April 26, 2021
In December 2020, crew on board the Nikolay Yevgenov participated in the Order of the Blue Nose Ceremony: an arctic spin off of a line-crossing ceremony that typically commemorates a sailor’s first crossing of the Equator. Denis O’Donnell, Chief Officer onboard the Nikolay Yevgenov, chronicled the unique celebration. This is Denis’s account of his experience.
How many of us over the years have recalled during dinner conversations our line-crossing ceremonies and how much they loved the moment they felt part of the seafarer heritage and part of this big family we all belong to?
The modern Merchant Navy of 2021 is very forward-thinking and some companies such as Teekay take it a step further with initiatives such as E-colors, Leadership Training, and Continual Professional Development. But all of this stems from the many sailors who came before us and who, depending on the decade they came from, followed certain seafaring traditions. While many of these are now out-of-date and not practiced anymore, I believe it’s important that we continue to honor the traditions that can still be achieved. Especially for those who are new to the seafarer lifestyle. How many of us over the years have recalled during dinner conversations our line-crossing ceremonies and how much they loved the moment they felt part of the seafarer heritage and part of this big family we all belong to?
For those that may not fully understand what a line-crossing ceremony is let me explain. The line-crossing ceremony, which most will have completed, is normally carried out when a seafarer crosses the equator for the first time. It is a ritual to challenge a seafarer’s worthiness after completing a series of tasks so they can be welcomed into Neptune’s Court and become in the eyes of the other sailors on board, a fully qualified sailor (forget STCW here). While in old times these ceremonies could be quite challenging, in modern times these ceremonies are tamer and involve the whole crew in small fun tasks and, aim to significantly increase the morale of the crew onboard.
Since Yamal ships have a limited trading area and are unlikely to ever cross the equator line, the crew of the Nikolay Yevgenov, who regularly enter the Arctic Circle to get to our load port of Sabetta, came together, researched, and found out that similar to the equator crossing ceremony, there is also a crossing ceremony for entering the Arctic Circle at latitude 66°33’ N called the Order of the Blue Nose Ceremony. On Nikolay’s recent crossing of the Arctic Circle, the crew of the Nikolay Yevgenov held the Ceremony and welcomed many new members.
The Order of the Blue Nose is the fraternal order where a seafarer becomes an Earl when he passes through the Arctic Circle. This signals him to be a true Arctic Seafarer. The Ceremony usually involves crew members dressing up as King Neptune, among other characters. The crew members who are to take part in the ceremony are brought before King Neptune. They then undergo the tests (which vary greatly from ship to ship) and then kneel before Neptune to be accepted into his court.
However the ceremonies may differ, the feeling upon completion is shared. These rituals help to form a common bond on board through the good times and especially the tough times.
Upon completion of a line-crossing ceremony, you receive what most consider to be the most important certificate of your career which you must carry with you for life. The ceremony is a lot of fun and completely voluntary and is usually followed by a buffet and cake which the amazing catering staff prepares. The ceremonies differ ship to ship depending on time trade and willingness of the people onboard to take part. However the ceremonies may differ, the feeling upon completion is shared. These rituals help to form a common bond on board through the good times and especially the tough times.
For the ceremony on board the Nikolay Yevgenov, the crew assembled on the aft deck which was covered in the fresh snow of the Arctic Circle with an outside temperature of -10 degrees and all the initiates knelt before “King Neptune.” He explained the ceremony proceedings to the seafarers before him and what would be required of them to become an Earl of the Order of the Blue Nose. After completing the tasks, and if the seafarer had proven himself worthy, he would then receive a blue dot on his nose – officiating that he has been accepted.
I am happy to report that the entire crew of the Nikolay Yevgenov was accepted by King Neptune and are now Earls of the highest order in the Order of the Blue Nose. They have also received a certificate that is prestigious even among other seafarers.
