I’ve owned Capi, a 1994 Catalina 34, for exactly one year. I spent the year before that searching for a boat. I looked at dozens of boats online and checked out more than 15 in person before finding Capi in Oak Harbor, WA. That journey is a whole other story.
Before finding my boat, I hadn’t decided on a name. I figured that if the boat came with a decent name, I’d just leave it.
With Sea Bear or Fairwinds that probably would’ve been the case. However, with Freedom, Thor’s Hammer and the final boat I saw, K-Mak, it was clear I needed a name of my own choosing.
K-Mak was also exceptionally personal, a tribute to the former owner’s partners. I wanted a name that was personal to a point, practical and fun.
Chris Catterton’s Rules of Boat Naming:
Easy to say three times on the radio.
Easy to read on the boat.
Not more than 3 syllables.
Some contenders that I considered:
Okay – which I frequently mutter as I putter about
F.I.N.E. – Freaked out, insecure, neurotic and emotional. Thanks, The Italian Job.
Pizza Mac N’ Cheese Nachos – My favorite foods. Didn’t pass the radio test.
And, of course, Capi.
“Capi” was the nickname of Muriel Wylie Blanchet, born in 1891 in Montreal, Quebec. A variation of “captain”, I first came across Capi while reading Blanchet’s memoir, “The Curve of Time.”
