The author's Forget Me Knot list. Those of us who have reached a certain age may have trouble remembering every little thing when we pack up the boat and head for the water. In my case, I have forgotten to hook up the trailer lights, bring the tackle bag, put ice in the cooler, take the boat keys, and a few other things that some may see as important to have along for a day on the water. As my condition gradually went downhill, it became apparent, to even the most casual observer, that something had to be done. It seemed that I forgot at least one thing and often more on every trip. Of course, admitting to myself that my memory was fading, along with a few other things, is not an easy thing for a man. The straw that broke the camel’s back was forgetting my rods and reels and having to drive back home to retrieve them. This situation was made worse because I had a guest for the day who had never fished with me before. At first I tried laying everything out the night before the trip. I didn’t want all my stuff left outside in my open boat all night because you never know who might pass by and avail themselves of some free tackle or electronics. My Chevy Avalanche is pretty secure, so putting everything inside the truck worked fairly well. Hooking up the trailer the afternoon before the trip saved a lot of problems, like getting the wife up at 5 a.m. to help me back the truck up and secure the trailer. I found her much more helpful at 5 p.m. While this system accomplished the objective of remembering to bring almost everything from home, it didn’t completely solve all the problems. There was still the lunch sitting on the kitchen counter, ice and bait still in the freezer, and my fishing license on the dresser in the bedroom. Even when I managed to remember everything, I found I still had problems at the ramp. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a boat, even a 16-foot aluminum boat, off the trailer if you forget to remove the tie-down strap? Or how fast that little hole in the stern will fill the boat with water if you forget the plug? And let’s not forget the PFDs. That is a sure way to get stopped by the marine police who will be more than happy to issue you a ticket. Once back at the ramp you can still forget some important things: that tie-down strap, removing the drain plug, reconnecting the electrical plug to the trailer lights, removing anything that might blow out of the boat, and getting the soda and cheese crackers from the lunch cooler as a snack for the drive home. While my mind was once like a steel trap, over the years springs get rusty, teeth get dull, and that steel trap just doesn’t hold on to information as it once did. My solution is a list of things I don’t want to forget when I take my boat out of the yard. I typed it up on my PC and printed it out. Then I took the list to my local Staples and had it encased in plastic. Laminating not only protects the list from water, it also keeps it readable instead of being crumpled up in a ball or ripped apart. As you may notice from the photo, I wrote the list in bold caps. This makes it easier to read in low light conditions such as those pre-dawn departures. Of course, for the list to be helpful it has to be used. I keep mine in the center console of my truck and go over it every time I use the boat. So far it has prevented me from driving home without trailer lights, trying to launch the boat with the tie-down strap still attached, and leaving my lunch in the kitchen. Should you find yourself forgetting things, no matter what your age, try creating a Forget Me Knot list. If your pride or vanity prevent you from admitting you just might need such a list, you can always keep it a secret, like the old sea captain who opened his safe every morning, took out a piece of paper, read it, and put it back in the safe. When he moved over to that eternal sea his first mate just had to open the safe and see what was written on that piece of paper. ‘Right is starboard and port is left’ is all it said. by Eric Burnley