On Mon, 16 May 2005 09:27:21 -0400, Larry W4CSC
wrote:

Why do offshore boaters always "make do" with home-made gear when their own
lives and the lives of the families they love are at risk?

I tend to agree with this sentiment. However, you can only carry and
pay for just so much gear. This forces those of us who carry our
homes on our backs like a turtle to contemplate tough decisions. A
survival suit or 10 more gallons of water? or a watermaker? or more
engine spares? or more books? or a sewing machine? The odds that you
are going to wind up in the water waiting for rescue are pretty slim
compared to the probability that you will wish you had one of these
other items. You have to weigh the odds and make your choices.

I certainly have no issue with someone who chooses to prepare for all
possible life-threatening emergencies with the best gear before
loading the canned goods, but I don't believe it's as cut and dried as
all that. If it was, we'd all drive Volvos. And most of us would
never leave port. :-)
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