Plastic Classic Forum

todd gustafson wrote: I have put coins under all my boats masts every spring as i splash for years and years....... i understand it has to be the same year that the boat was built....is that right?

Which raises a question in my mind, what if a boat has been built over a period of many years? What is the "proper" date to apply? - - - Should it be the "Start" date or "Completion" date?

Many home built vessels have taken a very long time to arrive at Splash-day. So is that the year? or, am I right in saying I believe the correct answer can only be determined if the correct question is asked? - - - That question being: "How old is the keel?" - - - Although I suspect this question was traditionally applied to wooden built boats, should it also apply to GRP hull and deck assemblies?

I'm very curious about this because I will soon need to register or licence my own vessel in the near future, and I'm sure the question will arise, "Year of build?" ... and I need to insert the correct date on the official document.

Finally, I believe the tradition in England was to place a Gold Sovreign under the mast. But what coin might one use in this day and age? Bearing in mind I'm a Canadian citizen, should I use a genuine gold coin, or something of lesser value? What is the current rule of tradition?

Completion date.

Something of a lessor value...? You anger Neptune at your own risk.

Some simple Google research tells me a 1oz Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin will set me back
CA$1,451.37 plus S&H - - - Sheesh! I can buy another good headsail for that kind of money!

Sorry Neptune, I'm afraid it's probably going to be a "Loonie or a Toonie" (Canadian $1 & $2 coins) Mind you, I'll be sure to obtain a new coin that I shall encapsulate in epoxy, just to keep the sheen on it..

Tim wrote:Completion date.

Thanks for this Tim.

How do you put a "completion year" coin under the mast? The boat isn't complete yet. And even stepping the mast doesn't mean it's complete. You could have a lot yet to do, and the way most of us (I'd bet) get stuff done, it could well be the next year, or later, by the time the boat is "complete."

Just wunnerin'....

Here's a thought: does the date of the coin matter? Or is it simply the fact that you've put a coin there?

Here's what that repository of all knowledge, Wikipedia, has to say about it.

Hmmm... even curiouser, Wikipedia indicates there are two different coin-laying ceremonies in a ship's construction.

Based on the origins of the superstitious reason for laying a coin at the base of the mast, it seems to me that it's not so much to commemorate when the boat was built, but to have a coin there, so if that's the belief, the date is not as significant - although I'm sure that for modern sensibilities, the preference would be to have a coin of the correct minting, yes?

I had this idea that traditionally it was a copper coin, which might make sense with a wooden spar (against rot). It sounds like there may be a number of variations on the tradition.

[quote="ILikeRust"]How do you put a "completion year" coin under the mast? The boat isn't complete yet. And even stepping the mast doesn't mean it's complete. You could have a lot yet to do, and the way most of us (I'd bet) get stuff done, it could well be the next year, or later, by the time the boat is "complete."

Just wunnerin'....[/quote]


I probably should have explained: - - - Having recently purchased all new rigging, and even more recently ordered a suit of sails from Leitch & McBride Sails, of Sidney, BC., I feel a sense of urgency to completing the project.
I've quit all other non-boat related activities with the exception of one, spending as much time as possible working on the boat. I'm trying deperately to do things in the correct sequence in order to minimize rework.
Right now, my biggest challenge is to figure out where to install a Holding Tank in this little cruiser?
One of my grandson's who happens to be an Automotive Body-man has promised to come over toward the end of June to sand the "shine" from the gelcoat below the waterline and apply a good bottom paint for me.
The sails are slated for delivery July 1st, therefore, I'm aiming for a splash date sometime July/August this year - - - providing my health holds up. - - - No reason why it shouldn't, having now received a clean bill of health from my physician following a long bout with cancer last year - - - which slowed me down considerably. Right about now, I feel about as fit as I'll ever be for an old guy of my age.

Rachel wrote:I had this idea that traditionally it was a copper coin, which might make sense with a wooden spar (against rot).

I don't have any real knowledge on what the tradition is, but if rot is a concern, I don't think anything is more resistant to oxidation than gold for metals coins are made of.