For this forum - what is the ....

[Guest]

BEST item you fitted / had on / did have / wished you had now .... on your boat .....

Please ONE item only !!

On scuttlebutt - you can vote your WORST item !!

For me - it has to be the Autohelm .... letting me do all sorts of other things, like pull ring-pulls and enjoy my beer without worrying about tiller etc.

Whats yours ????

 

[halcyon]

Long keel, allows you to open ring pulls without autohelm.


Brian

 

[zephyrsailor]

wind vane steering
can't afford it but sailed boats with it on
brilliant!

 

[VicS]

As youve "bagged" the Autohelm I'll put in a vote for the solar panel.

 

[Johnjo]

After trying to change headsails off Start Point,
Wind against tide,fresh wind,
It has to be roller reefing,
No more going airborne on the foredeck.

 

[Miker]

If not the autohelm and connecting GPS, then the compressor unit in the coolbox to chill the beer that I can now open while I and my crew are relaxing.

 

[graham]

As my boat will sail long enough to brew tea open beer etc .My vote is for Grp hulls + alloy spars which allow less hours working and more hours sailing.I would mention synthetic sails that dont need drying stretching etc but we take them for granted these days.

 

[halcyon]

Have you sailed one with Hasler steering ?


Brian

 

[Guest]

GPS

Best item - GPS. It has tranformed sailing.

Years ago, a channel crossing was a daunting prospect. Passage planning to make sure you arrived in the dawn twylight (crew retching below after the night passage) while the shore nav lights were still visible. A five degree steering bias made your landfall at best /- 5 miles (most likely more) from your target so you made your approach matching the profile of the coastline to the photos and drawings in the Adlard Coles/Shell pilot. Standing off, hove to awaiting the dawn mist to lift..............

Today, there's little need to travel at night. The certainty of GPS positioning means you can leave the south coast a little before dawn and make the whole journey in daylight, certain to drive straight (allowing for tidal set) to your destination, arrival about 12-14 hours from the Needles - 10 if you are lucky - ashore for a good dinner. The mist is no longer a problem either - GPS will drive you straight down the track of a series of waypoints - Alderney in 50-100metres viz is a doddle.

Progress.....!

 

[Joe_Cole]

We haven't got a tiller pilot so it has to be a radio (broadcast not VHF). Something to listen to whilst sat at the tiller for all those hours

Regards

Joe

 

[Strathglass]

THE BEST....

There is one item on a yacht I would put above any others, as any ex dinghy sailer will agree. A cooker with the ability to have a brew up at any time. That is what really diferentiates yachts from dinghys.

 

[Guest]

...a credit card. Ever tried sailing without one?

 

[extravert]

All the aformentioned items are much more important than this one, but they have been said already.

Having spent far too long on mountaineering expeditions, the biggest advantage of floating mobile cooking rather than camping mobile cooking is the grill, which means TOAST!

 

[SloopJohnB]

As Im not allowed to state the best item I posess as well as my best "wish for" Im going for the wishfor.
It would be an electric windless for sure.

 

[SloopJohnB]

Sorry, meant windlass not windless - get plenty of that!

 

[Chris_Robb]

Re: Calorifier

with immersion heater - Nothing like plenty of hot water for SWMBO to do the washing up - whilst the skipper gets on with nexts days passage plan - as required now by law!

 

[hlb]

Re: Calorifier

All the rest of course. But with the addition of 400HP just to ensure it all happens before tea time. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<font color=red> No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Haydn

 

[SloopJohnB]

Re: Calorifier

Bet you wouldnt be typing that if she was looking over your shoulder!!

 

[Guest]

a fridge.


mmmmmmmmmm cold beer all day.

 

[Chris_Robb]

No chance! NM

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