Big Boat Man started with this humble balsa wood model to ensure the drawings he came across in a book were buildable.  The model then sat for some time because something was wrong, and BBM assumed he had miscalculated and needed to do some re-working.  However, someone selflessly posted online about having also had the same problem, and it was in the drawings. I.e. not BBM’s fault. Renewed energy and breath breathed into efforts, and the project was underway in earnest.

Of course that was some time ago.

The number one question from the model to this day has been, ‘What are you naming it?’

I don’t know if it is considered bad luck to give a name before the christening of a boat, but I can talk you through a process that is quite serious, all things considered.

Firstly, the names we threw at BBM were fairly off the cuff, along the ilk of Kaptain Kapiti, The Bucking Bronco, Sail Fishing.  Often we were in tears of laughter as the names ranged from silly to painfully long.  In the end, none of the names would have worked anyway.  It turned out BBM wanted a female seafaring name.  So you can imagine the silly names he was thrown at that point.

We honestly did not think it would be such a big deal.  Name it after the granddaughter Paige? No, because that would leave out the grandson Cohen. True. Can’t have that.  Name it after the wife?  Certainly not.  So what female name could be used which meant something, yet left the future open for what the (female) boat became over time for us?

Our time in Portugal was an influence. What about a Mediterranean name?  Yes.  Which one?  So, listening to the radio one day, BBM heard the name Lucia.  Ah, surely we could name it something like that?  Isn’t there a saint of the water?  Didn’t we see this name on boats in Portugal?

Research informed us that Santa Lucia was the Saint of the blind, or perhaps the Saint of sight.  Hmmm. We weren’t sure that was what we wanted.  Having said that, it would fit with the desire of BBM to have the traditional eyes on the front.  Not sure if that would clash with a Saint for the blind?

Further research followed, and it was decided we would choose the meaning we preferred from another site online.  Santa Lucia helped seafarers see, or find, their way home.  Ah, now we’re talking!

But not wanting Santa Lucia, and not wanting just Lucia left us with a rhythm-less naked name, Lucia.

Radio to the rescue again.  In passing, the National Radio announcer mentioned a Dona Lucia.  Rhythm. The name we prefer with a title which is acceptable.  Is it acceptable?  What does Dona mean?  Yes, it’s acceptable.  OK then, Dona Lucia?  Dona Lucia. Yes, Dona Lucia.  Dona Lucia it is.

The next week we were questioning whether this was what BBM wanted.  Was it manly enough?  Did it capture the male seafaring nature of what this boat is going to be used for? Did Dona Lucia REALLY mean what we thought it meant?  If we do more research will we discover that Lucia really IS the Saint of the blind, there inferring that the boat can’t see it’s way home?

What is this boat’s name, you ask?

Well, we think it is Dona Lucia.  But to know for sure, you’ll have to come to the launch.  We might have come across another name by then.