so which bits of kit matter most?

Birdseye

Birdseye

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Prompted by the exchange on GPS I was wondering what would be my prioroties for my left over cash if I were ever to buy a new boat, typically equipped with compass and log and depth but nothing much else. Assumption : UK coastal sailing, France, Eire

Leaving aside personal kit like oilies, I think I would prioritise (in order):

vhf to be able to call for assistance
autohelm to be able to rest away from the helm. tiredness kills
gps accurate nav
electric windlass so I would move ancior the third time rather than chance it
rubber dinghy so I could anchor
2nd anchor and rode for safety again
flares to call for help but how useful are they really?

after that we are getting down to the optional bits like storm sails.

No doubt I will have forgotten something glaringly obvious but what do you think you would chose ?
 
nope, for smaller craft. Yep, for larger craft, and any that are 'coded' for charter or passenger carriage.

And long may we continue without bureaucratic interference with what we do and don't carry.
 
Lifejackets for each member of crew
Means of getting MOB safely back on board
Dan bouy
Safety harnesses
Torch (and batteries)
Thermos flask
Plenty fire extinguishers
Proper wire cutters
Jackstays
More batteries - for dan bouy, lifejackets and torch

Donald
 
What an interesting selection of replies.

Of the items you list, I'd put gps & vhf at the top of the list. I've sailed 40,000 miles without radar and have only felt the need of it about 3 times.

An electric windlass is only needed on a big boat when you expect to anchor a lot.

Autohelm is very nice to have unless you expect to have a big crew, i.e. more than 1 person on watch.

Without a dinghy you'll be restricted to marinas and have to miss out on at least 1/2 the harbours in your cruising area.

Flares, lifejackets, lifebuoys etc. are mandatory, even if not required by law. If doing crossings to France or Ireland a liferaft is pretty important, certainly I wouldn't do a trip like that with you if you didn't have one!
 
Having been in the position of getting a boat, and the delivery trip being across the Irish sea, we had to think about what to get with the non-existent spare cash.

There was a bit of a debate about a liferaft. However with a yacht having just lost its rudder and sunk in the Irish Sea, we decided to go for it.

Flares were seen as essential.

A dinghy is essential. Eire has relatively few marinas.

Bolt Cutters, and if you don't already have them, radar reflectors were added. We had VHF and GPS on the boat however we got a full set of charts.

Electric Windlass I would see as a luxury item. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I would like to get a handheld VHF for the grab bag.

Lifejackets for all counts as personal items I think.

John
 
hi glad to see some one thinks like me mined you we have to have all safty gear 3 flares life jackets epirb .fire ex v sheet compass set of oars too buckets whit 6ft rope .registration drivers licence for all boats now plus builders tag now as of the 1 jan dont no what we got to do yet to get one more s ...t than you can poke a stick at lot more but cant remember as it all de pends where you sail and what your doing with boat but they got something for every one . mate got pulled up by water popice first time out after 3 year lay up got done for out of date flares 184 buck fine . old type life jackets . 120 buck fine we are now plaqged by theres p...ks where ever we go they say its for our benifit ????
 
Yes, and I've sailed thousands of miles, including twice across the pond, with no GPS or VHF.
Mind you, GPS wasn't invented then and VHF was only for rich boys.
As a handheld GPS is now relatively cheap, I'll be getting one of them.
A lot of the other kit I would say is either personal kit or standard boat kit so additions really depend on what type of boat, what type of sailing and where. (in the med a bimini is a must, in the Western Isles a heater is)
 
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