

Don't think corrie is a French word so only works one way but quite good for a long nb

[b0atman]

Just imagine if once registered boat name could not be used on any other boat ?

[pearley]

I see on Canalplan that there are 8 Puddleduck narrowboat registered with CRT and I think we've seen them all in the past week.

 

I did rather like Ami Bovard on the Stratford last year.

[Ricco1]

Many people ask me what my boat name 'Rensol' means. I'm not really sure, think the previous owner was in the oil industry.

 

I sometimes dream about a paint and name change. Grey roof, black grey and silver sides, artwork of a big rolling barrel wave on each side and new name: 'silver surfer'. But then I wake up and realise I haven't got a spare £5000.00.

[mango]

I saw one named 'Momentary Lapse of Reason'. On the rear deck were two petrol generators, a fuel can and a bottle of propane. The name seemed appropriate.

Just imagine if once registered boat name could not be used on any other boat ?

That's not a problem. I don't believe that anyone has named their boat 'Kingfisher 948'.

[Pete of Ebor]

Once saw a boat called "Morning Flatulence" moored near Great Haywood Junction. Fortunately it didn't appear to be a hire boat or there could have been an entire fleet of "flatulents" !

[keble]

A l'eau c'est l'heure

[mango]

Once saw a boat called "Morning Flatulence" moored near Great Haywood Junction. Fortunately it didn't appear to be a hire boat or there could have been an entire fleet of "flatulents" !

I expect it had a wind generator rather than solar panels.

[Hawkmoth]

The Mutz Nutz, can't remember where we saw though.

Bob