Ship sponsor

A ship sponsor, by tradition, is a female civilian who is invited to "sponsor" a vessel, presumably to bestow good luck and divine protection over the seagoing vessel and all that sail aboard.^[1] In the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard, the sponsor is technically considered a permanent member of the ship's crew and is expected to give a part of her personality to the ship, as well as advocate for its continued service and well-being. For passenger ships the sponsor is called a godmother if the sponsor is female, or a godfather if the sponsor is male.

Kate Lehrer, sponsor of USS Wichita (LCS-13), breaks a bottle of champagne on the ship during a christening ceremony in 2016

See also

• Ceremonial ship launching (christening)