20 Mar Nautical Superstitions
Posted at 11:29h

- It is unlucky to take Bananas on board.
- You should never set sail on a Friday.
- It will bring you good luck if you through a coin in the sea.
- Tattoos and piercing are said to ward off evil spirits.
- Saying the word “pig” or “rabbit” on board is bad luck.
- Black travelling bags are bad luck for a seaman.
- Avoid people with red hair when going to the ship to begin a journey.
- Never say good luck or allow someone to say good luck to you unanswered.
- Avoid Flat-footed people when beginning a trip.
- A stolen piece of wood mortised into the keel will make a ship sail faster.
- A silver coin placed under the masthead ensures a successful voyage.
- Disaster will follow if you step onto a boat with your Left Foot first.
- Pouring wine on the deck will bring good luck on a long voyage.
- 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.
- Don’t look back once your ship has left port as this can bring bad luck.
- A dog seen near fishing tackle is bad luck.
- Black cats are considered good luck and will bring a sailor home from the sea.
- Swallows seen at sea are a good omen.
- Dolphins swimming with the ship are a sign of good luck.
- It is unlucky to kill an albatross.
- It is unlucky to kill a gull.
- Handing a flag through the rungs of a ladder is bad luck.
- Repairing a flag on the quarterdeck will bring bad luck.
- Turning over a hatch will cause the hold to fill with seawater.
- Cutting your hair or nails at sea is bad luck.
- Church Bells heard at sea mean someone on the ship will die.
- When the clothes of a dead sailor are worn by another sailor during the same voyage, misfortune will befall the entire ship.
- If the rim of a glass rings stop it quickly or there will be a shipwreck.
- Never say the word “Drowned” at sea.
- The feather of a wren slain on New Years Day will protect a sailor from dying by shipwreck.
- A ship’s bell will always ring when it is wrecked.
- A shark following the ship is a sign of inevitable death.
Blake Anderson
Posted at 06:38h, 06 AprilI think to getting so much superstitious is also not good for anyone. After all they are just some predictions.
Joe Webster
Posted at 20:13h, 27 FebruaryI’d have to agree with Blake when he says being TOO superstitious is not good for anyone or anything. Yet I’m a poker player and can’t help myself.