Why “S/V Linda Lee”?

Coming up with a name for something is rarely easy. At least, name that is objectively good. Most of us care enough that our boat’s name means something to us. And it’s how we identify ourselves to other vessels over the radio. That’s pretty critical: Your vessel’s name should pass the telephone test.

The Telephone Test

“What’s the telephone test?” you might ask. A word passes the telephone test if someone can easily understand the word when spoken to them over the phone. The word does NOT pass if you have to repeat yourself, spell the word, or otherwise explain it.

Picture this: You’re calling in for pizza delivery and they ask for your name. You tell them, “My name is Janes.” It’s loud on their end; they are in a restaurant after all. And they hear you say “James.” Seems such a simple mistake, doesn’t it? And it’s surely not a big deal, they have your address and it’s just a pizza pie anyway.

Now imagine you’re on a sailboat which is experiencing a rather serious emergency. You call out on the radio for help, identifying your vessel by name:

Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan

This is Sailing Vessel Verisimilitude, Sailing Vessel Verisimilitude, Sailing Vessel Verisimilitude

We are located at [blah blah blah].

We are experiencing a fire onboard and are requesting assistance.

…

Vessels receiving your broadcast will likely have a much more difficult time with such a complex vessel name. Do you really want to burden responding vessel(s) with having to deal with that during an emergency?

So, the telephone test. Choose a name that is easy to remember, easy to speak, and easy to understand.

“Linda Lee”

Finally, Scott’s mom was named Linda. She passed away in January 2022. We decided to memorialize her by naming our boat after her.

Ironically, she absolutely hated sailing! 😆

But, she was loved and is deeply missed. This is one way we can continue to honor her.