things you've tossed off the boat that others think are necessary

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

I am a keen reader and when we embarked on cruising in the Med I shipped over several boxes (around 300 books) from Australia (my equivalent of shoes LOL).

Like you, I felt a real book could never be substituted, but since purchasing a Kindle a couple of years ago I have become a huge fan and it is now the preferred means of reading. Almost all my fiction have now been given away to other cruisers.

I know many books, particularly reference texts are not available in e form, but don't lock yourself in thinking paper gives the most pleasure .

Lassie, I know - I guess I'm just old fashioned (or just plain old). I will end up with kindle, but holding a book is a joy. The same as reading a print newspaper in the morning. Somehow it just more restful.

Od books carry the marks of many years usage and reading. I guess it is like my old leather attaché. I've had it for almost 30 years and it has traveled the world with me. It has a multitude of scratches, coffee stains from when I've used it as a table, divers other marks that I can't remember how they got there.

There is no way I will ever change that attaché out. It has become an old friend. As have some of my books, that I have read and reread many times

Maybe I'll just buy a bigger boat

[Hudson Force]

I removed the teak toe rails on my 40 year old boat. They had little function and I don't enjoy caring for exterior wood on a boat that is designed like a chlorox bottle anyway. I keep a taut line strung between the bases of my stanchions and if I'm going forward in weather, I'm teathered on the high side anyway.

[zeehag]

"When I buy a boat, the first thing I do is toss the hot water heater that is useless under 110 and equally useless with engine water heating it. Inevitably, they end up leaking anyway"

exactly.

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by Group9

I doubt anybody laying on their deathbed says, "I wish I had worked more and enjoyed life less."

But, it's still hard to get the nerve up to do it. Congratulations on getting it up.

Qqpqpqpqpqpqp

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by zeehag

"When I buy a boat, the first thing I do is toss the hot water heater that is useless under 110 and equally useless with engine water heating it. Inevitably, they end up leaking anyway"

exactly.

I don't know if I agree with this. On a cool night, I don't mind having a little heat during my cockpit shower. The hotwater for dishes is pretty good too. Plus mine gives me another 20 gallons of water storage. But we are still on the dock in New England, maybe this opinion will change once we cut the lines.

We did toss our bulky salon tables (came with a large one and a small one). Instead we use a light weight "TV table". It really opened up the salon area.

[zeehag]

water heater leakage accompanied with pressure water at a dock is a cause of sinking--btdt--caught the mayhem just before it was too late--wasnt my boat, thank heavens..lol....

i find i waste less water while cruising without a water heater
there are better alternatives to heating water in tropics..lol...especially in lats 17 and 18, where i am currently.
also--my storage capacity has increased by ditching that leaky pos item.

btw--i do full time permanent cruising--is not the same as daily sailing and overniters...for that, one definitely needs hot water and leaky heaters to sink boats at docks....not my choice--is better that others choose to do this....lol

[rebel heart]

Regarding the "feel of a real book", it was a modern invention to go from animal skin to paper; the mass market printing press was a technological invention that made sense and helped get many more books into the hands of more people.

Maybe something to consider. Unless you're reading clay tablets or listening to oral history you're not really doing anything old fashioned, you're using a technological advancement that I'm sure someone lamented when it showed up too.

"I don't know about those new fangled lambskin books. I love the feel of cold clay against my hands."

[minaret]

Originally Posted by zeehag

water heater leakage accompanied with pressure water at a dock is a cause of sinking--btdt--caught the mayhem just before it was too late--wasnt my boat, thank heavens..lol....

i find i waste less water while cruising without a water heater
there are better alternatives to heating water in tropics..lol...especially in lats 17 and 18, where i am currently.
also--my storage capacity has increased by ditching that leaky pos item.

btw--i do full time permanent cruising--is not the same as daily sailing and overniters...for that, one definitely needs hot water and leaky heaters to sink boats at docks....not my choice--is better that others choose to do this....lol

Almost no one around here actually hooks a pressure water hose to their boat at the dock, which is obviously the only way a leaking water heater can sink the boat. Only way it's even possible here is if you get a special inspection and sign a waiver with the marina. Only seen it done on extremely large pro crewed megayachts. I seriously doubt many sinkings occur this way. How hard is it to fill the tanks when empty after all? You'd have to be pretty foolish to leave a hose hooked up to your boat when youre not there...

