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17-06-2010, 17:37
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Virginia, USA & Krabi, Thailand
Boat: Wauquiez Pretorien 35
Posts: 2,819
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Things You Left Off Your Boat by Choice
I just came across this article on the Beth & Evans website regarding what they chose to leave off their new boat [I]Hawk[I].
http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/Leftoff.pdf
We are facing some of the same decisions with our boat Whisper, and their philosophy strikes a cord with me. Its so easy to get caught up in the "what do we need/want" and lose sight of the "what do we NOT need". Anyone else dealing with this?
For example, we are leaving out:
Refrigeration
110 volt system
Pressure water
Hot water system
Dodger
Electric bilge pump/automatic switch
Electric windlass
Mainsail furling
What have you "chosen" to leave off in order to simplify your boat?
__________________
Mundis Ex Igne Factus Est
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17-06-2010, 18:08
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Northern California
Boat: finally a catamaran dive boat...
Posts: 505
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most canoes dont need those kind of things anyway... LoL
__________________
the perfect dive boat is one you're on...
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17-06-2010, 18:12
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Princeton, NJ
Boat: Challenger Anacapa 42
Posts: 2,097
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Things we left off our boat by choice.
Dodger
Electric windlass
Mainsail furling (not reefing)
Water maker
Gen Set
RIB (just a roll-up)
Large outboard on dingy
Grey Poupon
Great post Doodles! I hope you get a ton of responses!
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17-06-2010, 18:15
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#4
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Writing Full-Time Since 2014
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Deale, MD
Boat: PDQ Altair, 32/34
Posts: 9,568
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doodles
I just came across this article on the Beth & Evans website regarding what they chose to leave off their new boat [I]Hawk[I].
http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/Leftoff.pdf
We are facing some of the same decisions with our boat Whisper, and their philosophy strikes a cord with me. Its so easy to get caught up in the "what do we need/want" and lose sight of the "what do we NOT need". Anyone else dealing with this?
For example, we are leaving out:
Refrigeration
110 volt system
Pressure water
Hot water system
Dodger
Electric bilge pump/automatic switch
Electric windlass
Mainsail furling
What have you "chosen" to leave off in order to simplify your boat?
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While I agree with some...
* 110v appliances and tools are easier and simpler to find. A small inverter will do, rather than a complex integrated system. I do like my current Heart system, but my last boat was simpler and it was fine.
* Dodger = less skin cancer. Also less heat. Even poor people build roofs to work under.
I would add to your "skip" list...
* Jib furling. It can be nice, but it can be a pain. I would drop it IF I was trying to simplify. I've had both and don't care. I would never purposely add a furler.
* All electronics except GPS, depth, and VHF. Actually, I love my auto pilot, but a tiller pilot might do.
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17-06-2010, 18:17
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#5
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cruiser
Join Date: May 2010
Location: SF Bay Area; Former Annapolis and MA Liveaboard.
Boat: Looking and saving for my next...mid-atlantic coast
Posts: 6,197
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Oh this is going to be a great post!
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17-06-2010, 18:19
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Winnipeg
Boat: None at this time
Posts: 8,462
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I think a lot depends on if you are sailing to the next bay on weekends or if you are sailing to the next continent and beyond for years.
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17-06-2010, 18:24
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#7
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CF Adviser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Boat: Van Helleman Schooner 65ft StarGazer
Posts: 10,280
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Assuming I had a choice….the only thing I would leave off the boat is any excuse my mate or I would have:…. for preferring to stay on shore.
Each to their own, but cruising does not equate to camping in my book
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17-06-2010, 18:41
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Chesapeake Bay to Keys
Boat: Cape Dory 28, hull 317, Kittiwake
Posts: 25
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No question that it depends on what your plans are - while choice didn't have much to do with it in the beginning, as I approach 5 yrs as coastal cruiser, some of my early choices have held up, others have been changed. Dodger was one of the best things I did early one - no bimini. Honda 2000 generator does fine with providing the infrequent need for 110, and kept the shore power and single 110 outlet for when I'm at the dock. Has been useful this year, since part of the dockhand gig for the summer included a summer. No windlass, roler furling, pressure water system, hot water system (other than sun shower). Also went the smaller Engel fridge/freezer approach, rather than something bigger and more energy consuming...
