Its Just a Name -or is it?
A follow up on this article in SWS from May this year.
“The Age” 11th July- by Noel Towell and Kishor Napier-Raman
Lewd yachties told to shape up or ship out
Let’s set sail for the not-so-tranquil waters of the Mornington Yacht Club, which has weathered a storm over some of the sexually suggestive names that some members have chosen for their boats.
In the heat of the controversy, the club promised to develop a code of conduct to ensure vessels moored there did not carry lewd or offensive names.
Now, the code is out, and it looks shipshape, on paper anyway, with a whole clause dedicated to tackling what’s proved to be a tricky issue.
Members with “boat names that denigrate a person, or group of people based on gender, age, ability, sexual orientation, religion, or ethnicity”, will be asked to rename their vessels or leave the club, the rules state.
The club’s general committee, made up of eight men and one woman, is the arbiter of what is offensive and has already cast its eye over the boat at the centre of the storm, the vessel named Himalayan Women – what a hoot! – and given it a pass.
There’s also a new rule in place to help prevent leaks, always wise in a nautical setting, with members forbidden from denigrating the club, its members or administration.
Which is why one Mornington yachtie didn’t want to be named, saying that the code was “not worth the paper it’s written on if offensive boat names like Himalayan Women still get the green light”.
We gave the club an “ahoy” on Monday, to see if they fancied a chat. They didn’t hoy back.
Melbourne Sign Writers at Work- Public Records Office. Date unknown (Any Guesses?)