In an attempt to discern a link between the subtle art of boat naming and the intellectual capacity of those who name them, I propose to study in some little depth the names of boats which I happen across in my travels and cast aspersions based on a lifetime's experience in the peanut gallery on why these names come about. Factors that will certainly come into play from the outset will include whether vessels are sail or power driven, whether owners are rich or poor, the extent to which owners are hung. What I hope to assertain through my research are those factors less immediate than those above. What events in an owner's infancy could influence their boat naming artistry, what processes and rituals take place during the naming process. In my attempt to unlock these factors, to draw them to the conscious surface, I shall apply the theories of Freud and Nietzche, as well as the philosophies of Sartre in particular reference to his thoughts on colonialism, and Foucault on madness, discipline and punishment.

My study shall take form primarily through the posting on this log of photographs of boat names, with particular emphasis on those that are silly or in other ways remarkable. I may post elements of my research alongside these images, and encourage readers to add their comments and theories in the spaces provided to further our understanding of and interest in this fascinating course of study.