The players start with 10 ships (plastic tokens) each at their starting spaces. Movement is determined by 2 dice. The result of both dice may be used for one ship or the result of each die for another ship. The players may chose to bring a new ship into play or move a ship already on the board.
The ships may be placed on empty spaces or on top of ships of the same color but never on top of enemy ships. If a ship gets on a space with a single enemy ship, the enemy ship is taken from the board and has to start anew. A single ship can't be taken, when it is protected by friendly ships on the space directly behind it.
If a ship gets on an unprotected stack of enemy ships, only one enemy ship is taken from the board, the rest are set back according the roll of one die for each ship.
The game ends when all 16 spaces in the center of the board are occupied. The player with the most ships in the center spaces defeats the Flying Dutchman and wins the game. Ships that sail past the center spaces have to complete their journey and then start again.
—user summary