Naming Our Boat

Ahoy!

The "Tarnhelm" is our family name for a big boat. Our first big boat was a 25 foot Carver purchased in the 1970s. Our current big boat is the 33 foot Carver we purchased in 2020, which is the subject of this website. 
 

Tarnhelm means "wish giver," "lake navigator," or a magic helmet that grants wishes. It is the subject of the Richard Wagner opera, Der Ring des Nibelungen, where, after mayhem results from being stolen, the helmet is returned to its rightful owners, the Rhinemaidens. We identify our boat as the "lake navigator," whether we cruise on a lake, river, or canal.

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For fear of fumbling the stick-on letters used to name our boat, it's taken two-plus years to get up enough nerve to apply them. Fortunately, after discussing the issue throughout April, the deed was done in early May. Our lettering saga, where we evaluated two different fonts before choosing the final, is seen below.

Note that to save the Tarnhelm's surface from getting dirty from boat yard dust, the shrink wrap is still partially on.