The Best Boat Names of 2020

#1: A Boater’s Best Friend

They're good boat names, Brent.

Little ears flap-a-flapping in the breeze, whiskers and noses to the salty air – we love when we see boats named for your furry or feathered first mates, be they dogs, cats, bunnies, or parrots. Here are this year's favorites: 

• 🏆Alpha Dog: We raise puppies for The Seeing Eye. So every year our senior dog Boston has a new apprentice and he “shows him the ropes” (to chew on). Soon it’s not too clear which one is the Alpha Dog. – Mark C., Hillsborough, NJ

• CATNIPPED (kãt’nipped) v. A state of bliss one achieves by participating in a pleasurable activity. Extended exposure to this activity may cause excessive drooling. – I coined this word while working instead of sailing and watching our cat peacefully look out over the ocean without a care in the world. –Jim B., Bangor, ME

• Hunde Haus: We have two long-haired Dachshunds, and hunde haus is "dog’s house" in German. – Reed W., New York, NY

• To the Max!: Named after our short haired pointer Maxwell who passed last year loved the boat and a great mate! – Steve S., Annapolis, MD

• Pipedreams: Named after our Chocolate Lab mix named Piper whose nickname is Pipe.– Alix B., Peekskill NY
• Salty Dog: We have 3 dogs that LOVE boating. They actually own the boat... My husband and I are their crew. –Tanya R., USA
• Cat's Paw: My wife and I have been heavily involved in various cat rescue charities. We also have cats as our pets. When naming our boat I wanted to have a name that reflects our love for Cats as well as a sailing term (cat s paw is a small rippling on the water). – Joseph D., Shipwright Harbour in Deale, MD

#2: The Sweetheart

• 🏆Platinum Dream: My wife and I put our name on the waiting list at Saquatucket Harbor when we were engaged After waiting 20 years we got a slip! It was also our 20th anniversary and the modern anniversary gift is Platinum. Having waited 20 years and it being our 20th wedding anniversary, Platinum Dream was born! – Peter R., Saquatucket Harbor in Harwichport, MA

• Wicked: Named after my lovely wife. – Dennis B., Newport News, VA

• Nice Aft: Boat was named for my wife of 45 years. – Ray K., Upper Dublin, PA

#3: The Fun-Lovin' Free-Wheeler!

• 🏆 Weekend Bender: Our last name obviously and we spend all weekends on it 😊 – Eric B., Hudson, OH

• Brown Chicken Brown Cow: Have you ever heard the joke, "What are the two sexiest animals on the farm?" Answer: "Brown chicken, Brown cow" but said in the tone of porn music... commonly heard as bow chica wow wow... –  Mary D., Tiverton, RI

• Can't Hackett: We like to laugh and are the first ones to make fun of ourselves. So before someone points out our shortcomings in docking abilities we've got it covered! – Jay H., Dorchester, MA

• Wine Knot: We let our wives name the boat after a night of drinking – Jack J., DuSable Harbor, Chicago, IL

• Pole Dancer: It's a tongue-in-cheek fishing pun – I'm a bachelor so fortunately I don't have to pass the "wife" test with names... Everyone remembers this boat name when it goes by! – Nate B., Brick Cove Marina, Greenport, NY

• Die Broke – [Ed note: No story, but it speaks for itself!] – Rockie C., Haverhill, MA

#4: The Weatherbird

• 🏆Irish Hurricane is an old sailor's term for a flat calm slight rain with no wind. – Peter N., St Petersburg, FL

• Blue Sky: Concert at the Palladium 1969. Pouring rain when entering. Last song played Blue Sky. Upon exiting the sun had come out to a beautiful blue sky. Allman Brothers Band concert. – Brian H., Bristol, RI

• Temperate Zone: From a line in the Jimmy Buffett tune “Everybody’s Got A Cousin In Miami” – Bob G., Fins Marina in Sebastian, FL

• Tsuenami: Named after my wife. –  Frank C., Branford Yacht Club in Branford, CT

#5: The Repeat

Don’t break what isn’t broken. You know it’s a good sign if you keep the name even as the boat change.

