A Woman Onboard

It was believed that women were not as physically or emotionally capable as men and therefore, they had no place at sea. It was also observed that when women were aboard, men were prone to distraction that might have taken away from doing their duties. This, among other things, would anger the seas and doom the ship.

There is a way to counter this which is rather ironic. While having a woman on board would anger the sea, having a “naked” woman on board would calm it, hence the reason for many of the older vessels having a figure of a bare-breasted woman on the bow of the ship. It was said that a woman’s bare breasts would “shame” the stormy seas into calm.

I have only one question in respect to women being unlucky at sea. Why is it that, any time my wife accompanies me in the boat on a fishing trip, she always ends up catching more fish than I do?  Hmmm, maybe the superstition is right after all and it’s unlucky for ME to have her on board!

 A very lucky omen!

   An unlucky sight!