Nautical Rights of Passage

[freeskier710]

ok guys i'm starting this thread because i'm having problems finding a website with the Nautical Rights of Passage Ceremonies, i'm sure we all know the shellback ceremony for crossing the equator, and the golden hoop for rounding the horn. i wanna hear all the ceremonies and strange traditiions that are historical in sailing. what started them? and your personal story regarding your own ceremony. this should be a fun and interesting topic of discussion for everyone, hope you enjoy.

Ryan

P.S. moderators i hope i'm in the right section

[newt]

The number one rule of our rites of passage is that we cannot reveal them to ummm...outsiders ;D

[mrb]

Did I miss something, what's an outsider?

[freeskier710]

well then maybe this should be in the members only section? and who here is an outsider?

[Amgine]

Heh... anyone not on the boat at the time of the, uhm, rites, depending on how much nudity and lubricants are involved. But I don't think that's necessarily a nautical rite...

For me, the only 'rites of passage' I can recall were in the US Navy. As a storeskeeper I was constantly asked to be supportive of request chits for yards of gig line, or buckets of bulkhead remover. I fell for a quest for a Bosun's hammer, and thought I was going to die and landed on the deck when I got a hard punch to the chest for my efforts. These are more a form of 'hazing' than rites of passage.

It was traditional at that time in Asia to take a mate out for a few too many drinks and a night with a ho before he shipped out to a new duty station; especially if you happened to be visiting Subic Bay in the Philippines.

And keep in mind that the old tradition of a gold hoop for Cape Horn (or any of the seven great capes) - the hoop was soldered in place. There was a bit of blood and pain in many of the old sailor's traditions.

[freeskier710]

yes the last part is more what i'm looking for, historical traditions such as rounding a particularly difficult cape or achieving something that warrants a marking on the body or some kind of ceremony, the key word here is Historical

[Amgine]

Ah! well, a 'boy' (not necessarily young, just a landsman signed on for a low position aboard) would often be shaved when he was moved in with the crew. From that point on he'd start growing his queue, or pigtail, or whatever it was called on that boat - a braid. The length of the braid was often a symbol of seniority, but as sailors didn't generally have time (or water) for personal hygiene the braid would be plaited up tight and secured in a wide variety of ways - one of the more famous being encased in an eel's skin, but more usually with some form of parceling or cord or a laced tube of leather.

A not uncommon rite of passage for midshipmen was to climb all masts aboard from partners to truck. In some ships this was a recognized accomplishment, for example allowing entry to the officers mess.

There were big celebrations when a sailor became 'able-bodied', not least because it usually included a pay raise and the possibility of becoming an officer. Preparing for the various examinations might take a year or more, and depending on the service would usually include practical examinations. In addition to knowing the name and application of every line aboard the boat, a seaman might be expected to know every knot, splice, and whipping used in the rig as well as be able to successfully 'box the compass' (recite the 32 points of a compass either clockwise or anti-clockwise.) On one vessel every crew member was required to learn to take and solve celestial sights, including the cook, to maintain their AB rating.

There are other kinds of ocean traditions, though. For example, it's traditional for an English yacht to wear a bundle of heather at the bow through the remaining portion of any cruise after calling on Skye (or, for some, anywhere in Scotland.)

[newt]

That was good Wayne, I didn't know you had all that history in you. Grog! (there, that's a tradition!) Don't worry Freeski, I was just teasing you. You are more than welcome to milk hot air from this group. ;)

[mrb]

OK, so why were some sailors called tars, and what is the significants of the collar on the navy whites and blues?

[Oldrig]

OK, so why were some sailors called tars, and what is the significants of the collar on the navy whites and blues?

Those braids/queues/pigtails were often kept in place with tar, or maybe they got tarred from the tar on the hemp lines that were used in the Age of Sail.

And, to keep the tarred pigtails from making too much of a mess, the Jack Tars wore those big collars.

[Delezynski]

Was wandering around the web and found a web site at:
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq92-1.htm

It talks about "Crossing the Line, Plank Owner and Other Unofficial Certificates Acquired by Naval Personnel". VERY interesting reading. Jill and I have a couple of the ones listed. I have also made a couple of certificates using a graphs program (GIMP is a very good free program). One that worked good that I made was to "promote" one of our son's "from swab to mate"....  ;)


Greg
www.svguenevere.com

[tomwatt]

Dredging up an old topic here with a possibly helpful link for anyone who might be digging through and reading. This was helpful for us in trying to provide my (Navy vet) Dad with all his awards, medals and certificates late in his life.
http://www.tiffanypublishing.com/
These guys publish and provide Shellback, Emerald & Golden Shellback, Golden Dragon (International Dateline), Spanish Main (Caribbean), Great Lakes, and many other certificates (for a modest fee).
The list and associated explanations are interesting at the very least.

[freeskier710]

wow thanks, very old topic of mine, things like this are very interesting to me