• 🏆 Ai-Ki – meaning "love & energy of the sea" – originally was the name of our 1951 Herreshoff 8M sailboat completing her total restoration 1975. After 30 years of sailing she met her demise in hurricane Sandy. So our next live-aboard small ship Ai-Ki was purchased seven years ago devotedly brought back to life now resides in Key West. – Thomas N., Stock Island Marina Village in Key West, FL

• A Bacchanal is a wild party in honor of Bacchus god of wine. My dad named his 1st boat Bacchanal back in 1967. His 2nd boat was named the same and passed on to me in 2000. In 2010 I got our 3rd boat and also named her Bacchanal. You can be sure that my next boat will continue the tradition. – Michael C., Rockport, MA

• Llama II: In 2006 we were traveling in Peru when we decided we'd by a boat. We recently purchased a larger boat for the Puget Sound... naturally we wanted to keep the decision to be boaters alive with our next boat. – Jason G., Seattle, WA

#6: Workaholics

• 🏆Between Wakes: The owner of the vessel is a funeral director. The name of the vessel becomes a double standard. When you're out on the water enjoying a beautiful day you are always looking to stay between wakes. Being a funeral director the only time I am able to enjoy time on the boat is between wakes. – Phillip C., at Charlestown Marina in Charlestown, MA

• Eggs-Ta-Sea: My husband owns a family hatchery that has been in business in Zeeland, MI, for over 100 years. When we purchased our boat it was only fitting to name it after our family legacy. – Julie G., Allendale, MI

• Operatunaty: My husband is a tuna fisherman and I’m a professional opera singer! We wanted our boat name to reflect our passions and I think we nailed it. : ) – Elizabeth S., Marcus Hook, PA

• Good Vibrations II: I own and operate a company that performs vibration and seismic isolation for the military and airspace industry. – Tom S., Roslyn Heights, NY

• I Sea You: My wife Diane is a nurse and worked in ICU when we named the boat. The “Y” is shaped as a stethoscope as a hint. People smile when they get it. – Charles J., Islandia, NY

• Sea++ : We are both software engineers who program in C++ coding language. So we named our boat for what paid for it with a nautical twist! – Kara Soles-Whitehead, Abington, MD

• Digging It: When I went to sea trial this vessel the salesmen asked me if I "dig it?." I laughed and said I literally do dig it as I own a underground utility construction company. The boat name was born. – Jeffrey L., New Haven, CT

• "Bigger" Ga$ Leak: I work in the utility industry repairing natural gas leaks. A little play on words as everyone thinks the name is due to the boat using so much gasoline! The backstory always gets a chuckle out of people. –  Derek D., Borden Light Marina

• Pitch ‘N Roll: Captain Fraser is a retired Chief Pilot and Aviation Manager. We wanted a name for our sail boat that incorporated common characteristics between aeronautical and nautical movement common to boats and airplanes. – Dean F., St. Land O'' Lakes, FL

#7: Gods, Goddesses, Spirits, and Legends 

• 🏆Vayu: Vayu is the god of or personification of wind air or lifebreath (PraI) a). As the lord of the sky (Antariksa) he shares his power with Indra. As my wife is Indian in origin it seemed fitting to name our boat after the Hindu God to bless our passages. – Douglas E., New York, NY

• Juno: My wife and our two children were all born in June. Juno is the sister of Neptune. Photo is of us at our first Figawi with the 2nd place trophy. – Harry L., Woburn, MA

• Cerberra refers to the two-headed dog that guards the gate to Hades... despite its ominous sound it is actually there to prevent worthy souls going to hell but the main task is to keep all the bad stuff from escaping. – Andrew E., St. Petersburg, FL

• Reel Blessed: We were sitting at the dinette holding hands feeling so fortunate to have made this purchase. Praising our lord for this blessing my wife said Steve we are real blessed to have to have this boat. Thus the name "Reel Blessed." – Stephan C., Mount Gilead, OH

• Boudicca was a Celtic queen and fierce warrior. – Leigh T., Hyannis, MA

• Sea Spearit: I am an avid spearfisherman so my boat name is a play on the common name “Sea Spirit.” – Chris M., Montauk, NY

Hardship & Heartache

• 🏅Knot A Day Goes By: I survived being shot six times as a police officer. My wife’s best friend passed away from cancer at 30 years old. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t remember and are not grateful for friends and life.  – John S., Bay View Toledo, OH

• Marie Rose: When my mom passed away, we wanted to use the money she left us for something fun. We decided to sell our current sailboat and purchase a newer one with some of the money. Naturally we named the new boat after her, Marie Rose.  – Margaret B.,Westbrook, CT

• Mona B: My boyfriend’s mother passed away from cancer. It was always his lifelong dream to own a bigger boat. After her passing he decided to go through with the purchase. His mother loved fishing and being on the water. Therefore the boat was named Mona B after her.  – Shannon W., Portland, CT