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by minaret

Almost no one around here actually hooks a pressure water hose to their boat at the dock, which is obviously the only way a leaking water heater can sink the boat. Only way it's even possible here is if you get a special inspection and sign a waiver with the marina. Only seen it done on extremely large pro crewed megayachts. I seriously doubt many sinkings occur this way. How hard is it to fill the tanks when empty after all? You'd have to be pretty foolish to leave a hose hooked up to your boat when youre not there...

I saw it happen once in Halfmoonbay. But not since. The only other dock sinking was an exaust that some how siphoned back on a woodie. I have 75 gallons on my HR. Fill it upo once evey 2 weeks. I'm sensitive to the way the pump acts when I have 5 gallons or less left. I hate filling it in the dark, so I wait until morning.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Regarding the "feel of a real book", it was a modern invention to go from animal skin to paper; the mass market printing press was a technological invention that made sense and helped get many more books into the hands of more people.

Maybe something to consider. Unless you're reading clay tablets or listening to oral history you're not really doing anything old fashioned, you're using a technological advancement that I'm sure someone lamented when it showed up too.

"I don't know about those new fangled lambskin books. I love the feel of cold clay against my hands."

Yeah Rebel, I don't disagree. I did note that perhaps I am just getting old

Some newish are just not an improvement, as fa as I'm concerned. I still like paper books and newspapers. I do not like touch screens. I don't have a microwave oven (and never will have one). I still cook almost everything from scratch (tastes better is healthier etc etc). I have assorted other abnomilies that many shake their heads at. I'm not a luddite though.

But you're right those damn clay tablets really felt good, albeit they were a mite heavy

[Bash]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Bash

A real paper book is a joy to hold and a joy to read. I simply don't know what my wife and I will do with our library when we cast off i 3 years time. I do mean library - we probably have several thousand books in our library that we have accumulated over the years. We'll. of course, only end up taking the ones that relate to sailing, but even there we'll have to cull between several hundred.

I'm in the same boat, so to speak. I'm fortunate to have two offices at the university, each one having six bookshelves. When we sold the house and moved aboard we reduced the collection to about 2,000 books, but that was in 1998 and the books have been piling up ever since. When I retire it's going to be gruesome sailing away from the collection.

I doubt we'll take many of the sailing books with us. Mostly field guides, and maybe a copy of each of my own books. How's that for ego?

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Bash

I'm in the same boat, so to speak. I'm fortunate to have two offices at the university, each one having six bookshelves. When we sold the house and moved aboard we reduced the collection to about 2,000 books, but that was in 1998 and the books have been piling up ever since. When I retire it's going to be gruesome sailing away from the collection.

I doubt we'll take many of the sailing books with us. Mostly field guides, and maybe a copy of each of my own books. How's that for ego?

I can only agree (especially about the ego part). I guess we'll just have find some place to donate them to, although there are fewer and fewer of those places

when are you sailing away? we go may 2015 or latest may 2016

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by carstenb

I can only agree ... I guess we'll just have find some place to donate them to, although there are fewer and fewer of those places

Yup. I've been on the move for so long that I'm down to/up to maybe a hundred. The collection ebbs and floods but I've had several for 30 years or more. You folks with rooms full have some heartache ahead. As old farts know all too well, these new-fangled electronic devices are making non-readers of young people as we continue our mad rush to 1984.

[s/v Jedi]

I'm tossing my P38 Mk.II military surplus can opener! I found that eating cold beans straight from cans works just as well when I cut the cans open with my Bear Grylls survival knife. I will rough it even more!

[Blue Crab]

I'm calling BS. New-fangled cans have pulltabs.