The Naming Ceremony

After a fraught few weeks and a mad rush to get her to the starting gate, Wolfhound certainly looked the part for her christening on Sunday morning. We arrived onto the pontoon in Lymington at lunchtime on Saturday and spent the rest of the day making her look presentable and preparing food for the party. The weather was terrible but we had all fingers crossed that it would stay dry for a few hours on Sunday and our wish came true. It was hardly a sparkling summers day but at least it did't rain. Friends came from far and wide to help us celebrate this very significant moment in our lives. Steven and I are still in a state of disbelief that this beautiful vessel is ours. After 8 years our dream has finally come true.

This was the little ceremony that we carried out. I had had a Maori friend weave a wreath with flax from our garden in New Zealand, which I brought it to England to offer to the sea God when we christened Wolfhound. Alex said the blessing in Maori which I translated for the guests.

Today we come to name this lady WOLFHOUND, and send her to sea to be cared for by the Gods of the sea and to care for us and all our family and friends.

We ask the sailors of old and the sea God Tangaroa to accept WOLFHOUND as her name, to help her through her passages, and allow her to make landfall safely with her crew.

TO THE SEA...TO THE SAILORS BEFORE US…TO TANGAROA, TO WOLFHOUND. (and we all drank champagne!)

The Maori blessing

Kia hora te marino,

Kia whakapapa pounnamu te moana,

kie tere te Karahirohi i mua i tou huarahi.

May the calm be widespread,

May the ocean glisten as greenstone,

May the shimmer of light ever dance across your pathway