What piece of boat equipment can you "go cheap" on?

[Bob Condon]

It is interesting because my CP19 has a cheap aluminum ladder and I was thinking about putting a good ladder fixed to the ransom with a fold up lower section because swimming off the boat in the lake would be a real kick...

[newt]

I go cheap on electronics- got a small chartplotter/fish finder combo. Tend to use charts and binocs. I just feel its safer that way. Oh yeah, and everyone knows I am too cheap to buy a autopilot.

[Steve Ullrich]

That is a great plan Bob.  I had a cheap folding ladder on a previous boat.  It worked well enough... The problem with them is you have to plan on using them.  If you should accidentally go over the side it is a bear getting back into a boat without a transom mounted ladder if you happen to be out alone.

It is interesting because my CP19 has a cheap aluminum ladder and I was thinking about putting a good ladder fixed to the ransom with a fold up lower section because swimming off the boat in the lake would be a real kick...

[Bob23]

   Newt, I can relate. I don't have a gps in my truck...I buy a paper map book at Walmat for 5 clams. Never been lost yet. I don't like taking directions from some dope in the gps unit that I can't scream back at when they take me the wrong way!
   The only reason I have a gps on "Koinonia" is because it was given to me for free. It's nice to see my actual speed over the ground but I really enjoy navigating by dead reckoning.
   One piece of equiptment that I did not scrimp on was a lexan french press for making fresh coffee. I had a glass one on board but, knowing the combined intentions of Davey Jones and Captain Murphy, it was bound to break. My daughter bought me a Lexan one at Bed, Bath and Beyond but you can get 'em at Campmor.com. Nothing like real, fresh coffee in the morning, eh? Just about as good as cold beer.
   I also don't scrimp on ground tackle. Or my mooring tackle. I've seen "Koinoina" out there in 65 mph winds all by herself and she help up just fine. If something were to have failed, there was no way I couldv'e gotten out there...water was just too rough. Imagine my surprise when the morning after, she was still there! Yeah, 1/2" chain down to a 5' auger mooring, with 2  5/8" lines up to the mooring cleat on her bow. I just love cheap insurance!
Bob23

[Bob Condon]

Bob23

I find GPS very helpful when in unknown territory. I do not own one but when I borrowed my son's it was
a true joy.

My only concern is your lack of electronics on board. I don't know if you are lake sailing or coastal, but
I did have loran and a hand held GPS, plus all of the gear necessary for sight identification. When I ocean sail, the
fog can roll in very quickly and having electronics has helped me keep my crew safe, though I can manage
without it, I would rather use it. That IS cheap insurance. On board radio and hand helds are both very important also...

At the lake, I can drop anchor and wait out whatever is delivered, at sea, I can not.

I found that in dense fog, my french press failed to help me at all. My small stove to make soup
saved my butt...I keep a small butane stove on board for all cooking at sea.

The other part is that my boat is not loaded with every piece of junk known to man. More junk is more burden.

[Salty19]

I cheaped out on thiings like throwable PFD line, a topping lift hook, and the swim ladder.  The homemade PVC furler likely falls under that category too (although it's held up quite well this year, even in high winds). $20 well spent.  The swim ladder was $100, hutchins was $269. For my uses (very occasional dips in the water), the $99 unit is more than sufficient.

However if I had a bigger boat than a 16 and was going to use it in the ocean regularly, I would have bought a real furler and a very sturdy SS (vs. aluminum) ladder.  Just depends on your purposes and intended use. 

One thing is certain though...high quality parts are only as good as the installation and maintenance/service/inspection.  Those $6 pins for the shrouds that "should" cost $1 may never break, but easily come off if not intalled correctly or if not inspected regularly for damage to the cotter pins. As inspections are free if you do them yourself, it's worth mentioning...


Edit:  To clarify...my ladder is transom hung.  It's a 2 step garelick aluminum model.  So it's there always if needed.  I just didn't feel like spending the extra $170 on something I use so infrequently when the $100 model will serve it's purposes.

