What’s in a (boat) name?

Old favorites like Aquaholic return, along with some new names.

By Trade Only Today Editors

May 24, 2019

Maybe Generation X is buying more boats than previously thought — it’s one way to explain the sixth most popular boat name in the country: More Cowbell.

The Saturday Night Live skit, featuring Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken, aired during the 2000 season and developed a cult-like following, particularly among Gen Xers.

BoatUS released its annual list of the year’s most popular boat names in time for Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer. Last year, the names seemed more inspirational, with Grace, Freedom and Seas the Day comprising the top three.

Boat owners are partial to puns, but this year’s names lean toward sarcasm and fun.

Here are BoatUS’s Top 10 boat names:

Aquaholic After a four-year absence, this name returns to take the top spot.
Pearl This is an apparent shortening of the famed fictional ship in Pirates of the Caribbean, and BoatUS speculates that people who put Pearl on the transom probably are making light of their boat’s “understated luster.”
Forever Young The age of boaters might be rising, but time on the water can make people feel young at heart.
Second Chance This name seemed to replace Second Wind, which made the top 10 for the five years leading up to 2019. Perhaps there are more boat owners celebrating a new career, marriage or prevailing over a health challenge.
Squid Pro Quo Boat ownership, like life, is a give-and-take.
More Cowbell Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken made this a household phrase with their SNL skit.
Pegasus This may be a nod to the mythical creature’s ability to fly, as it can feel while underway, or because Pegasus was said to have created springs when it struck its hoof to earth.
Feelin’ Nauti A new twist on the old favorite Nauti Buoy, Feelin’ Nauti is a first-timer to the Top 10 list.
Why Knot? This name hearkens last year’s Knot Working (also in 2007) and 2008’s Knot On-Call.
High Maintenance This boat likely needs a lot of time, money and attention. Perfect for a fixer-upper.