Ernest Hemingway fished from his beloved 38-foot Pilar, built in Brooklyn and sailed to the Caribbean. Jason and the Argonauts sailed aboard the Argo searching for the Golden Fleece in pan-Helenic mythological lore. Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in 1947 sailed the Kon-Tiki raft across the South Pacific to the Polynesian Islands, naming it after the Inca sun god, Viracocha.
Whether a dingy or giant superyacht, maybe a fishing boat or nickname for a beloved canoe, names are an essential part of the boating culture. Choosing a name often signifies a characteristic about the owner he or she wants to let the world know about. Professional golfer Tiger Woods, for example, named his mega-yacht Privacy, because it allows him an escape on the seas.
Each year, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) tallies the most popular boat names. The tradition dates back a quarter century, with the list derived from requests for boat name designs from BoatUS Boat Graphics.
The 2019 BoatUS Top 10 Boat Names:
- Aquaholic: After a four-year absence from the Top 10 list, this popular boat name returns. Its appeal is its intoxicating wordplay about overdoing too much time on the water. This kind of imbibing, however, won’t give you a hangover — except maybe on a Monday morning when you have to go back to work!
- Pearl: Sometimes a shortening of the name of the fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, folks who put Pearl on the transom likely know that their luxurious vessel has an understated luster.
- Forever Young: While boating isn’t exactly like the Fountain of Youth, many boaters say the feeling of boating, sailing or fishing keeps them feeling young. A perfect name for maintaining a stress-free boating life.
- Second Chance: This boat owner has likely had an opportunity for a do-over — be it with boating or a life challenge related to health, career or matrimony. It’s a reminder to take advantage of the chance to start over.
- Squid Pro Quo: It’s clear this fishing vessel owner appreciates Latin, or at least perhaps understands that life is a game of give-and-take.
- More Cowbell: A 2000 Saturday Night Live comedy skit featuring Will Farrell and Christopher Walken pokes fun at taking things too far. Perhaps this boat is a little over the top as well.
- Pegasus: A winged horse from Greek mythology that was capable of creating water springs just by striking his hoof into the earth. This boat name that connects earth and sky is commonly found on both sailboat and powerboat transoms.
- Feelin’ Nauti: Who says you can’t be amorous while boating?
- Why Knot?: These owners appreciate nautical wordplay and realize sometimes you just have to jump into things without overanalyzing it.
- High Maintenance: This term, sometimes used to reference a boat owner’s spouse, can also indicate that this vessel also requires much time, money or effort. A good choice for a high-performance boat.
For a look at all of the BoatUS Top 10 Boat Names lists over the years go to BoatUS.com/Boatgraphics/Top-10-boat-names.
The BoatUS Graphics service offers an online design tool to easily create custom boat graphics with fast turnaround times. BoatUS also has simple step-by-step video instructions on how to install graphics on your boat.
