Clever Boat Names

"ALARMING"

Seth and Judie Oginz

Seth and Judie Oginz bought their 30-foot S-2 cruising sloop, one of the larger boats that sail SML, in 1994 after Judie suggested Seth "needed a hobby."

The couple previously had chartered an S-2 on the Chesapeake Bay and knew the 5½-ton boat, which sleeps four comfortably and six in a pinch, was right for them. Fortunately, Seth discovered a really nice S-2 — the former owner used to wipe it down every day to avoid dew spots and the owner's wife purportedly "cleaned and treated the interior teak every week."

Seth said he enjoys skippering the boat and a crew of three in the Blackwater Yacht Racing Association fleet races, while Judie prefers more relaxing long runs toward the dam and back, especially when grandchildren Jennifer, 10, and Zachary, 15, are aboard.

"I'm a little too competitive in the heat of a race," Judie said.

The boat's moniker began as an exclamation. During Seth and Judie's first cruise as owners, a fresh breeze grabbed the boat's huge foresail, causing a sudden heel-over that nearly buried the starboard rail.

"That was pretty alarming," said Judie, who was still a fairly inexperienced sailor at the time. A few months later, Judie opened the bill for the boat's first haul-out and bottom painting. "Now that's really alarming," she exclaimed.

Couple those utterances with the fact that the family's Roanoke-based business involves installation of security systems, and "Alarming" seems to be the ideal name for their beloved S-2, which they enjoy during the warm-weather months.

"SML is a fickle lake wind-wise," said Seth. "Sometimes the mid-summer winds can be better than those of spring or fall."

 

"RATTLE& HUM"

Udo and Melanie Gietl

Udo and Melanie Gietl's 27-foot Antrim is a racing machine, capable of exceeding 13 knots (15+ mph). Udo, who sailed an Andrews 56 for several years on the West Coast before moving to SML, found "Rattle & Hum" for sale in California last summer.

"She's a nice size for a lake like this," said Udo, a Honda retiree and racing fanatic who has raced boats and motorcycles all his life. He moved to SML in part for its sailing potential.

"I liked the name the former owner had given this boat but didn't know its origin until the last BYRA regatta of 2009," Udo said. "We had a great wind and managed to get the boat up on plane. After the race, other crews related that they had heard distinct 'rattle and hum' sounds as the Antrim blew by."

The Gietls had their selection of a fairly remote retirement destination validated by an envious urbanite, a former Rattle & Hum crew member hired to trailer the boat to Southwest Virginia. His first words after driving cross-country and finally locating the Gietl's lake home: "What, are you hiding from the CIA?"

But after joining Udo and Melanie for a sail on SML, he had another sentiment.

"Now I know exactly where I'm going to retire," he said.