Women on board bring bad luck. Quite the opposite of rats and spiders. Whistling is forbidden, libations to Rasmus are unavoidable. Scratching the mast helps in calm weather, and green clothing is forbidden. Nonsense? Certainly. But nonsense with a function.
Nowhere are rituals derived from superstition more widespread than in seafaring. Many of them originated on land and were adopted by seafarers. They are still practised on yachts today, whereas they no longer play a role on land.
In a major report, YACHT explores why sailors behave so strangely - a highly interesting excursion into the history of the origins of various sailing myths. Experts explain why such humbug still has its rightful place on board today, and Berend "Bernie" Beilken reports on how his witchcraft brought Germany its first world championship title in sea sailing. And Hamburg deep-sea researcher Dr Bernd Christiansen explains the appearances of sea serpents, ship-devouring giant squid and other monsters.
