Boat Christening Ceremony

Naming a boat is no casual affair—it involves some serious boat juju. Boat christening is a hallowed mariner tradition, not to be trifled with.

Since we spent a combined total of 14 hours removing and applying our new boat name,  not to mention all the effort in choosing our boat's name, we were determined to do our boat christening right. 

For inspiration on what to say, I turned to two quotes from Jimmy Buffet's A Salty Piece of Land.

now, more than ever, we don't just enjoy our escapism, we NEED it.

and

There are no words to the song of the ocean, but the message is simple: not to forget where we came from. The melody is locked in the water that composes much of what we are. Most humans ignore that song. We hold the melody in our heart. It is a wandering song carried by the wind and currents. One day, when we find the place we are meant to be, we will take root. (slightly modified)

Then, with an "I christen thee Gallivant," I whacked our pre-scored bottle of champagne, specially designed for boat christening. With a satisfying thud, it broke in the first swing—a sign of good luck. 

Christina and Carlos of Mulberry Cove Marina are on each side of Wayne.

More than where we go, we find what we remember most is those we share our time with. For that reason, we were delighted Carlos and Christina of NAS JAX's Mulberry Cove Marina were willing to join us for Gallivant's christening ceremony. Everyone on the base seemed to go out of their way to make our life better here, especially the RV park and even more so the marina. It was our small way of saying thanks for all they've done for us. Christina helped in the christening by taking a video and Carlos with his sincere enthusiasm.

Now we're ready to cruise! 

Well, except for the fact that I still need to sell my car, and we're still waiting for our paperwork for interim US Coast Guard registration paperwork and a good weather window. Soon, though. Very soon.

If you'd like a more detailed version of how to do a boat christening, here are two great sources

West Marine: Christening a Boat

Sail Magazine: How to Christen Your Boat

Location Location

We're in NAS JAX Mulberry Cove Marina, N30 12.980 W81 40.234.

Another brilliant sunset from NAS JAX's Mulberry Cove Marina, Jacksonville, Florida.