Hampshire Heritage
Sea Witch still casting her spell after 40 years
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| CITY BOUND: Grand Princess will bear the Sea Witch emblem |
It was exactly 40 years ago that the Sea Witch, with her flowing locks of hair streaming in the wind, made her first appearance and now she regularly casts her magical spell over Southampton.
These days the witch's cool gaze looks out across the city's skyline from on high every time a vessel from Princess Cruises' luxury fleet of ships arrives in port.
The distinctive blue image of the Sea Witch is the unique, signature emblem that is emblazoned on the funnels of every one of the company's cruise ships as they voyage the oceans of the world.
People travelling into Southampton from the west of the city who look across to the docks will often see one of the impressive white ships berthed alongside the Mayflower Cruise Terminal, with the Sea Witch looking down from the funnel.
According to maritime legend the Sea Witch, half mermaid, half human, is a beauty of the depths and has the power to entrance seamen with her long waves of hair as she rules her kingdom beneath the waves.
According to legends witches were believed to be able to control the wind. One method was with the use of three knots tied into a rope, or sometimes a handkerchief. When the knots were tied in the proper magical way, the wind was bound up in them.
Some seafarers believed that the Sea Witch gave, or sometimes sold, these magic knots to sailors to help them experience safe voyages. The release of one knot brought a gentle, southwesterly wind; two knots, a strong north wind; and three knots, a tempest.
Back in 1968, Stanley B McDonald, the north American businessman who had founded Princess Cruises three years earlier, decided that his growing number of ships needed a strong image that people would immediately associate with the company.
Speaking some years later, he said: "An artist came up with this concept and did a head of a princess, the colours and all. I looked at several different designs and said This is the one'.
"The old logo was used for the first two years and the Sea Witch came in during 1968 and now it's recognised right away.
"I think we paid $50,000 for the designer to do it but I would say it's now worth millions of dollars to the company.''
The Sea Witch seems to have been working her magic for Princess Cruises as the company is to bring two of its biggest ships, Crown Princess and Grand Princess, to Southampton next year to meet the growing demand for holidays on the high seas.
2:33pm Wednesday 13th August 2008
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