#8: The Musician 

#9: The Pop Culture Fan

• 🏆 McHale’s Navy: Our backstory is that when in our younger days our favorite TV show was McHale’s Navy – and our son joined the Navy too! Not many people can name their boat McHale’s Navy but Dan and Cathy McHale can! Along with with our kids and grandkids we truly are McHale’s Navy! – Cathy M., Woodbury Heights, NJ

• 🏆 Puddle Jumper: Puddle jumpers are the spaceship used to go through the Stargate in Stargate Atlantis. My son and I used to love to watch it together. He was killed when he was 14 and he is a big part of why I'm living aboard now so the name had to reflect our relationship somehow and Puddle Jumper fit perfectly. – Jennifer S., Columbia, SC

• Second Star is named for the line in Peter Pan, "Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning" (which is also used in the sixth Star Trek film) – However a friend who was trying to be a wise guy asked "What happened to the First Star??" My immediate response was "I married her." Boom. – Skip W., Chelmsford MA

#10: The Punmaster

• 🏆DEBAITABLE: We have been boating for 20 years. We named our first boat after our daughter we had 3 boys and then our girl! We scuba dive and fish on the Keli Belle! When we bought the trawler my wife insisted we would not fish or scuba dive on the new boat!! She swore their would never be Bait on her boat!! – George S., Gloucester, MA

• SeaWeed: Fond of recreational use 😎 – John B., Petoskey, MI

• Yada Yada Yachta: Went through dozens of names before deciding on Yada Yada Yachta. New to dock life and marina chatter I soon realized how lengthy sea stories can be! (The one that got away, first docking experiences, where does that water in the bilge come from??) – Todd B., Mebourne, FL

• Grim Reeler: We like it to be very grim for the fish when we go out. – Jim C., Johns Island SC

• Frequent Sea: It's all about the vibe when you're out on a boat. Your frequency changes as soon as you get out on the water. That and getting out as much as possible has merged to create Frequent Sea. I designed the name and added a Yin Yang Sea Turtle for balance. – Paul B., Bellerose NY

• Once Upon A Tide: Our boating life began at retirement to pursue our dream of traveling on the water. Rather than taking the time to start small and "size up 2ft every year " we told each other that our purchase would be only once. This inspired us to name our 1st boat - a 43ft trawler Once Upon A Tide! – Janet K. Bolivia NC

#11: The Storyteller

• 🏆Off The Rails: Purchased the boat and found out that it was retrieved off the railroad tracks after Hurricane Sandy. The new name of Off The Rails was meant to be! – Paul L., Cumberland, RI

• Triana was Columbus's lookout who had spotted America first. – Michael C., East Greenwich, CT

More of the story: 

On October 12, 1492, while on Christopher Columbus' ship La Pinta, he sighted a land that was called Guanahani by the natives. After spotting the Bahamian island at approximately two o'clock in the morning, he is reported to have shouted "¡Tierra! ¡Tierra!" (Land! Land!). Columbus claims in his journal that he saw "light" at 10pm the previous day, "but it was so indistinct that he did not dare to affirm it was land." After his return to Spain, Triana sailed to Africa.

NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory, a satellite originally intended to provide a near-continuous view of the entire Earth, was initially named Triana, after Rodrigo de Triana.

#12: The Linguist

• 🏆Tallawah: My boat is a 1979 Morgan 461 Custom: a sturdy bluewater sailboat meant for cruising not speed. I named her "Tallawah" – a Jamaican word that means "strong sturdy fearless." Most often used in the phrase "Wi likkle but wi tallwah"--"we may be small but we're strong." Thought it a good boat name. – Tom L., Long Beach, MS

• Gezellig is a Dutch word that does not translate well to English. The closest is "cozy" but it is more than that – a feeling and atmosphere of fellowship, fun, togetherness, relaxed heartwarming. Much like the Scandinavian "hygge." – Steve D., Everett, WA

• Shamayim is the Hebrew word for "heavens." It is formed by combining "sha" (there) and "mayim" (water). It is the 7th word in the Hebrew rendition of Genesis. "In the beginning G-d created the heavens..." Our boat is our heaven and lives on the water. A perfect name for us. –Al Z., Fair Haven, NJ

• Cu Mhara: Cu Mhara is old Irish for "Hound of the Sea". In Irish folklore the hounds were the great warriors protectors of Ireland. Often the tribal chief was referred to as the hound. Plus it sounds "pirate-ish." – Mike G., Merrimack NH

