What is a blue nose sailor?

The “Order of the Blue Nose” is a Navy tradition

Navy tradition

A basic tradition is that all ships commissioned in a navy are referred to as ships rather than vessels, with the exception of submarines, which are known as boats. The prefix on a ship's name indicates that it is a commissioned ship.

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Naval_tradition

Naval tradition - Wikipedia

which dictates that when Sailors cross into the Arctic Circle, they enter the realm of Boreas Rex, King of the North. The only way to be accepted into the order is to successfully complete his list of challenges.

What do you call a sailor who crossed the equator?

The shellback is simple enough: A sailor on official duty “crosses the line” of the equator. A golden shellback is more impressive; it means they've crossed the International Date Line. Even rarer, crossing at the Prime Meridian grants you access into the Order of the Emerald Shellback.

What are the different types of Shellbacks?

Does the Navy still do shellback initiation?

Crewmen aboard the destroyer USS ARTHUR W. RADFORD (DD-968) participate in the traditional shellback initiation ceremony during exercise Unitas XXI. The shellback initiation takes place anytime a U.S. Navy ship crosses the equator.

What is a shellback Marine?

A Time-Honored Tradition

The ceremony observes a mariner's transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn't crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness.

Canada 150: The Bluenose

Why do sailors have bell bottoms?

Although no one has been officially accredited with inventing the bell bottom trouser, the flared out look was introduced for sailors to wear in 1817. The new design was made to allow the young men who washed down the ship's deck to roll their pant legs up above their knees to protect the material.

What is a horned shellback?

And in 1965, the submarine USS Capitaine (AGSS-336) topped nearly everybody by crossing the intersection of the two lines underwater. Or, if you round the Horn and cross the Equator on the same voyage, you are duly honored as a Horned Shellback.

What is a US Navy Golden Dragon?

The Domain of the Golden Dragon is an unofficial but highly coveted award of the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard. It is given to crew members of ships which cross the International Date Line.

What is a shellback tattoo?

Shellback Turtle Tattoos

Like a ship at full mast, a shellback tattoo showed a sailor's experience at sea. Once a sailor crossed the equator, he earned the right to get a turtle inked on his body. The longer someone had spent at sea, the more tattoos they could show off.

What is cranking in the Navy?

Cranking is a term of endearment onboard the ship and is more properly known as Food Service Attendant (FSA.) Duties can range anywhere from carrying boxes from store rooms to serving food on the chow line, or in the case of Fireman Apprentice Dillon Maddox, busting suds in the ship's scullery.

Do submariners become Shellbacks?

Once they were initiated, they then become “shellbacks”, otherwise known as fit subjects of King Neptune. Pranks are often played on the new initiates during the ceremony. However, the Navy has outlined that any hazing or abuse is strictly forbidden.

How do you become a golden dragon in the Navy?

The Domain of the Golden Dragon is an unofficial United States Navy award. It is given to crew members of ships which cross the International Date Line. (You enter the dragon's empire when you cross the International Date Line by sailing west (say some), or sailing east (say others).

What does the term shell back mean?

1 : an old or veteran sailor. 2 : a person who has crossed the equator and been initiated in the traditional ceremony.

What is Ancient Order of the Deep?

After the ceremony, the Sailors were inducted into the "Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep" meaning that King Neptune had accepted them as one of his trusty shellbacks. With the pollywog to shellback transition complete, a certificate was often awarded to the new shellback as a rite of passage.

How long is a destroyer ship?

Destroyer warships come in a range of sizes. Smaller destroyers, such as the Royal Navy's Type 45 Daring class and Russia's Project 956 Sovremenny class, measure in at around 150m in length, with a beam of around 17-18m. Then there is the US Navy's Zumwalt-class destroyer, a 190m long colossus with a beam of 24.6m.

Who is Neptunus Rex?

The mythological god of the seas, Neptune or 'Neptunus Rex' (Ruler of the Deep) is the 'Majesty' to whom homage is paid. He is usually portrayed by a senior member of a ship's company, often a Chief Petty Officer.

Why do sailors have swallow tattoos?

A swallow also became a mark of experience. It was traditionally tattooed on the chest for every 5,000 nautical miles that a sailor had travelled. These journeys were riddled with hardships, starvation, sickness, and death, and so the more swallows the sailor had on his chest, the more experienced and respected he was.

What does shaking hands tattoo mean?

Shaking hands tattoos, or friendship hands as they are often called, are an old school tattoo design that is great for a filler tattoo. They're small, simple and quite awesome! Representing anything from friendship, love and brotherhood to respect and loyalty a handshake tattoo is great piece of classic ink!

Why do sailors get pig and rooster tattoos?

Pig and Rooster

The foot tattoos of pigs and roosters were worn by sailors in WWII in the hopes it would keep the sailor from drowning. The Navy shipped these animals in crates at the time. When ships went down, the crates floated, and the animals inside would sometimes be the only survivors.

What is Sacred Order of the Golden dragon?

The Imperial Order of the Golden Dragon is awarded when a Sailor or Marine crosses the International Date Line. They are inducted into the Sacred Order of the Golden Dragon when they cross at the same time Lat. 00-000°, Long. 180.00°.

How long do gold dragons live?

Guillaume and Cirjon established that the shortest-lived true dragon, the white, can live as long as 2,100 years. The true dragon species that lives the longest is the gold; Guillaume and Cirjon put the gold's maximum age at 4,400 years.

What is the Golden dragon certificate?

The Domain of the Golden Dragon Certificate is a commemorative certificate for crossing the 180th Meridian, also known as the International Date Line. With the increase of Navy activity in the area of the 180th Meridian during and after World War II, the passage was so common that few initiation ceremonies were held.

What is the order of the ditch?

What is King Neptune's court?

It is of course a solemn and serious occasion onboard the ship, and usually involves a barbecue in the evening!! A typical Court hearing might run like this: On the arrival of King Neptune and his wife, Queen Nefertiti, at the Court, all those uninitiated victims are requested to report to the Court.

Why do sailors wear Dixie cups?

The “Dixie cup” hat worn by male recruits are now part of a uniform overhaul set in motion by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus last October. The changes are meant to promote equality among genders and help integrate women into the ranks. The iconic Dixie cups must be worn by all female enlisted recruits by Oct. 31, 2016.