Good Luck

The setting of a coin under the mast dates back thousands of years and is supposed to bring the vessel good luck.  There are two main competing theories.  First, that it was simply an offering to the Gods for safe passage.  The second, is more sobering.  The ritual is believed to have started with the Romans, whose custom it was to place a coin in the mouth of a dead person to pay Charon, the boatman who ferried the souls of the dead across the River Styx to Hades. So if something were to happen to the boat and she begins sailing under the water instead of on top of it, payment has already been made for all those unfortunate souls.

More importantly, the cautious boaters of today, realize that placing a coin under the mast is another way to earn points for the black box in which your boat’s luck is stored.  Returning the vessel to it's original name, as I plan on doing with the correct denaming and renaming ceremony, is also known to deposit points in the black box.

It is also tradition to set a coin that was minted in the year of launching.  Since my boat was built in 1969 and there is no absolute proof that it was launched then, I am using the year of construction vs 2013 when she will be relaunched.  In 1969 there were no coins minted in Hong Kong, believe it or not.  Since in 69' HK was still part of the Commonwealth, I took the liberty of searching for a British coin from 1969.  In our last trip there this past summer, on our last day there, I located two  10 pence coins from 1969.  These I set on the mast step plate in epoxy.  There is also some concern as to weather they should be placed tails up or heads up.  Having two coins the same, I took the middle road and set one with heads up and one with heads down.  I wonder if she will sail better on one tack or the other?  It turns out most people glue the coin in place with epoxy or 3M 5200 these days, but it does worry me though; I hope Charon can get it off should the need arise.