• Orkan was one of three fast attack crafts in the Polish Navy. The boat owner is from Poland, and in Polish Orkan means small hurricane. – Sylwester W., Baltimore, MD

• Enalios: My husband is Greek. Greek mythology Enalios were “creatures of the sea” – Bam there it is. – Kate P., Wallingford, CT

• Sentosa in the language of Malay means "Peace and Tranquility." –  John W., San Diego Sunroad Resort Marina in Solvang CA 

• Karhu: I’m a Finn by that I mean my Mom is from Finland and she married an American sailor. My Old man is an old salty sailor from the Carolinas. So the boat of my dreams a big salty Trophy Pro needed the perfect name. Karhu: it’s Finnish for bear which is my dads nickname in my moms language! – Erik S., Idaho Falls ID

• Sortuda is Portuguese for Lucky Ones. We thought Lucky was overused by like the sound of Sortuda and pay homage to my wife's and daughter in laws heritage. – Francis B., Plymouth MA

• HAVSFLICKAN: means "Sea Girl" – Joan H., Jamestown RI

• Alnaschar: When originally shopping for this boat we spent countless hours dreaming of the perfect craft. As we searched the name came as an OED word of the day: "a propensity or tendency to indulge in unrealistic dreams.” Yup perfect. – Elise J., Provincetown MA

#13: Heartstrings

• 🏆Burnt Out: In November 2018 we lost our house in the Woosley Fire outside of Los Angeles at Malibou Lake. The fire came over the ridge at 3am and by 8:30am everything was gone. We took the opportunity to make the best of the situation and moved aboard a Chris-Craft 500. – Jeffrey S., Malibou Lake, CA

• Casa Al Mare: Lost our boat last year to an un-named storm. Bomb Cyclone hit Gloucester harbor. Many vessels broke loose from their moorings ours was one of them. We felt like we lost our home. We just purchased our new boat a 37 foot sloop sail boat. Our new home. "Casa Al Mare" Italian for Sea House. – Stephanie B., Gloucester, MA

• Halfway There: We've broken down a lot in 2019... – Dan B.,Yonkers NY

#14: All in the Family

• 🏆 Beau Twyde: When my sister & I were very young our parents had a boat, and on Saturdays we’d ask if we could go for a ‘beau twyde’ (that’s how ‘boat ride’ sounded to our parents.) Home port was Beau Arts Village, Washington, hence the spelling. We enjoy carrying on the tradition by naming our Meridian 490 ‘Beau Twyde’. –  Ann P., Green Valley AZ

• Pirate Shark: We bought the boat and I asked my daughter if she wanted to name it. She thought for a while and was drawing a blank. I told her she’s got 1 more minute or her younger brother gets to pick. On minute later I asked the boy (7) and he instantly said “Pirate Shark”! It stuck and they love it. – Geoff T., Newport News VA

• CASHinGin: Boat name is made up of the first letter of each child's name in order by age. Connor Alec Savanah Hailey and Gavin. The letters "in" are not relevant. and are lower case. Each letter has a drawing of a child which represents the actual grandchild. See picture. – Dennis L., Ft. Lauderdale, FL

• 3 Ring Circus: With 3 kids 2 who study dance and Acrobatics one Karate and our quirky German Shepherd our house often looks like a circus. Filled with flips props and fun there was no better way to describe out life. Our friend Greg Platti designed the amazing design that sums up our family. – Millissa B., Blue Point, NY

• Moana: Family name carried down from my wife's Samoan ancestors. Wife daughter and granddaughters middle names. – Darwin S., Vista CA

• SEA Girls: Our three daughters are Sara Emma and Anna --SEA in that order. We said for years if we ever got a boat we would name it SEA Girls and we got our 30" Grady White center console 4 years ago and now we have the perfect name for the perfect family boat. The logo has the girls names in each letter. – Ross N., Attleboro, MA

#15: The Competitor

This category got benched in 2019, but with a name and story like this, it's back with a clear winner. 

