Going equipped

bilbobaggins

bilbobaggins

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Reflecting on the drabble of Drascombes drifting downstream on the sun-dappled deeps at Beaulieu a few days ago ( groan! ) and the great beaming grins on all the faces, I found myself wondering whether 'less gear means more fun'.

My own memory suggests that a lot more fun was had on simply-equipped boats.....

So what's really essential today? And what is merely helpful?

GPS?
Radar?
VHF?
EPIRB?
Chartplotter?
None of 'em?
??????


/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
I'm not really a luddite, but because I work with electronics all week I try and do as much sailing without them as possible. A gps is useful, but I reckon I could prob'ly find my way to Beaulieu and up the river without one.
 
Personally, I use:-

VHS/DSC for safety.
GPS to feed the DSC
Charts + eyeball for navigation
Compass and GPS to back up eyeball.

But then I rarely go out of sight of land.
 
I suspect the Drascombes are equiped to a similar standard to our old cruising Wayfarer dinghy:-
Compass, Chart (if it's not too wet to take it out of the plastic bag), 2 pairs best quality eyeballs, centreboard for use as echo sounder, & self-heating tinned food on longer trips.
 
Yup.Chuck a few gallons of water down the hatch or fry the batteries and what is useful is pretty obvious.(but then this is a tecky forum....) /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
You dont need any of the mentioned!

What you do need

Seamanship, compass, charts, dividers, chronometer (watch)paralel rules and binoculars, and if you are going offshore sight tables and a sextant. Its not rocket science.
 
My mobile phone.

It's got a compass, a thermometer, a torch, a decibel meter (for complaining how loud pwc's are)! A camera for nice sunset shots, a video for exciting sailing movies. Oh and I can call home to tell SWMBO we're arrived safe and sound (or not!).
 
Well, I'm going to say all of them, simply 'cos it makes life simple. I'm out to enjoy my day/week/month on the water and anything that makes that possible is OK with me.

I threw my astrolabe away some time ago and good riddence to it.
 
Astrolabe?
Your Lucky! Used to dream of havin' astrolabe!
When we were young our Da used to chuck us out in Force 9 on waterlogged treetrunk and give us plank for t'rudder.
And if we couldn't get to Ireland he'd thrash us wi' the knotted cat. (An' not the ROPE one neither!)

An' the kids these days just don't understand how lucky they are.......

(Apologies to Monty Python)
 
Bloody luxury!

All we 'ad was punctured inner tube, little bruvver had to pump or else we'd dissapear below waves. Occasionally the pump came off 't valve. did fine impression of jet boat then.

Food was all we could find on foreshore. Eee! deep fried bladder wrack. Nothing like it.
 
Swimmin? Don't know yer born. We ad to crawl along bottom of ocean on us ands and knees, olding us breath. Tell that to youngsters of today and they wouldn't believe yer!
 
A couple of weekends ago I went into Suffolk Yacht Harbour and there was a Drascombe rally in for the night. They had hired the restaurant for a do and were equipped with costumes and a brass band.

So essential gear obviously includes a straw boater (with a flower if you're a lady) and a trombone or euphonium - also very handy in fog

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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