I was talking to someone the other day that was earnestly looking for a boat for a passage to Hawaii. He remarked that the vessel he was considering did not have an anchor windlass and he sure would like one. That comment got me thinking about how often one needs to anchor on the way to Hawaii, and then I thought what else do we think we need but really don’t need at all.
In the San Juans we anchor all the time, plus an anchor can be a last chance emergency brake when the motor conks out. On the way to Hawaii I just don’t see any use for an anchor or windlass,
and I doubt motoring very far is in the cards either, so a dependable motor ranks somewhere behind standing rigging because if the mast folds up and goes over the side in the San Juans it’s a big deal and probably will require motoring back to home base. If the same thing happens a thousand miles from shore its more than a big deal, it could mean a rescue, so having stout rigging is a must going to Hawaii, but not in the San Juans. How about tanks, do we need a holding tank in the San Juan’s, the answer is no, but they are very handy if you do not want to be tied to resorts and shore side facilities.
On the way to Hawaii, I think a holding tank won’t be missed. Fresh water tank, yes. I think you need one going to Hawaii, but in the San Juans, no, you can make it from place to place with a sports bottle in your pocket.
How about a compass, I think yes in both scenario’s. Radar is a resounding not needed in either case but a gps and radio I think you need, and since they are relatively cheap and portable there is no real good reason not to have them with you. A chart plotter is not needed but a paper chart is needed whether going to Hawaii or hanging around the San Juans.
How about a refrigerator, nope you can get by without one and save a lot of juice at the same time.
Did I leave out anything big? Yes! No! Of course you need basics like a bilge pump or a bucket, but let’s face it a dinghy is handy but not required, so is a new suit of sails.
I think a good argument can be made for having an emergency life raft out in the middle of the ocean, but not so good an argument in the San Juans.
The purpose for this line of
thought as I said in the beginning was to think some about
what gear is really needed on my boat, or on the boat being considered.
In my opinion, the perfect boat is just something I think about, but the boat I buy is the boat that fulfills my minimum needs for the next year or just my next planned cruise.
Sometimes the needs and the wants get a little blurred and what I really need is to honestly focus on all my options, and then get the right boat, for the right time. There you have it, a crystal clear description of the perfect yacht is different for each person depending on a myriad of variables.
Speaking of variables, we’re not done just yet, we need to consider some trump cards that cannot be ignored. Probably the biggest is our budget, most of us cannot simply make a list of absolute needs and then sit down with a broker and order a boat. So it’s time to face reality and jettison plans for the new hundred footer and possibly consider second hand fifty footers. That long planned trip to a mountain lake, or to the San Juans from the midwest requires transporting the boat so we need to understand the difference between transportable boats and trailerable boats. Essentially a transportable boat may be hauled on a trailer, the mast stepped with a crane and eventually rigged and slinged into the water at great expense, time and effort.
A true trailerable boat may be hauled with the family rig and ramp launched.
Another group of trump cards is the admiral and crews wants or requirements. It is not unusual for spouses to demand indoor plumbing and young crew members to require decks with lifelines and places to carry bicycles and kayaks. Now lest we forget the skipper, we should toss in wheel steering, roller furling, six foot headroom, six foot double berth, and of course the windlass that started this discussion. Any more trump cards? Probably, but we don’t need to dwell, the idea is to embrace a focused method of thinking and end up with the perfect boat, or as said earlier
To me it is obvious that - The perfect San Juan Boat - exists in all shapes, sizes, price and condition, because for me, it is the one I have right now, I just need to cast off and go.
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| A boat for every person - but not oars |
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