• 🏆Lady MINX: Lady MINX is an all woman’s J/24 sailing team. We race predominately against all men teams & needed a name that signifies our fearless & competitive spirit. “Lady” denotes our feminine nature & “MINX” is the aggressive N. American Minks but w/a flirtatious twist on this popular 1950’s slang term. – Lee Ann Z., Rochester Yacht Club, Rochester NY

#16: Paying Homage

• 🏆Cupecoy: We had weeks of timeshare at Cupecoy Beach St. Maarten which were all blown away in Hurricane Maria Fall 2017. We also purchased our Beneteau Swift Trawler the same fall. So when our 28 year love affair with Cupecoy ended it just seemed right to continue Cupecoy in our lives. – Peter R., Weymouth MA

• OLD CROW: Named after Bud Anderson's P-51 Mustang "Old Crow." Bud was a WWII fighter pilot ace with 16 1/4 kills. After learning he named his plane after the bourbon, both he and I drank meeting him and reading his book and one of my heroes while was growing up I had to named my next boat OLD CROW. – Scott N., Portsmouth VA

• Maho: My husband and I visit the island of St John every year. There’s a magical strip of paradise on the far side of the island called Maho Beach. Every morning we go there to snorkel! It had become the place we dream of when we’re home! So when we got our first boat we wanted it to remind us of paradise. – Brittany R., Monroe CT

• Anna Strom: My boat is named after my feisty paternal grandmother Anna Strom White using her maiden last name. She was an amazing woman and I am thankful for the times I spent with her. She outlived her husband two children and her 6 siblings to the age of 96. When I make marina reservations it is Anna STORM. – Alan W., Wethersfield CT

• King Me: When I was a very young man (3 maybe 4 years old) My Grandfather would play checkers with me. Whenever I said King Me he would laugh with that gentle chuckle that I remember to this day. The name of our boat came to me pretty quickly as I still cherish those times we played checkers together. – Andrew K., Clyde OH

• Sempre Avanti is Italian for “Always Forward ’” not only a great powerboat name but significant to my family as it was the motto of the 10th Mountain Division in WWII which my father served in during the Northern Italian campaign. It is also a motto of the National Ski Patrol. – Kenneth T., Bronxville NY

#17: Money Matters

• 🏆Bottom's Up: Purchased from the funds of liquor sales at Bourbon Street Pub in Key West. – Joseph S.,Conch Harbor Marine, Key West, FL

• $EVERANCE: A Severance check issued from Cisco Systems was used to purchase the sea Ray Sundance’s 260. – JD D., St Petersburg, FL

• Bonus Time: My wife’s previous employer gave yearly bonuses. We saved that money and bought the boat. So we named it bonus time which is two fold. It was paid for by a bonus and it gives us bonus time to spend together. – Mark R., Bartlett IL

• Crazy Uncle: I had a rich cheap kinda crazy uncle who would drop in every summer unannounced from far away. One day I said "Uncle how's about you leave me a bunch of money someday and I'll buy a cruiser/racer and name it after you. Ten years later HE DID! Bought a Tripp 37 and named it after my Uncle Al. – Gordon B., Gloucester MA

• Nauti Decision: My wife and I usually don't spend a lot of money so when we bought the boat we felt that it was a Nauti Decision. – Michael A., Severna Park MD

• Child Support Thanks Pam: My wife & I divorced and I raised our two children. When our oldest turned 18 she took me back to court for child support reduction. In court she told the judge her money did nothing but buy my toys and send me on vacation. The judge knew it wouldn't even pay for gas & laughed. And I decided to thank her. – Rusty K., USA

#18: Current Events

As one of the world's greatest poets once said, "We're never gonna survive... unless we get a little crazy." While the coronavirus will be a defining characteristic of 2020, it's great to see some boaters taking hold of their fates, their health, and their sanity. 

• 🏆 Covid Therapy: Boat the boat while stressing out about being quarantined during Covid 19 and thinking there will be nothing to do in the summer – hence our new boat! – Leslee C., USA

• Social Distance: We were in the process of purchasing the boat at the beginning of 2020 and needed to provide the name for documentation When we choose Social Distance we had no idea what was to come but had been optimistic that the boat would provide us some! – Meredith M.

• Social Distancing: I picked up my boat during the coronavirus pandemic and wanted to celebrate with friends and needed to do that with Social Distancing. – Ryan M., Detroit, MI

• Whoo- Hahn!!: Our last name is Hahn...we thought it would be fun to name the boat something memorable. We certainly won’t forget this pandemic and hope by naming her this it will be a fun way to remember 2020. –  Jill H., Trenton, MI

• Final Escape: Just purchased a 28 foot Axopar boat. We named it Final Escape for a few reasons. We are retiring and it will probably be the last boat we own. Since Covid-19 it is also one of the few places we can go and feel free while out on the water. We are social distancing without even trying. – Linda H., Essex CT

