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 Board game takes on a nautical theme for annual Boatathalon
By BETH FEINSTEIN-BARTL
Waterfront News Writer
FORT LAUDERDALE — Two local boating groups are putting a nautical spin on the classic board game “Clue” for an upcoming scavenger hunt that pits the crews against each other on the Middle River.
The Boatathalon, hosted by the Gulfstream Sailing Club, is a tradition that carries a new theme each year. This time around, the club is joining with Sailing Singles of South Florida for their version of the whodunit, “Clewless on the ICW.”
The Sept. 13 hunt is open to all vessels including both sail and power. Participants will be assigned a map pinpointing several stops where they’ll be asked to perform tasks and collect objects.
Kevin Kerwin explains the title as a play on the word, “clew” — a nautical term denoting the corner of a sail — combined with the initials of the Intracoastal Waterway. He and crewmembers from his Endeavor 37 sailboat, Southern Comfort, were handed the task of organizing the upcoming event, in keeping with official rules.
The winners are put in charge of the following year’s hunt, said Kerwin, a naval architect who belongs to both the Gulfstream and Sailing Singles groups.
Last year’s event, based on the “Popeye” cartoon series, was the first time that Kerwin entered the competition. When faced with churning out an idea for the 2008 challenge, “Clue” easily stood out as the favorite among the Southern Comfort crew.
“Everyone felt it had the most potential,” Kerwin said. “Most people are already familiar with the board game.”
In “Clewless,” the game’s traditional characters have been replaced with a seaworthy cast. Gone are Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs. White and Mr. Green. Taking their places are Capt. Bluster and Miss Scarlett Winch. There’s Professor Rhumb, Ms. Seasick, Mrs. Seacock and Blanch Whitecap too.
A character will be assigned to each of the six stops, resembling the interior of a yacht. Captains and crews are encouraged to bribe the costumed volunteers with food and drink to gather information needed to win the hunt, Kerwin said.
The winners will be awarded prizes and assigned the task of organizing the 2009 Boatathalon.
The event, founded by the Gulfstream Sailing Club, is strictly for fun. In addition to “Popeye,” other past themes have included “Gilligan’s Island” and Tom Sawyer, said Astrid Hunton, vice commodore.
Last year’s hunt attracted 10 vessels, with five to six people on each vessel, Hunton said.
“There’s no underlying agenda,” Kerwin said. “It’s an opportunity for people to get together and have a good time on the water.”
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Boaters must register for Clewless on the ICW by Sept. 9. Cost is $10 per vessel, plus $18 per person. The fee includes a post-hunt pool party and buffet dinner at the Bahia Cabana in Fort Lauderdale.
For more information call 954-524-9013, or visit the website at
www.gulfstreamsailingclub.org or
www.sailingsingles.org .
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