A small boat. A shared plan.
Bring the
harbour
back to light.
Three lanterns are waiting for a lift. Plot a route, mind your energy and bring the courier home before the sixth watch ends.
Take the helm
one shared boat
A dispatch from the workshop
The harbour
is in your hands.
Moss keeps the lanterns shining. Pip knows every shortcut. Neither can do the whole job alone. Their little boat needs a crew that thinks one crossing ahead.
- 01Light Reed, Bell and Copper.
- 02Spend energy to sail.
- 03Get back to Depot in six watches.
Your boat is ready
One harbour.
Make every watch count.
Play at your own pace. “Watches” are turns, not a timer. A first visit to any of the three lantern docks delivers its lamp automatically.
● Your dockAmber = a lit lampDashed = tidal route
Open the movement ledger
- Set up at Depot with 5 energy and 3 lamps.
Lines are routes.
Distance is not the cost.
The number of energy pegs matters more than the length of a line. You can only sail along a listed connection, and you must be able to pay the whole cost.
Unfold the seven-route ledger
| Connection | Energy | Watch cost |
|---|---|---|
| Depot ↔ Market | 1 | 1 |
| Market ↔ Reed Lantern | 1 | 1 |
| Reed Lantern ↔ Bell Quay | 2 | 1 |
| Market ↔ Bell Quay | 2 on odd watches; 1 on even watches | 1 |
| Bell Quay ↔ Copper Point | 1 | 1 |
| Market ↔ Copper Point | 3 | 1 |
| Copper Point ↔ Depot | 2 | 1 |
The three deliveries
Different shores.
The same warm welcome.
A quiet light among the lilies.
A bright welcome beneath the bell.
The last glow before open water.
A pause that pays its way
Turn the crank.
Take a watch.
Recharge at any dock to gain up to two energy. The boat holds five. You cannot recharge when it is already full.
2 → 4 energy. Recharging uses one watch.
This example does not change the game above.
Only one route changes
The market
bridge breathes.
Market ↔ Bell Quay costs two energy on odd-numbered watches and one on even-numbered watches. Use the number of the watch you are about to play.
Slack tide / 2 energyBoth directions have the same cost. Other routes stay unchanged.
Bring it to your own table
No special box
required.
Draw the five docks and seven connections, then use everyday counters. The illustrations show an imaginary crafted edition; no physical product is being sold here.
- 1 boat
- A coin is a perfectly good courier.
- 3 lamps
- One counter each for Reed, Bell and Copper.
- 5 energy pegs
- Track a total from zero to five.
- 6 watches
- Write six boxes and cross one off per action.
dispatch
Prefer to watch a route unfold?
Six moves.
A light at every shore.
Our training watch reveals a complete solution one step at a time, including the recharge that makes the homeward journey possible.
Open the training watch
“What if we charge here?” is a good beginning.
Before casting off
A few useful
answers.
Is this timed?
No. A watch is one action, not a period measured by a clock. Pause and discuss for as long as you like.
Does a delivery use another watch?
No. The first time the boat arrives at Reed Lantern, Bell Quay or Copper Point, its lamp is delivered automatically. The crossing is the only action used.
Do I recharge automatically at Depot?
No. Every recharge is a separate action at any dock. Returning to Depot does not refill the boat.
Can I undo a move or save a game?
There is no undo or saved-game system. Start a fresh relay whenever you want. Reloading or leaving the page resets the puzzle.
Is there a physical game to buy?
No. The crafted scenes are illustrations of an imaginary game. Use the free rules with your own paper and counters if you want to play away from the screen.
The dispatch desk
A rule unclear?
Leave us a note.
Tell us the dock, watch and energy involved. A precise example helps us follow your route.
More about correspondence ↗