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From: Rosalie B. (no email)
Date: Thu Jun 17 2004 - 21:46:46 EDT
On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 15:13:27 -0000, you wrote:
>I am spec-ing out a blue water sailboat, and went down the option
>list choosing items that I thought would be useful. When I tallied
>up the total, the bill came to over $50,000. This obviously won't
>work.
>
>I don't mind buying things that will make my boat safer, more
>seaworthy, and enjoyable to sail. I don't want options that will end
>up being unreliable maintenance headaches.
>
>Are there any options that just don't work in a cruising boat? I was
>thinking of things like roller furling for headsails, Heart
>Inverters, Autopilots, engine-driven refrigeration, Maxprop, water
>makers, etc.
>
We don't have a water maker because we are coastal cruisers in the US,
and we can get water cheap or free in most places we go. Plus we
carry 400 gallons, so we can go quite a long time without having to
get more.
We also don't have a Heart Inverter - we do have a Zantrax sine wave
inverter, but we only use it for tools with motors on them, and that's
pretty rare. We could get along OK without it.
We do have roller furling for all the sails - not just the headsails.
Almost everyone I see that cruises has a roller furling headsail.
It's essential IMHO to be able to furl the sail without going on deck
in bad weather YMMV
We also have engine driven refrigeration. Have not had a problem (the
boat is 25 years old and it is the original system) (knock wood)
although the PO did have to figure out how to use the system and he
had a few failures until he figured that out. He told us how he did
it when he sold us the boat. I would not consider this necessary for
blue water cruising as you can get along OK without refrigeration, but
I wouldn't take a unit out that works.
We also have a Maxprop and I don't see that there is much to go wrong
with that. It not only is quieter, but it gives us additional speed
under sail.
I have heard that an autopilot is prone to breakage, and that blue
water folks will want a wind vane instead or in addition to an
autopilot. In addition to steering the boat, it doesn't use as much
electricity. We have an autopilot, but - again- we are coastal
cruisers.
I did not want to cruise without a SSB which isn't even on your list.
grandma Rosalie
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