Along with the joy of owning a boat, comes a plethora of games. These games are designed to keep one on their toes and alert at all times. Some of these games are impossible to win … the odds always seem to be against you. The games are bound to broaden one’s horizons and help in developing skills that could benefit you onboard or wherever you may find yourself. Here I list a few of the games Harry and I play regularly. Had we played these games more often when younger, we might not have had to play them so much in our blossoming years. Well … maybe. Or perhaps old habits die hard. However, if we are actually ever really going cruising we are in desperate need of having to learn new skills OR we will have to tow a barge behind us and that would indeed be slow [as well as simply not practical.]

The inspiration for this particular post came to me recently when we had an important job – we needed to clear everything from under the dodger, at the entry way of Flapdoodle,  in order for the dodger to be measured for  new canvas.

BOAT FACT A dodger (also known as a spray-hood) is a frame-supported canvas (usually with clear vinyl windows) structure partially protecting a helmsman and other occupants of a sailboat from harsh weather and seas. It covers part of the cockpit and the entrance (or “companionway”) into the interior of the sailboat.  – Wikipedia

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This area has become a place to store things that don’t otherwise have a home. Note that when we do set sail this space also needs to be clear. While docked and wanting to day sail we solve the problem by taking any excess resources [also known as very important junk] to our mobile storage units [our cars.] A fact to remember is that Harry and I have never lived in a space that we have actually fitted into. When we got married we had a small house. We built onto it to provide more storage. Each house we owned there after was progressively bigger. Still we never found a home for everything and proceeded to accumulate more belongings. That is until we started to down size. As we downsized we shed ourselves of many belongings; but still managed in our smaller home to not have enough room until we moved to the boat. If we lived in our house with the belongings we have on the boat we would be swimming in luxurious space; however we now live on a 41 foot sailing boat and guess what? We still have too many belongings for the space available. Another issue is that the cars are not going with us when we are cruising.

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Hence… LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

1. GUESS WHAT IT IS? When we find items on the boat that neither of us have a clue of it’s origin, then we have to imagine what it’s purpose is and make the important decision as to whether or not we take the risk of throwing it out. Maybe we should keep it, just in case down the road we discover that it was a crucial part that is irreplaceable.
2. THE MEMORY GAME. Where did I put that? This is somewhat like having four cups . Place a coin under one. Move the cups around many times, then guess under which the coin is found. In this case it is something that has had many homes on the boat. Everytime we put it away we place it in a different place. Alas the only place we remember is the first place we placed it.
3. HIDE AND SEEK. Harry is usually the one who misplaces or puts said item down somewhere and I usually spend many minutes looking for it. [Harry cannot play the  HOT AND COLD game, informing me whether I am getting closer or further away from it, as he usually has no idea where the item could be.]
4. WHAT BELONGS TOGETHER?  This sorting or association game is played when we are wanting to find a home for something that is unique and there is only one of them. If we succeed in playing the game correctly it will aid us in locating it next time we require it.
5. I WONDER? Brainstorming how many uses there can be for one item or how I can complete a task without purchasing a job specific object. Especially good in the galley and for domestic chores. For example, how do I make cauliflower rice without a food processer OR how do I wash clothes without a washing machine? [This may also be known as WWGGD – What Would Great Grandma Do?] If I bring this item on the boat – what other uses can I find for it to justify it a place?
6. DARE! I dare you to move everything from under the dodger without taking anything actually off the boat. I dare you  to keep the space clear underneath the dodger and never store anything there ever again. [The first we achieved but consequently it is hardly possible to enter the aft cabin. The second we failed at miserably as things found there way back the same day we cleared under the dodger.]
7. BREAKING RECORDS CHALLENGE. I challenge you to finding the said missing item on the boat in record breaking time. Usually we break the record in the opposite direction to that desired
8. All this talk about games reminds me of the never-ending game song [which I borrowed from the Boy Scouts and tweaked a little for my cause]           

This is the game that never ends. It just goes on and on, my friend. Some people started playing it, not knowing what it was. And, they’ll continue playing it forever, just because This is the game that never ends… (repeat forever)

Of course a never ending game could also be associated with torture or a nightmare. How do we ever release ourselves from the never-ending game forces? Some would espouse the principles of minimalism. The KonMari method would suggest systematically “simplifying and organizing your home by getting rid of physical items that do not bring joy into your life.” I can’t help but feel that when a boat is your home, that this simple rule cannot always be honored, and that the rules for justification for keeping items on board are a little different.

BOAT RULES FOR MINIMALISM might look more like-

Does it help to float the boat?

Does it to help to keep you safe?

Do you need it to survive? [For example food, water, first aid and medical supplies]

Is there something else on board that can be used for the same purpose? Is the item made redundant by something else?

Is there a special home for the item on the boat?  OR Is there an item you can take off the boat before you bring another one on?

Is it a “just in case” item for personel use – something you desire? Or is it a spare part in case something breaks – something you need? The latter takes precidense over the former.

If the item passes this checklist and it brings you joy and you still know where it is you can keep it on board.

Thankyou for giving me the opportunity to offload my frustrations, and allowing me to get my priorities in line, as I keep trying to de-clutter more. Good luck in your quests to do the same – If that is what “floats your boat”.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” C.S. Lewis

“Live light, travel light, spread the light, be the light .”– Yogi Tea bag

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