Nautical Superstitions

Nautical superstitions abound in the traditions of the fishing communities. Encounters deemed to be unlucky would turn a fisherman from putting to sea. If anyone asked where he was going, that was enough to turn a fisherman back. A hare, rabbit or salmon found on board the boat was one of the stranger nautical superstitions, and would have prevented a fisherman from sailing that day. It was considered unlucky to shoot nets on the Port side, or to taste food before any fish had been caught. There are many, many more nautical superstitions, some only believed in certain parts of the world, others more commonplace. Basically there are too many to give a comprehensive list, but here are a few:

It is unlucky to start a cruise on a Friday, as this is the day Christ was crucified on and is one of the more universal nautical superstitions. On the subject ofsuperstitions of a biblical nature, it is said you should never start a voyage on the first Monday in April, as this is the day that Cain slew Able. Avoid people with red hair when going to the ship to begin a journey, because red heads bring bad luck to a ship, but this can be averted if you manage to speak to the red-head before they speak to you! Disaster will follow if you step onto a boat with your left foot first and you shouldn’t look back once your ship has left port as this too can bring bad luck. In fact there definitely seems to be more bad luck nautical superstitions than good; such as: Throwing stones into the sea will cause great waves and storms. A stone thrown over a vessel that is putting out to sea ensures she will never return. Flowers are unlucky onboard a ship, they could later be used to make a wreath for the dead. Handing a flag thru the rungs of a ladder is bad luck, as is cutting your hair or nails at sea. Whilst Church Bells heard at sea mean someone on the ship will die. And when the clothes of a dead sailor are worn by another sailor during the same voyage, misfortune will befall the entire ship. Women on board a ship make the sea angry, however, a naked woman on board will calm the sea - this is the reason for naked figureheads. However, swallows seen at sea are a good sign, as are dolphins swimming with the ship, but killing one will bring bad luck. It is also unlucky to kill an albatross or a gull. On a positive note, another of the nautical superstitions suggests that pouring wine on the deck will bring good luck on a long voyage.