I mention it because there are a lot of people who think that having stuff is what makes them safe. As opposed to something, shall we say, as mundane of being a competent sailor and having the sort of skill set that will, if needful, get you out of trouble when things go FUBAR.
Folks of the greater VolksCruiser persuasion have the advantage over our fellow sailors with deeper pockets because we're forced by budget constraints to be better sailors and do such unfashionable things as sailing to windward. It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that the more you sail the better you get...
The really cool thing about learning to sail better is it hardly costs anything and its fun. Sure, it's not considered hip in some quarters these days of folks-who-need-to-turn-on-their-motor-to-tack but it does have it's own simple satisfaction of being content in your skills set.
That's a great place to be.