#19: Literary & The Arts

• 🏆SKYMARK came from a poem from Robert Frost bemoaning being somewhat lost at sea on a cloudy night and asking the clouds to part so he could find his old "sky marks" in the heavens so he could once again determine his location; thus the name. I have used it since my first sailboat in 1981. – Timothy D., Virginia Beach VA

• Baji-Naji: From CJ Cherryh's sci-fi book series Foreigner, it is a combination of ying-yang que cera cera and generally refers to luck and fortune both good and bad – which sums up sailing! We knew that our boat would have this name for many years before we got it. – Dan L., West Chester PA

• Manolin: I’m a huge Ernest Hemingway fan and my favorite story is Old Man and the Sea. The young boy in the story was named Manolin. As an added bonus in Hebrew Manolin means “God is with us." – Bill S., Cleveland OH

• A 30' Nonsuch catboat, Breezing Up was named after a painting by Winslow Homer (1836 - 1910) "Breezing Up - A Fair Wind." The painting depicts 3 boys and a man in a small catboat with a loose footed sail heeling over with its lee rail awash – just the way my wife loves to sail. – William W., Houston TX

 #20: Dinghy Duo

• 🏆A close family friend joined the Special Operations Unit for the Marines and was KIA. During his brutal training where all he wanted to do was give up he would recite the phrase in his head "Beast mode no breaks." This phrase became common among our families after. Our boat is named Beast Mode and our tender is named No Breaks. – Drew M., Groton MA

• Our boat is greek and the dogs are always with us! Her name is Pawseidon and our dinghy is named Pupseidon! – Steve P., Southport NC

#21: Change of Pace

• 🏆 Here Today: Here Today was launched In January 2019 in the Virgin Islands and has traveled to 57 different ports from the Caribbean to New England – for our short stays we are “Here Today”! – John M., Detroit MI

• 🏆The 4th Quarter: We are both retired and in the 4th Quarter of our life. We met in a grief class at a church neither of us normally attend after our spouses died. (1st qtr with parents 2nd qtr was 1st marriage ending in divorce ) Cathy had never boated Bob was a life long boater. Great way to begin a new life! – Robert M. & Cathy S., Little Rock, AR

• RELAX: we lead super stressful lives and the name reminds us of why we are on the boat. What we never expected is how it resonates with other Boaters. whenever we are staying at a new marina everyone stops to comment on the name and confirming whether we are living up to it at that moment. Kids love that! – John C., Centerville MA

• Slow Ride: Started out with a wooden power boat then went to a sailboat and named her Slow Ride because it was. Finally 20 years later power trawler type so kept the name. – Donna L., Foxborough MA

• Wile Away: We are retired and intend to use our boat for relaxation. I explain the name is the definition of beguiling time. – Matthew S., Brookline MA

• Blue By You: It's a 70mph blue metal flake 20' Hydrostream. – Bob K., Medfield MA

Thank you all so much for sharing your stories and photos with us! We had a blast reading through these and we hope you did too. If you can’t wait until next round, share with us in our Facebook Group.

Boat Name Contest FAQs

Q: When does the contest run? 

A: We launch the contest each April or May to help get boaters in northern latitudes excited to splash their boats and get back out on the water. Typically we announce the winners a month later – in 2020 we announced mid-July. 

Q: I have a trophy near my boat name! What happens now??

A: Your bragging rights are effective immediately! We've issued boater credit to all of the category winners who had Dockwa accounts corresponding the the emails with which they submitted their boat name; if you are a winner and don't see credit on your account, check your inbox and spam for a message asking for an updated email address, or email becky@dockwa.com to inquire. Dockage credit will apply automatically to your next Dockwa reservation. Woot!

Q: Can I submit a better photo of my boat? Can you add my marina name?

A: Sure! Just keep in mind we're a small team, so bear with us as we hustle to check off our team priorities first. Send on over to becky@dockwa.com, with the subject line "Best Boat Names - Update" – or, even better, post a photo of your boat on Instagram and tag @dockwa and we'll get the memo. :) 

Q: Why are there more East Coast boats? Do you hate the West Coast? 

A: Heck no, we love the West Coast! We started in Newport, RI, and our team is based there, so although we're growing like crazy we still tend to have more boaters and marinas where we've been the longest. We literally did not even look at the locations when sifting through names. :) 

Q: I have feedback on the way this contest is run, promoted, or written – who can I share that with? 

A: That'd be me, Cap! Email away at becky@dockwa.com. 

Q: Can I share this post? 

A: Oh heck yes – please share to social media, your go-to boater forums, spraypaint the URL onto the back of your enemy's car, the sky's the limit.