P1: What's in a name? Our Beloved Roobarb and Roobarb's Reach

All dog owners have more than one 'name' for their dog. The dog always answers to the name-of-the-moment, partly because it is your voice and tone and partly because, to your dog, you are heaven and earth and all things in it - and your voice is the voice of their world.

Those of us who have chosen to be child free tend to have their world revolve around their dog too.

Layer on top of that - we had a Boxer - a breed which inspires fanaticism from their owner - although most owners of Boxers will attest to the fact that the dog owned them.

Our girl was Rooby. Full Sunday name - of course - Roobarb. (As in the '70s classic cartoon)

Like her namesake she would chase birds and scatter interlopers into 'her space'.

 

Rooby, guarding 'her' narrowboat from swans.

From being a puppy to the final year of her life when she was frail, and too arthritic to cope with the stairs, Roob's personal holiday home was our Narrowboat. It was hers and our happy place, either perched on the stern telling the swans off as we motored along, or in the winter wedged up against the coal stove - we genuinely could not imagine being boaters without her with us.

Now - she was a dog of many names

• Roobs
• Rooby
• Roobarb
• Roobarb Davies
• Booby
• Booboos
• Booboos the Wooboos
• Bubs
• Bubsie
• Bubsywubsie pudding and pie
• WooWoos
• Stinky
• Stinker-pinker
• Stinky-winky
• Pinky
• Pinky-winky
• Winky
• Winkton
• Winky-woos
• Stumpie
• Stumps
• Stumpton
• Flumpton
• Darling child
• Baby-dog
• Daddy's little treasure.

You get the picture.

All who knew her, knew she had a huge personality - and a gentle affectionate nature that came to the fore when Lynne enrolled her as a Pets as Therapy visiting dog at the local hospice in York.

Playful, challenging, stubborn, perceptive, empathetic, friendly - but mostly a force of nature in the present moment.

Plagued with kidney disease and pancreatitis her whole life, she sensed she was always walking a fine line and she lived her life to the total fullest. She trusted us with her care and even loved her vet.

It broke our hearts when the the time came after 11.5 years - but it also signalled that it was time to start this new chapter. 

But we had to keep her with us - as she was a huge part of our lives.

    So what to do?                                               

Well - once we had the boat - the question arose about the name. (Finding the boat is another post)

There is a traditional superstition about re-naming a boat. I have seen Yachts and Narrowboats with a tiny inscription - a small name followed by 'sailing as' - followed by the larger name on the boat itself.

Apparently it goes back to the days that a boat's name was dedicated to Poseidon (or Neptune for the Romans) - and one would make a sacrifice of wine to the god of the seas - and dedicate the name to his service, and he would watch over you.

Re-naming a vessel without dedicating her to Poseidon would mean he had no sight over you and his storms would wash you asunder.

This basically translated as a source of bad-luck.

Lots of things are bad-luck at sea. The following are proven scientific facts.

• Cats
• Whistling
• Singing whilst facing into wind
• Umbrellas
• Women 
• Red heads
• Setting sail on a Friday
• Not saluting the quarter deck when coming aboard
• Hurting Albatrosses or any sea-birds (They're the souls of sailors)

To Be Honest - I'm flaunting all but the cats and albatrosses.

To safely re-name, you must purge the old name, hold a full rededication to Poseidon, and the gods of the four winds and make a sacrifice. 

Basically strip away the old name, hold a ceremony and have a bottle of fizz.

The boat has had multiple names before - it appears to be a custom in the Med, when re-flagged to rename.

When we bought her - it was 'THOR AIE II' But she was French flagged. 

Yes. FRENCH flagged.

Lots of boats in the Med have different flags - Polish being the most common. (V Low fees, no residential address required in Poland) Spanish being the least ((20% value tax on registration - the Laffer curve in action in the wild).

But French. Up With That One Must Not Put. Pray God for Nelson, Aboukir and Trafalgar bay NO.

(TBH French Yachties are as good as ours - and its a great community etc - but, standards eh chaps?)

The British Small Ships Register is easy for me - I have a UK address. Normally this would entail a Red Ensign.

I have permission to wear a Blue Ensign.  (See post on The Cruising Association)

This is the equivalent of parking an Aston in between the sea of Jags at the golf club. (A white Ensign would be the equivalent of a vintage 7 litre Bentley).

All the years we were narrow boating we talked about naming a narrowboat after our beloved.

Roobarb's Retreat was the name we always came back to. Signifying where she would have been happiest - and our final adventure together - and some of her ashes scattered into the canals she loved  so much. She would have been back home and resting in peace - albeit bothering the swans.

Students of sailing will know the 'positions' of sailing - The Beat, the Tack, Close Hauled, the Run and the Reach. Sailing latterly - across the wind - as if one was reaching across the Mediterranean. etc., etc.

And thus - Roobarb's Reach was chosen.

So here is to you our darling. Your name liveth for ever more.