On board entertainment for a couple

[basssears]

No, not THAT kind of entertainment

Looking for suggestions for what people do when just hanging out on board. The admiral and I spend most of our days out anchored or on state park docks, we're not in the marina partying in town types, so we spend most evenings on the boat. We read A LOT but we'd also like to pull our heads out of our books every once in a while. We have a deck of cards, backgammon and Scrabble on board but the admiral gets a little competitive sometimes so that's not always relaxing.

What's your favorite way to pass the time with your significant other when just hanging on the hook (PG-13 only, please!)?

-- Bass

[a64pilot]

We watch too much TV

[basssears]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

We watch too much TV

Guess I should have mentioned the electronic side, we have tablets and a laptop but no data to stream anything with (have ripped some old DVD's onto a hard drive so have some classic old movies to watch on "movie night").

[a64pilot]

Well, our most memorable times are not PG13. I think that important and a bonding experience
Not to sound too crass, but cruising maybe ought to be done at a pace that leaves plenty of time for each other?
I figure it brings a few closer together, and tears a few apart.
Modern couples it seems in the working part of our lives, spend very little time together, many spend more time with coworkers than their Spouses.
Then suddenly your together 24/7, and its more than some can handle?

[basssears]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Well, our most memorable times are not PG13. I think that important and a bonding experience
Not to sound too crass, but cruising maybe ought to be done at a pace that leaves plenty of time for each other?
I figure it brings a few closer together, and tears a few apart.
Modern couples it seems in the working part of our lives, spend very little time together, many spend more time with coworkers than their Spouses.
Then suddenly your together 24/7, and its more than some can handle?

To clarify, we already have the R rated stuff taken care of, but seriously, I'm 45, I have to think of my heart and find some other things too

-- Bass

[Auspicious]

Reading, movies, TV (over-the-air and streaming), knitting, talking, board games, card games, cooking, writing.

[atlantical]

fishing, it has always amazed me, that when I am on a boat, everyone can sit being bored out of there heads, then when someone drops a hook over the side, next thing, everyone is fishing, it passes hours, boring if you are not catching, but when catching starts. I have even been on a boat in dock, where one person put a line over the side, within an hour, about ten people had lines out, we even went on to the dock to walk further down to try, and the people on the next boat (from Denmark) came and asked us if we could give them some line, and hooks, (because they saw us fishing) then they started fishing from there boat.

[Cormorant]

We have a ritual of swimming multiple times a day, or snorkeling. (Last week in Maine nearly caused heart stoppage for non-X rated reasons....)

Also wholesome free entertainment in areas with many other boats nearby: following other people's conversations on the VHF.

[Roy M]

Music. Duets. Your choices: Recorder, guitar, ukelele, bagpipe, percussion, (electric) piano, flute, brass instruments, mandolin, penny whistle, violin, viola (Think MASTER AND COMMANDER). And then, there's singing....

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Cormorant

We have a ritual of swimming multiple times a day, or snorkeling. (Last week in Maine nearly caused heart stoppage for non-X rated reasons....)

Also wholesome free entertainment in areas with many other boats nearby: following other people's conversations on the VHF.

Watch motor yachts (trying to) dock.

Watch people (try to) anchor.

Look at photos on your computer or tablet, sometimes the older ones are really fun. I have a bunch on our screensaver and sometimes we get into a game of "Where did we take this picture?"

My wife loves crossword puzzles and reading. I love to read and "do" boating forums.

I like to write.

We used to love backgammon and have one on the boat, haven't played it in years. Same with Scrabble, maybe we'll start again...

What WE do is meaningless. What do YOU like to do? Then go do it!

[dougweibel]

Not exactly "on board" but we have a pair of inflatable kayaks that get used quite a bit. Lots of fun poking in to whatever creeks or coves are nearby. Also swimming, getting ashore and hiking, or of course boat chores. Seems like at least in the months with a decent amount of daylight hours we are active enough that by the time we get dinner made, ate and cleaned up there is usually only an hour or so left before I'm ready for bed. With only an hour for reading, playing cards, watching some video or whatever it is never a problem deciding what to do.

[jeepbluetj]

Anybody say "fix the boat" yet? heck, I do that and I'm a weekender. Can't seem to go 40 miles without breaking something

Hike. Snorkel. Read. Play music. Listen to podcasts. Kayak/sup/dinghy. Wine. Watch other boaters. Chat with other boaters. invite others over for wine. Maybe watch a movie. Wine? Adult activities. maybe some wine.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Geeky I know, but I like to splice. Ropework's always been meditative for me. That or sometimes handcraft a gift for someone. Speaking of which, I do need to learn to splice wire. Sewing is another one, as I'm a big fan of soft stowage. And or working on "gifts" for the boat; drogue cones are on that list. And folks think I have gills I'm in the water so much, so swimming/snorkeling & spearfishing.

[Kenomac]

1. Watching charter boat crews try to anchor.

2. Watching charter boat crews try to untangle their anchors when they drag into each other.

3. Watching charter boat crews with jammed mainsails attempting to anchor or dock.

4. Watching charter boat crews jam 8 people onto a six foot long dinghy and motor into town with a 2hp outboard.

[Zven]

Can't believe you all have so much free time there...
On my boat, things keep breaking quicker than I can get them repaired, even when hiring help. During the latest 2-week trip, I had the air-con packing up, then the generator, then my mobile phone for good measure. Depth sounder now not working, and autopilot is away for repair already. Radar also has developed a new problem. Some new LED lights we bought turned out to be defective. No time was left for doing the fun stuff we actually indented to do, namely, splicing some ropes and sanding some woodwork...