Over at Two at Sea they're talking about simplicity...
Well, actually they're not as it happens. What they are talking about really has nothing to do with simplicity and everything to do with defending the status quo of consumerist yachting. That said, you should really make sure to read it because anyone thinking about VolksCruising is going to hear this argument a lot.
First of all, I really need to go on record that I have Two at Sea on my RSS feed because it is one of the better cruising blogs around, I agree with about 97% of what I read there, and they are a great resource you might want to have bookmarked.
Secondly, I don't have any issues with folks cruising at higher budgets in general, having all the toys that they can cram into their boat, or otherwise cruise differently than I do. Well, unless they bitch and moan about how expensive it is in the process. Go ahead, and by all means buy the $5K virgin latex mattress or the $25K integrated instrument system if you want to but, if you do, you don't get to bitch and moan about how much it costs.
What I do have problems with is bogus arguments like the comfort vs simplicity one when the real argument should be complication vs simplicity as comfort really has nothing to do with it.
The idea that someone with a simplicity-oriented boat can't have things like hot water, a watermaker, showers, electric lights, and refrigeration is really something of a disingenuous argument. It's also a disingenuous argument with a lot of traction and the whole idea that simplifying your cruising life is akin to Neanderthal camping sans even the most basic comforts is easily the most popular misconception regarding cruising.
From where I sit, comfort, both as a concept and a reality, is actually quite simple and neither problematic or expensive to provide. So well within the realm of VolksCruisers on a budget.
Fact of the matter is, if there's one great single factor for me that gets in the way of comfort and me being a happy camper it's needless complication, bad systems, and things that break down.
Sadly, these days, most are so brainwashed that comfort, satisfaction, happiness, and value is all about stuff, how much stuff we have, and the cost of our stuff in comparison to other people's stuff that we no longer even know what real comfort or value is anymore.
One of the first things I ask myself every time I do a need/want breakdown on boat stuff is whether getting something will make my life aboard better and comfort is always a prime consideration as it should be. Life, in my opinion, being way too frelling short to be uncomfortable when you don't have to be. Being comfortable is very much in the need category and if you're not factoring that into the formula you're not going to be a very happy camper.
Need I really mention that being a happy camper is really the prime directive?
Well put, as usual!
ReplyDeleteIn their post, no mention is made of the costs of the initial outlay, something generally on the order of a career's worth of income, generally from something other than cruising.
Pardey's "Go small, go simple, go NOW" hangs together as a recipe for those who wish to spend their best years sailing, as opposed to working toward sailing.