When I got my C36 it was named after the previous owner's niece . . . not a name that meant anything to me. I knew I had to rename her, and began trying to think of a cool name. It was all very contrived and forced, and after a few prototypes, someone on this site advised me to settle down and wait for the name to present itself.

So I peeled off the old name and buffed it out, and waited for inspiration to strike.

Some weeks later I was telling someone the story of how she [barely] came to be mine, and when I got to the part about my buddy who loaned me the last few thousand bucks, I said, "what a true friend!" The light bulb came on, and that was it. 

So my 1984 C36, on her fifth owner and at least fourth name, carries "True Friend" on her stern in honor of my true friend Naiche, and because I hope that she and her crew will be true friends to all whom we meet along the way, and because I want to remind her to be a true friend to me!

Naiche's girlfriend turned 30 shortly after I moved aboard, so I asked her to christen the boat on her birthday, and I would take her friends for a sail. Well, she showed up with 17 friends, cracked the bottle of Champagne on the bow rail so hard that we never found most of it, and the christening cruise was . . . memorable.