I'm still fond of the name Tortoise - it is nicely appropriate without being too cheesy (I think, anyway). For those of you who don't know the tortoise was once humourously suggested as being my pagan 'power animal'; it's also of course a post rock band who I should have gone to see recently, but didn't. On Monday I did spot another Tortoise, a white GRP boat lurking in a harbour, with the owners around - we exchanged a few shouted words in some kind of bonding ceremony.

Tortoise has her fair share of names in the past - originally 'Salad Days', of course, as the previous owners met in an am-dram production of same. Previously she was Lyndon - owners Lyn, and Don. I hope Tortoise is generic enough not to be immediately changed, should she leave my hands in a floating condition...

Meanwhile though I've been amused by the choices of names of other boats - yes, you can call a boat whatever you like (on the Thames need to be unique, on the canal they don't). Here are a few of other people's choices, completely non-judgementally... ;-)













Still nothing to beat the sadly unphotographed at the time 'Jolly Todger'.

Edit - in attempt to find a photo of the Jolly Todger (I'm at home today, it may be foolish to google at work) I did find a list of boat names with basic details this. Tortoise is in there listed as one of the 'Salad Days' boats; There's three other boats called Tortoise listed, the plastic one I saw, and two other narrowboats. Not as many as there are called 'Toad Hall', mind...