Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
Boats – diesel-powered or electric – are the lifeblood of the open water swimming world. Whether a mass participation swim in a lake or a solo attempt across a channel, boats offer safety, communications, and escorts to the swimmer, crews, officials and the race organizers.
Official boats, escort boats, safety boats – both large and small – serve to act as feeding stations, a means for rescues, and navigational umbilical cords for swimmers out in open bodies of water.
Pilots, navigators, mariners, crew, officials, volunteers, announcers, physicians and reporters spend their time on boats throughout open water swimming competitions, marathon relays and channel swims. Without boats, events could not be organized and marathon swims could not be attempted.
So it is always enjoyable for us to observe the interesting names that boat owners call their boats. Here are some of our favorites:
A Wave From It All
A Yacht of Fun
Blew Bayou
Cayman Went
Chicksdigit
Chum Crazy
Cirrhosis of the River
Dances With Waves
Dawns Early Light
Debaitable
Decked Out
Egg-Sta-Sea
Endless Summer
Fah Get A Boat It
Fant-a-Sea
Feelin Nauti
Happy Berth Day
Irish Luna Sea
Jamaican Me Crazy Too
Knot Big Enuff
Knot Paid IV
Knot So Fast
Knot Too Shabby
Knotty Buoy
Knotty Girl
Lets Get Naughty-Cal
License To Chill
Marlin Monroe
Mi Barco Su Barco
Naut Fast Enuff
Reel Wild
Reely Nauti
Fishing Boat
Sail Bad The Sinner
Sea Rious
Sea Vu Play
Sea Ya
Sea-esta
Sea-F-O
Sea-N-Red
Seaclusion
Viaqua
Vitamin Sea
Wake My Day
Wake Watchers
Wet-Ever
Wetted Bliss
Whats Up Dock?
Wholesail
Y-Knot
Your Place Oar Mine
Photo shows Greg Elliot of the Bottom Scratcher in the Catalina Channel.
Copyright © 2013 by World Open Water Swimming Association