Nauticalia

To Defeat the Doldrums! When wind was the only power available, sailors had no choice but to sit out the calm equatorial zone known as the "doldrums". The crew naturally turned their minds to the invention of games to while away this enforced leisure and one of the more obvious options was to use belaying pins, normally used to fix and tidy rope to the fife rail, as a target at which to throw rope loops. Sailors often competed at this, the original "quoits", for money, tobacco and ale. Our version can either be played with the belaying pin stowed in its "fife rail" (which is designed for attachment to a wall), or with the pin taken out and pushed into the ground. The pin and rail are carved from solid hardwood, stained to a dark finish. Board measures 20x8x8", pin is 16" long.