Each year BoatUS, which is short for the Boat Owners Association of the United States, releases its list of the top 10 boat names. Click here to see the lists dating back to 2010.
In 2021, the list is as follows (most popular first): Andiamo, Social Distancing, Grace, Shenanigans, Cool Change, Island Time, Knot On Call, Mojo, Freedom, Serenity.
I’m not the sharpest hook in the tacklebox, so I had to Google the name Andiamo. It means “Let’s Go” in Italian. Who knew?
Of course, there are many clever boat names that didn’t make the BoatUS top 10 list for 2021, and some of my favorites include Grounds for Divorce, Slush Fund and Moby Debt.
It appears that owners of small vessels are less likely to name their boat than those with larger ones. But there are certainly exceptions. Case in point: My 19-year-old son has a beat-up 14-foot aluminum boat, and after taking ownership of it, he carefully placed block letters on the side that spell out Slaunch Donkey. I think that’s youth-angler slang for a big largemouth bass.
My 16.5-foot fiberglass fishing boat says Skeeter on the side, but that’s the brand, not a name given by me. And the same is true for my vintage 12-foot aluminum john boat with the brand name Fisher on the side.
If I someday win the lottery and can afford a massive fishing boat — like those used on the Great Lakes — what will I name it? I think I’d have to play the nostalgia card and go with the S.S. Minnow, from one of my favorite TV shows as a kid, Gilligan’s Island.
P.S. A little Gilligan's Island trivia: If you were a fan of the show, then you know you want to sing the theme song . . . "the Minnow would be lost. The Minnow would be lost." Click the play button below to watch the season one intro. I always found it funny/interesting that the producers changed the ending of the season one intro. Apparently, Bob Denver, who played Gilligan, wasn't happy with the end of the song that said " . . . and the rest" and he threatened to have his name stripped from the show credits unless they added "The Professor and Mary Ann" to the intro. Thus, it was changed for all following seasons.