Now at the "no additions unless something goes off" stage, and everything gets used, guess maybe that's one of the tests?
Peace and Fair Winds, BW
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17-06-2010, 18:46
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#9
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Kawau Island, New zealand
Boat: Lyle C. Hess owner built 29'6" cutter
Posts: 113
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dodgers are not the only way to save your skin
We have left off on board email, transmitting radios other than a handheld. Let's us feel we are really off the grid. Also keeps us from being pressured by schedules and gives us time to enjoy each others company at sea.
In answer to the concerns that leaving off a dodger means less sun protection. I hate dodgers. Not only do they get in the way of handling sails, keep us from being able to see how the sails set, make it harder to furl the mainsail or tie in reef points for really heavy going, interfer with visibility when we are scanning the horizon to check for traffic, they also block breezes from flowing through the cockpit when you are at anchor. (It is really stuffy in the cockpit of many of our friends when we visit them in the tropics for drinks.) On the otherhand, we have three different sized cockpit covers, two of which can be used when we are sailing. the big in port cover has side curtains that can be laced on to cut down late afternoon sun.
Never have felt like we were camping out cause our living accomodations are wonderful, well designed seating (furniture builder helped us get the settees right for lounging), good china, lovely cooking facilities, nice music system, no case at all for my guitar - it has it's own safe home in a pilot berth ready at hand so it gets used a lot more than it does when we are onshore in a real house. But, we rarely spend winters on board, when we find ourselves in a true wintery climate we usually find we can rent a holiday accomodation at a very low cost and enjoy life ashore.
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17-06-2010, 19:03
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#10
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cruiser
Join Date: May 2010
Location: SF Bay Area; Former Annapolis and MA Liveaboard.
Boat: Looking and saving for my next...mid-atlantic coast
Posts: 6,197
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I'm surprised at the missing SSB's these days. Beth & Evans also didn't have a SSB. That's something to think about.
I've read that dodger frames can be dangerous in a capsize in that they might smash-up and lock you inside the cabin. I know of one instance I read about where this occurred and took them a good while to open it up. Forward hatch would have been disastrous.
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17-06-2010, 19:42
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Virginia, USA & Krabi, Thailand
Boat: Wauquiez Pretorien 35
Posts: 2,819
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As some on the forum know, our boat "Whisper" was previously owned by Hal and Margaret Roth. Some of the things we don't have were because they didn't like them for one reason or the other. There is no dodger because Hal felt the same as Lin about them. We have been undecided but are leaning toward leaving things as the are.
__________________
Mundis Ex Igne Factus Est
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17-06-2010, 19:56
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Cruising
Boat: Privilege 39 Catamaran, Exit Only
Posts: 2,723
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My do without list is mostly things that my wife wanted to have on board, but that did not really matter to me.
My wife's do without list is mostly things that I wanted to have on board, but that didn't really matter to her.
When it came time to put stuff on board, she got whatever she wanted, and I got whatever I wanted, and we both lived happily ever after, although our water line was lower than we both wanted.
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17-06-2010, 20:03
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Currently Milford, CT
Boat: S/V Running Fish - Passport 40
Posts: 81
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The OP's list had them leaving out an electric bilge pump/automatic switch. I don't understand - what am I missing?
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17-06-2010, 20:10
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Cayuga Lake NY - or on the boat somewhere south of there
Boat: Caliber 40
Posts: 1,355
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I left off my hair shirt.
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17-06-2010, 20:12
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Princeton, NJ
Boat: Challenger Anacapa 42
Posts: 2,097
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doodles
There is no dodger because Hal felt the same as Lin about them. We have been undecided but are leaning toward leaving things as the are.
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This is too funny! Lin and Hal are two of the main reasons we left the dodger off. We do have a pilothouse though... but love the idea of a small fold down mini dodger over the companionway... I cant stand having the breeze blocked off, and I'm not a fan of eisenglass.
I'm not sure I could exist in the tropics without a bimini though...
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