Friday, Friday
15 October 2010 | MDR
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Hola Amigos,
Today is Friday. When we were planning our departure date we were not sure when we were leaving but we knew when we weren't leaving.....on a Friday.
Among sailors it is common knowledge that it is bad luck to start a voyage on a Friday. Mary Lee pointed out that we frequently leave for Catalina on a Friday but that is a trip not a "Voyage".
We first learned this 21 years ago in Annapolis when we had the first Merry Lee. We were docked in idyllic Back Bay at Annapolis Yacht Sales. We had been there six weeks and they were anxious for us to leave before the big Boat Show. We proudly told them that we were leaving next Friday. They said," We are anxious for you to leave but not that anxious. It is bad luck to start a voyage on a Friday so why don't you leave Thursday?" We would have felt a tick more wanted if they had suggested Saturday.
Here is the classic story:
Sometime in the 19th century, the Royal Navy attempted to finally dispel the old superstition among sailors that beginning a voyage on a Friday was certain to bring bad luck. To demonstrate the falseness of this belief, they decided to commission a ship named HMS Friday. Her keel was laid on a Friday, she was launched on a Friday, and she set sail on her maiden voyage on a Friday, under the command of a Captain James Friday. She was never seen or heard from again
Happy Trips to You until we Blog again,
The Merry Lee