I went for a sail Friday night and 1 of 3 GPS plotters wasn't working. It just so happened that it was the plotter that both the AIS and Radar display on. I didn't like not having either, but especially the AIS. My only comfort was that nobody else was probably silly enough to be out.

What piece of equipment don't you like going without?

Telltales... and depth sounder if I'm in unfamiliar waters... Generally only day sail at this point in life.

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All@Sea said..
Telltales

yep

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All@Sea said..
Telltales... and depth sounder if I'm in unfamiliar waters... Generally only day sail at this point in life.

+1

A cold fridge for the Beer.

Something to float on (ie a hull or a board), centreboard or keel, rudder or fin, spars, sail(s) and control lines. Everything else is optional although telltales are nice. Oh, and clothes as well, normally.

On the J/36 we really like the depth sounder, GPS or plotter (phone or ipad) at times because she's got more than 6ft of draft and we sail in some shallow areas. The rest of the instruments are largely irrelevant, although water temp is good if you're thinking of swimming.

I did Sydney-Noumeas and Sydney-Hobarts in the days before GPS, satnav, AIS or radar and we never had real problems - in fact probably fewer boats hit the bricks and no one hit ships. I confess I don't really understand AIS - if I can't see 20,000 tons of metal approaching then I deserve to get run over.

I would miss my washing machine!

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southace said..
I would miss my washing machine!

haahhahhhah. you spoil yourself .......

I bought some waterproof Sealskinz socks a couple of months ago and while the weather is still a bit cool down here i am loving wearing them on the boat

Regards Don

A stove/burner.
Hot drinks.
Hot food.
Aaaahhhh..............

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shaggybaxter said..
A stove/burner.
Hot drinks.
Hot food.
Aaaahhhh..............

Hot drinks Shaggy.coming up to summer on the bay?.surely a nice cold fridge, and some liquid contents.

IRB. Don't like those stories about containers floating around, hitting one then swimming

My reading glasses. Can't read anything without them and that's just the start.

Sounder, hand held GPS, sun hat and fridge.

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Donk107 said..
I bought some waterproof Sealskinz socks a couple of months ago and while the weather is still a bit cool down here i am loving wearing them on the boat

Regards Don

The gloves rock for cold weather helming too!

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rumblefish said..

Donk107 said..
I bought some waterproof Sealskinz socks a couple of months ago and while the weather is still a bit cool down here i am loving wearing them on the boat

Regards Don

The gloves rock for cold weather helming too!

Yep

I have a pair of those as well

Regards Don

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GKandCC said..

shaggybaxter said..
A stove/burner.
Hot drinks.
Hot food.
Aaaahhhh..............

Hot drinks Shaggy.coming up to summer on the bay?.surely a nice cold fridge, and some liquid contents.

Cisco,
Aw, that's a tough one.
Nah, I'm sticking with my stove. Nothing like that cup of hot coffee first thing in the morning watching the sunrise appear over the water!

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southace said..
I would miss my washing machine!

Me to, i'v Got ono of those automatic ones, you just drop your clothes on the floor and some how it picks them up, washes them and puts them back in the cupboard. Some times it's not very reliable.

Apart from the chart plotter, came into Yamba last night with no moon, with the amount of lights and judging the distance off them would have been a mess without it .
I'd say the vhf, it's very convenient for exchanging info and safety messages between boats

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Chris 249 said..
Something to float on (ie a hull or a board), centreboard or keel, rudder or fin, spars, sail(s) and control lines. Everything else is optional although telltales are nice. Oh, and clothes as well, normally.

On the J/36 we really like the depth sounder, GPS or plotter (phone or ipad) at times because she's got more than 6ft of draft and we sail in some shallow areas. The rest of the instruments are largely irrelevant, although water temp is good if you're thinking of swimming.

I did Sydney-Noumeas and Sydney-Hobarts in the days before GPS, satnav, AIS or radar and we never had real problems - in fact probably fewer boats hit the bricks and no one hit ships. I confess I don't really understand AIS - if I can't see 20,000 tons of metal approaching then I deserve to get run over.

all of the above but I do like a fridge for cold drinks

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shaggybaxter said..
Cisco,
Aw, that's a tough one.
Nah, I'm sticking with my stove. Nothing like that cup of hot coffee first thing in the morning watching the sunrise appear over the water!

Shaggy, you are absolutely right. You gotta have a stove of some sort even if just going out for a day sail. Nothing like a hot drink to restore morale.

Going to Toph's question and some of the humorous responses, a bit of context might help, say accepted essentials such as stove, sounder, VHF, charts, bunks, dunny etc and non essentials that you don't LIKE being without.

My revised list:-

Handheld GPS, sun hat, fridge, music player. Those I really like having but I am quite ambivalent when it comes to wig wams for the goose's bridle.

P.S. What with smart phones, tablets etc I think the average yacht will have 3 or 4 GPS receivers on board these days.

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I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Probably sums it up for me, although sunnies, hat & coffee would probably be on the list.

Cheers

Bristol

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I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Bristol

Ok, I'll give up trying to post that!

Ok, I'll give up trying to post that!

There you go Bristol...

Sea Fever BY JOHN MASEFIELD

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

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NowandZen said..
A cold fridge for the Beer.

I gotta agree with that :)

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Lazzz said..

NowandZen said..
A cold fridge for the Beer.

I gotta agree with that :)

A floating paradise!

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Lazzz said..

NowandZen said..
A cold fridge for the Beer.

I gotta agree with that :)

Can I marry into your family Lazz??

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Datawiz said..
There you go Bristol...

Sea Fever BY JOHN MASEFIELD

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Or as the former owner of a boat I raced on wrote (from memory but with some changes to make it intelligible to 2018);

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky;
and buy me a stripped out race machine, and GPS to steer her by;
she'll cost me a million quid, with 15,000 in the genny;
and if she doesn't win every race, she won't be worth a penny;

....and so it goes on, bemoaning the tough life of the offshore racer owner.