Navy Traditions Explained: Shellback, Blue Nose, Plank Owner and More
Share
Ask a Navy veteran about the day they crossed the Equator and you will get a story, usually with a grin and a detail or two they have promised never to repeat. The Navy runs on traditions like this. They have odd names, they come with certificates, and the people who earned them tend to remember the date for the rest of their lives.
If you are shopping for a sailor, or you just want to understand what is on the shirt your dad has been wearing since 1989, here is a plain-English guide to the traditions that come up most often.
Pollywog to Shellback: crossing the line
A sailor who has never crossed the Equator at sea is called a Pollywog. Once the ship crosses the line and the sailor goes through the traditional ceremony, they become a Shellback, a trusted member of King Neptune's court. The ceremony has a long history, and the old "Domain of Neptune" language still shows up on certificates and wallet cards.
Shellbacks tend to keep that card for decades. A shirt that says so is one of the safest gifts for a Navy veteran, because it is specific to people who actually did it. We carry Shellback - Imperium Neptuni for the full title, and Before I Was a Shellback I Was a Pollywog for the sailor who likes to remember where they started.
The Golden Shellback
A smaller group crossed the Equator at the International Date Line, the 180th meridian. Those sailors are Golden Shellbacks, and they are not shy about the distinction. If the veteran you are shopping for has a Golden Shellback card in a drawer, the Golden Shellback - Ancient Order shirt will mean something to them.
Blue Nose: the Arctic Circle
The cold-weather counterpart is the Blue Nose, earned by crossing the Arctic Circle. It is a rarer tradition than the Equator crossing, since far fewer ships head that far north, which is exactly why people who hold it are proud of it. The Blue Nose - Arctic Circle design is the one to look at if your sailor served in northern waters.
Plank Owner: there from the start
A Plank Owner was part of a ship's original crew at commissioning. The name goes back to the wooden decks of older ships; the "planks" were the ship, and the first crew owned a piece of it in spirit. You cannot become a Plank Owner later, no matter how long you serve aboard, so it is a point of real pride. See Plank Owner - First Crew.
Tin Can sailors and the Silent Service
Two nicknames tell you what ship someone served on. Destroyers are "tin cans", a nod to their thin-skinned hulls, and the sailors who crewed them wear the name with affection. Submariners call their community the Silent Service, and they are famously loyal to it. If you are not sure which one applies, ask a relative before you buy; getting a destroyer sailor a submarine shirt is a mistake you only make once.
How to choose without guessing
A few questions are worth asking before you order:
- Which ship type? Destroyer, submarine, carrier and cruiser crews each have their own identity.
- Which line has he or she crossed? Shellback, Golden Shellback and Blue Nose are separate honors. Do not mix them up.
- Front or back? You can choose where the design goes at checkout, Front or Back.
- What color does the veteran actually wear? These shirts come in 12 colors and sizes S to 5XL.
What to know about ordering
Every shirt is printed to order in the USA. Production takes 2 to 4 business days, followed by 3 to 5 days of shipping, and orders over $45 ship free. Because each shirt is made for the order, we cannot take returns for a change of mind, but a misprint or damaged shirt is always replaced.
The full range is in the Navy Veteran collection. If someone in the family served in another branch, the Marine Corps and Airborne collections are a good next stop.
Veterans Day is November 11, and made-to-order shirts need time to be printed and shipped, so ordering early in the month keeps things relaxed. Fair winds and following seas to the sailor in your life.