Aquatic superstitions never seem to die

Mariners, ancient and otherwise, believe it's bad luck to change the name of a boat or to end its name with the letter ''a.''

Here are some other seafaring superstitions reported by Randy Steele of Boating Magazine:

- If a blue vein runs across the bridge of your nose, you may drown ... unless you were born on a Sunday, in which case you're in the clear.

- If you spot a dolphin swimming north, you'll have fair weather. If you see one swimming south, batten down the hatches.

- Don't cut your fingernails or hair while underway. A deadly storm will surely follow. Also, if you cut your hair during rising tide, you'll catch a cold.

- Words that should never be spoken while at sea include egg, knife, minister and church. By the way, never, ever have a clergyman aboard your boat. In fact, you'll court certain disaster if he even stands next to it.

- Say your prayers if you find a sewing pin aboard - it can cause your hull to leak, your lines to break or your nets to rip open. And make sure you don't drop a bucket or a mop overboard. That's very unlucky.

- If the first fish you catch during fishing season is female, you'll have a good catch.

- Need a cure for whooping cough? Place a live flounder on a victim's bare chest. The patient is cured as the fish dies. Another treatment for whooping cough is to put a trout's head in the patient's mouth.