Geoffs? Mr Ramsgate?
Gilbert Park on the boat list mnemonics that don’t get forgotten
I am sure we’ve all had that feeling just as you turn the key to the hatch: have I remembered everything?. Although I do use checklists, often I am in a rush and not had time to complete a checklist. It struck me I needed to find a faster, more efficient and reliable way of ensuring I’d done everything before leaving the boat. A mnemonic might be the answer. I spent a year playing a Scrabble-like game with all the permutations of the initial letters of my check-list. Then I decided to simplify the checklist to headings. I came up with GEOFFS:
G – Gas: are the LPG gas tap(s) switched off?
E – Electricity: for the 12V system are all the battery switches in the right position? For the 240V system is the mains lead connected and the water heater unplugged? O – Openings: are windows, portholes, hatches and doors in the right position and/or locked?
F – Fuel: are the stopcocks switched off?
F – Fridge: is it empty, switched off and the door slightly ajar?
S – Seacocks: are they closed?
Then I got to thinking about passage planning and all the things to remember when heading off on a voyage, and came up with Mr Ramsgate.
M – Meteorology: do I have an up-to-date weather forecast
R – Route: is it planned and marked on a chart or plotter
R - Radio channels: for the marina or radio checks (65 with National Coastwatch)
A – Alternative ports: suitable for avoiding weather or an emergency
M – Mooring: for when you arrive
S – Special hazards: are there any?
G – Gas: (plus diesel and petrol) do I have enough for the voyage or is there somewhere to get more?
A – Alimentation: food and drinks for the voyage
T – Tides: what state are they? E – Emergency: details with a shore contact
Of course you may not want to use my mnemonics, but I’m sure you get the idea and it is great fun trying to do them. Once you have done them it pays to write them down and have them to hand so you can remember them for the first few times.