Once you've picked out the boat of your dreams, you have an even more difficult choice to make.

Now you must name her, which is not an easy task. You have several considerations, including classic superstitions, and whether your friends and family will be embarrassed or offended by the name you choose.

One boat naming superstition revolves around whether or not it is okay to rename a previously-owned boat. Some say it is bad luck if you remove an old name on a vessel. However, its well known that if you christen the boat with a new name and splash copious quantities of champagne across the bow and have a few yourself, you'll have nothing to worry about. Absolutely nothing. Really.

Many people name a boat after their spouse or children; this is nice, but you can run into problems if more kids are on the way, or if more kids show up. And, it's not very original.

Think about how you paid for the boat when trying to come up with a name. You can always name your boat after your profession or industry; or if you are paying for your boat with money made in the stock market or gambling proceeds, perhaps you should incorporate that message into your boat's name.

Of course, if you own your own company, it may (or may not) be a smart marketing move to name your boat after the company, and instill your brand at every port.

Or just call it "The Office" like the other eight people in your marina. You can hear Bob now: "Hi, Honey, I'm at the office and I'll be a little late…" Very original.

Have you got a 'boat name' story to tell? Send it in and we'll publish the list as soon as we get 10 or more…