Oceanic Steamship Company

Historical or Biographical Note

Historical Note: Equator crossing rituals have been performed in the Western world for over 400 years. The ceremony is performed aboard the vessel where the landlubber (one learning to sail) is subjected to a ritual death and rebirth in order to gain a new status of Seafarer (seaman or mariner). Landlubbers must prove themselves capable of standing the terrors, stresses and strains of maritime life, and prove they have the courage and strength of character to gracefully accept the rowdy humor encountered in daily shipboard life.