A couple of possible names to heckle or admire

[arbarnhart]

My little boat has had no name that I know of despite being 30 years old. When I finish with some cosmetics and painting, that will change. She will be all white above the water line. I like short names that are easy to read and say, have some meaning(s) and aren't too overused (it's fine if there are a few others out there but not if I am going to be running into them all the time). And, as you will see, my preference is actually not English so that in English it seems like more of a name.

Anyway, here are the two I am considering so far:

Kohanna - this means "little flower" in Japanese and at the risk of causing some sibling jealousy, my daughter Hannah does seem to enjoy sailing with me most.

Obi - the means "heart" in an African dialect and I think it was part of a named used in a movie once

[tweitz]

Obi is also a Japanes sash worn around a kimono, and don't forget Obi Wan Kanobi.

[lbdavis]

I kinda like them both.

Kohanna:
- sounds more majestic
- more likely to be mispronounced (hanna, like your daughter, or Hana like in Maui...)
- Fills the transom nicely

Obi:
- sounds cute. (nothing wrong with that in my book)
- simple is good
- you are begging the rest of the famed Obi name to be spoken often.

my $.02 adjusted for rising oil prices = .02 miles in a SUV

[arbarnhart]

Originally Posted by tweitz

Obi is also a Japanes sash worn around a kimono, and don't forget Obi Wan Kanobi.

Yeah, Obi Wan is the name I was referring to with my lame joke.

BTW, the pic in my avatar is not really me nor my boat, but after I finish the paint job it will be an almost exact match, so for all practical purposes it is the name for the boat pictured.

[Valiente]

Neither of them is a horrible pun (the smaller the boat, the worse the wordplay), like "Weather or Knot" or "Seas the Day" or "Breaking Wind", so you are good to go with either.

I think "Kohanna" might be better understood by the Coast Guard, although it will never be spelled correctly. That would be my primary concern, above and beyond my budget for sticky letters or stencils.

We stuck with the P.O.'s name of Alchemy, because it's federally registered in Canada (we are the only one), because there's only one Alchemy registered in the States to my knowledge (and he cruises Turkey, I think), and because alchemy, the art and science of turning base metals into spiritual achievement, is both a subtle and appropriate name for a metal boat, and is exotic enough to be remembered, but not so exotic that it won't be understood by guys trying to I.D. you through static or distance.

Anyway, that was my logic. Yours may center on pleasing your daughter. Fair winds, regardless.

[arbarnhart]

Originally Posted by Valiente

I think "Kohanna" might be better understood by the Coast Guard, although it will never be spelled correctly. That would be my primary concern, above and beyond my budget for sticky letters or stencils.

This was in my thinking also. Not just understood, but also pronounced, so if I am in a busy area and monitor the radio I could easily be hailed and maybe get a friendly suggestion about a course correction instead of getting screamed at from a cruiser at close quarters.

[bruceyp]

I like the Kohanna too.
But mainly because my boat is the Hannah Lee, my wife's pseudonym, and a play on Honna lea, like from "Puff the magic dragon" (make what you like of that).
Bruceyp of the Hannah Lee ( I like the rhyme, too).

[Iflyka200s]

Uhuru

The Swahili word for 'freedom'.

[nightowle]

Be prepared to spend time explaining the meaning to all those that ask. I get it a lot with our boat: "nagual" which was named by the PO. Apparently, it means nirvana or a state of bliss in the Yaqui Indian dialect. He was a fan of writer Carlos Castenada. We're thinking of changing the name to something more simple and direct and avoid the explanation thing.

[arbarnhart]

Originally Posted by nightowle

Be prepared to spend time explaining the meaning to all those that ask.

Yes, that's a positive in my book (just try and shut me up )but I fully understand that isn't so for every one.