[Bob23]

True, True Bob:
   I have an Icom radio on board, a hand-held for back-up, the gps is permanently installed and sometimes, if I remember, I bring my little Magellan Explorist on board as a back-up and toy. "Koinonia" sports a good compass, charts, a handbaring compass, Northstar depth sounder and an old knotmeter that only works for about 2 weeks before the bay critters get in the paddle wheel and foul things up.
   It is true that the french press has limited navigational purposes but to those of us who view real coffee as a nessesity, it is indispensable. Even when you are lost, good coffee can help make a bad day better.
   This spring, when I was bringing the boat from the marina where she is launched to her summer mooring, visibility was about 10 boat lengths; some serious fog had set in. Having the gps was wonderful but I primarily used it to obtain my lat/lon which I transfered to my chart and plotted a compass course to my destinations. I hit my destination dead on, not literally of course. I like this kind of course plotting- keeps the grey matter alive.
Bob23- plotting a course for the kitchen to make coffee

[Bob Condon]

In the Norteast,we get very dense fog (about a boat length) with lots of fog horns around
on other boats when in coastal waters. The other bit of fun is that Marblehead/Salem are
VERY rocky bottom. In fog, you stay in the channel so the GPS really helps but you need to
remember how to use charts, handheld compass etc when the electronics fail.

On the lake in Maine, we have not had these experiences... It is either gorgeous cloud free, or raining
like hell with or without lightning!

[Joseph]

Bob and Bob (and the others in this thread),

Just to add my own experience with GPS associated with Coastal Cruising. I have found a GPS to be an useful aid to Coastal Navigation during the night (i.e., to avoid buoys and dangers with known or chartered positions) and to stay put while underway around a given position without risking of being pushed to shore or to shoals during a squall, when coastal visibility was being transiently limited by heavy rain. GPS is also insdispensable to determine SOG and COG and to quickly mark a COB position or operate an autopilot. However, further than that, I have found it of limited value as an aid for Coastal Cruising. I do not  recommend its use for navigation in conditions of reduced visibility other than those mentioned above mainly due to potential encounters with unchartered and/or moving dangers.  My main use for a GPS in coastal waters has been returning in the night accross a lake with which I was very familiar, but relying on the GPS  to ensure avoidance of the numerous unlit racing markers positioned around the lake.

J.

[newt]

While we are whinning about GPS's (I love this thread!) Let me so state to Bob and Bob and Joe that the GPS on chartplotters seem to fail enough up here in the PNW that I would not want to depend solely on it during a fog. Yes it is a nice tool, but one that I use in addition to paper charts and a good set of eyes and ears. Besides, I am always putting in detail on paper charts that are changes that have occurred since the datum was printed.
Finally, what do you do when the GPS says sorry, signal lost??? Or my favorite, when it starts to show you in one place, then another, then another, as if you are beaming the boat around the ocean. (I know, you just put the engine in park until things settle down ) I am not the only sailor in the world that gets that type of crap!

[Bob Condon]

Newt,

I do preplan and preplot my course and guestimate time etc...

WIth my Garman, I have never had Signal Lost nor had errors so I am lucky.

I also have Loran running down below (it was on the boat when I bought it) so that
gives me a second data point if I need it.

I am selling my Cape Dory (sad day) so my ocean days will be pretty much gone
unless I trailer the CP19 down from Maine (250 miles) from the cabin so Lake sailing
is now what I do on a large lake (15 miles long x 1.5 mile wide average)

have a good weekend...

[Mine has 8 hours of drive and power washing all day Saturday... with the CP19 whispering my name!]

[Bob23]

Well, Newt:
   You know I share your sentiment. As much as I am a self confessed gadgeteer, I like to be able to sail without the electronics if necessary.
   As you may or may not know, I'm in residential construction. As we use nail guns for framing, siding, trim, you name it. But I'm forturnate in that I got started in the pre-nail gun age, one that doesn't exist for some of the green horns I encounter. Maybe it's my ego but I love to engage 'em in a nailing contest using of all things, a hammer. Not just any hammer but an el cheapo wood handle hammer. My favorite. No titanium  or unobtainium here. We line up the nails and, due to a pretty good hand-eye coordination, I beat those new-bies every time.
   What does this have to do with gps? Simple. When the compressor dies or the nail gun dies, I can keep navigating those nails in, no problemo. I get a certain satisfaction in being able to drive a 12d in with 2 hits. Yeah...I'm a pretty boring guy.
Bob23- the scourge of the jobsite!
That being said, I love my nailguns, too. Just like I enjoy pulling my Compac with my truck...t'would be awful heavy pulling with my bicycle!

[newt]

This thread is very entertaining and comes at a time when I am just deciding whether to enter my 23 in the Sailfar Scoot. Now my Valiant has all the electronics in it, My CP has a compass, depth finder and a VHF. My Valiant has all the open water goodies. Do I go? Do I have the courage? Still deciding.

[nies]

SALTY 16, YOU MEMTION A HOMEMADE PVC FURLER, WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE DESIGN, IF YOU ARE WILLING TO SHARE........THANKS NIES

[Craig Weis]

nies[/i]~Small Boat Adviser[/i] had an article on building a PVC furler for a CP-16. Might be able to find that in Google.
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