| Does your boat have lights? Instruments? Windlass? Pumps?
| Refrigeration? An engine?

Ellen MacArthur wrote:
No, no, no, no, no, no. It has a compass if you call that an instrument.


Sure.
A good compass is a great instrument.

Since your boat does have an enclosing deck & cabin you
should consider getting an electric automatic bilge pump.
It's far better to have one & not need it, than to need it
and not have it.


| ..... If you don't
| need it, that's fine. But are you sure of your ground in
| criticising others for having it?

I guess it's nice on BIG sailboats but I still think it's not necessary

Of course it's not *necessary*.


.... and it
seems to take away from time spent sailing.

That depends very much on the person. Some get distracted
and are more gadgeteers than sailors. Others keep it in
perspective and use available technology to make their
sailing & cruising better.


.... Are sailboats supposed to hold
all of western civilization? I've got a house for all that stuff.


Your house isn't the culmination of a long tradition
starting with primordial dugouts, triremes, Viking
longships, galleons, clipper ships, and racing cutters.

"Houses are merely vessels of a different kind, so firmly
aground that they cannot ever get unstuck and so poorly
constructed that they couldn't remain afloat if they did."
-Arthur Ransome

DSK

Dave wrote:
On 5 Sep 2006 18:15:06 -0700, "Joe" said:

My 12 hp Lister is hand cranked all the time.

My 8 HP Yanmar can, according to the manual, be started that way. I've never
tried it, but probably will have to one day.

My old 8 hp Yannie could be hand cranked but my newer 13 hp cannot and
has no provision for it.

Now, for purists, I couldnt care less about the wind except it's cheap.
I'd power a cruising boat with cold fusion if it was cheap and
available.