ship names

[gfish]

For some reason, I have always wondered what I would name a sailing ship. It just seemed like I should have a name ready, just in case. Reading The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649 - 1815, I think I have finally found the proper name.

In the 17th century, Britain fought a series of naval wars against the Dutch. Not much came out of any of them, mostly because the Dutch weren't very organized and the British were pretty dumb about naval strategy. The Dutch were odd critters back then, motivated by commerce, led by a weak central republican government and boasting a very tolerant policy towards religion and a very modern banking system. (Which is why they were so successful, of course.) The British and the French tended to look down on them, and always assumed that, in the next war, the cowardly Dutch merchants would be crushed by their gallant gentlemen warriors.

In response to this ridiculous snobbery, in the Third Dutch War at least 3 Dutch privateers were named 'Getergde Kaasboer'.

The Provoked Cheesemonger.

Comments

[grinninfoole.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, I have only heard the word 'boer' used to mean farmer. I didn't know it could mean vendor, too.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

On the MARHST-L (http://post.queensu.ca/~listserv/wwwarch/marhst-l.html) list they just had a thread about silly ship names. This was one of my favorites from the thread:

Aspergillum, first heavy cruiser commissioned by the state of Vatican City. Armed with 6 heavy water cannon in three turrets, intended to sink light craft of infidels by flooding them with holy water. Lost at sea on her first operational cruise when a particularly vicious episode of St. Elmo's Fire ignited 300 barrels of altar wine and the ship exploded.

[kethet.livejournal.com]

The Dutch became the Neimoidians?

[boizane.livejournal.com]

So... this is the first post I got on you... Just missed the pictures.

Nice pictures, BTW.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Puzzle Pirates names all the ships with random [adjective] [fish]. Adventurous Angelfish, Educated Hake, Enlightened Rudd, Open-Minded Tench. (Yes, really.)

One day I misread Adventurous as Androgynous.

I really think the game needs an Androgynous Trout or something.

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

ROFLMMFAO!!!! i love it!