Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Top Ten Lists

I've always been a sucker for these. Yesterday I picked up "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" (Patricia Schultz, Workman Publishing, 2003), some one else's bucket list, from a book exchange. First thing I did was check all the ones I've done - 204. Not bad, but the number would have been much higher if I stayed in fancy hotels, more than 10% of the items.
So I got thinking about other top ten lists I've compiled, top ten movies for one, and considered some boat related topics. Top Ten Discrectionary Items for the Boat have been discussed in several boating magazines, so I put together my own list, along with the next ten runner ups. We're assuming here that you have usable sails, a working head, at least two big anchors and plenty of chain, a GPS receiver and a VHF radio. In the galley you should have already a stove and at least a ice box. What next?
1. A Chartplotter and digital maps for your cruising area (we just bought a new one with a big screen!)
2. An electric windless for pulling up the anchor
3. Refrigeration
4. A Wind Vane or Auto Pilot (we have the latter)
5. Canvas Dodger and Bimini, full coverage over the cockpit
6. Radar
7. A center double bed (ours is Queen)
8. A Computer
9. Generator
10. dinghy davits (we need to pull up the dinghy every night so easy is good)

So what's not on the list, but we have;
11. SSB radio (for long distance communication, weather, cruiser nets, email while at sea)
12. Bow thruster
13. wind generator (we have two of them)
14. inverter (means you can use the 110 electricity without turning the generator on)
15. AIS (automatic identification system - shows on the computer on chartplotter where other boats with AIS are, how fast and where they are going. Will even show how close you'll be if continuing on present course AND in our case, as we have sending capacity, we show up on everyone else's screens)
16. Tons of kitchen stuff (useful; microwave, blender, bread machine, toaster, good pans. not useful;we're taking home the food processor)
What is on the wishlist;
17. Heat/air conditioning - this worked for five years but finally couldn't be repaired. We bought new units and will install them in the U.S. this summer
18. water maker (there was one on the boat but we've never managed to get it working despite a lot of trying)
19. solar panels - hopefully we'll get these installed also this summer. The big problem is where to put them!
20. a second head (we have one and when the first one breaks, which of coure it does, you don't have to use a bucket)

PS Thank you Judy and Bill for your comments below. In addition a number of cruisers have remarked on our exclusion of a freezer in this list. We do not have one on board and don't plan to install one. It takes a lot of energy to run, has to be emptied every time you leave the boat, and we just don't miss it. An ice maker came with the boat and we replaced it once, but when it failed again, decided to forget it. It certainly wouldn't make anyone's top twenty we assume.

1 comment:

CW Bill Rouse said...

I agree with everything you wrote except for 2 minor things. Personally, I cannot stand a centerline bed because the only way I can sleep at sea or in rolly anchorages is wedged with my back against the side hull of the boat with a full-body pillow in front to keep my body from rolling side-to-side as the boat moves. And I would switch the order of importance for dinghy davits and bow thruster. Absolutely love, love, love having a strong bow thruster in tight-spaces like marinas and some fuel docks.