[QUOTE=farmerfalconer;181848]I even polished the bell once.[/QUOTE]
Is that what they’re calling it these days?
[QUOTE=Capt. Phoenix;181857]Is that what they’re calling it these days?[/QUOTE]
“I got yer bell right here!!”
[QUOTE=anchorman;181812]Must be from old sail ships[/QUOTE]
A vast majority of our superstitions are from the sailing days.
“Is that what they’re calling it these days?”
Eh wot?
You lost me there…
Another I recall is having an odd number of windows in the wheelhouse/bridge. . . . the middle one is supposed to keep the Sea Witch from running rampant. . . .
I sailed with a chief who put blocks of wood around the engine room so you could “knock on wood” when you made a claim that some thing hasn’t broke for awhile
That’s a fantastic idea except I want to make an alteration to it. I want an old dusty wooden box for knocking on at the appropriate time. Inside the box I want to place two items. One is an old rusty razor with the name Occam etched into the handle. The other will be an old tally book with the name Murphy stamped on the cover. It will be filled with blank pages except one that has his law written on it.
[QUOTE=brjones;182280]I sailed with a chief who put blocks of wood around the engine room so you could “knock on wood” when you made a claim that some thing hasn’t broke for awhile[/QUOTE]
I always just rap on my head. . . .
I’m not a superstitious person but I was always a big proponent of the one about whistling up a storm… simply because I hate bad whistling 
my wife does that…only she usually knocks my head!
[QUOTE=brjones;182334]my wife does that…only she usually knocks my head![/QUOTE]
Some call it luck, others call it spousal abuse. . .
[QUOTE=cmakin;182403]Some call it luck, others call it spousal abuse. . .[/QUOTE]
I guess he’s abusing her knuckles by having such a hard head?
Is there one about no women on-board? Or, no more than one woman on board (so they won’t fight with each other).
[QUOTE=johnny.dollar;182413]Is there one about no women on-board? Or, no more than one woman on board (so they won’t fight with each other).[/QUOTE]
Hey, that’s not necessarily true! I have worked on vessels that have tons of women where they get along. Research vessels come to mind.
After catching a small codfish, and gently unraveling him from the net, spit in his mouth and release him over the side. He will remember who let him go, and come back when he is bigger.
Superstitions were the natural response to the unexplained, right. So the naturally fit into traditional maritime culture because mariners were the guys who explored the unexplored, which uncovers unexplainable things. With globalization, technology and phenomenal breakthroughs in science over the past century, superstitions are not needed any more. The recreational community uses superstition the same way they use pirates, “sailor talk,” and other corny outdated mariner attributes, as dumb jokes. Traditional mariner culture is dying. Though, as long as Hollywood continues to market it, the general public will think its socially cool enough to mimic.