Simple...

Not too very long ago, someone wrote in to tell me that my thoughts on boats concerning the whole idea of a VolkCruiser mindset were simple and I'm pretty sure he did not mean it in a positive sense.

It got me thinking...

... About how when I was in school taking design classes that the highest praise one teacher could bestow to a design idea was that it was simple. On the other hand, the word you never wanted to hear from him in describing your project was that it was complicated.

Where boats are concerned simple makes all kinds of sense...

Simple almost always works, it does not take a rocket scientist to fix it if something goes wrong, and since it's s-i-m-p-l-e it does not cost silly expensive money.

Now take the word complicated and try and find a positive outcome when you throw it into a nautical situation of any sort... I mean do you really want to hear the word "complicated" used in a sentence from the rigger or mechanic you just hired to look at your rigging or engine?

That said, with simple systems you don't have to hire riggers or mechanics because you can fix them yourselves!

Simple is a good word and simple boats with simple systems make sense.

So yeah, a lot of my thoughts are simple and my current goal is to simplify them even more while dispensing with as much complication as possible. Or to put it in simple nautical terms everyone should understand...

 Get into serious cruising mode.