Dispatches The case for the simple life
The case for the simple life
Recently we had two couples, all avid cruising sailors, to our home for dinner. The conversation predictably focused on our respective boats and where we had cruised during the summer. By early evening, I was struck by the dissimilar experiences our friends had had.
One couple owns an older 46-foot catamaran. Besides the obvious two hulls, it seems to have at least two of everything: two engines, electronics at the helm and electronics at the nav station, two refrigeration boxes - each with its separate compressor - two heads, and lots of other systems that have been installed through the years to make life on board more comfortable and "home-like." In the case of this couple, some of these indulgences are understandable, considering that they're living aboard while they build a new house.
My other friends own a 32-foot monohull of similar vintage. It's a rather simple, older production boat that has been well-maintained. There's no generator, freezer, inverter, television or air conditioning. A simple 12-volt refrigeration system keeps their beer cold, and a couple of 12-volt fans keep their bodies cool during the hot Chesapeake Bay summers.
My friend with the smaller, simpler boat brought a stack of photos to show where they had sailed during the summer - picturesque harbors, happy guests in the cockpit, beautiful sunsets. My other buddy ran through a verbal list of boat projects he had been working on all summer, including unexpected repairs that not only altered his vacation plans but put a dent in his cruising budget.
A time to rethink things
Eventually, the whole process of keeping a complex boat running and properly maintained can become too much of a burden, even for those who can afford it. I overheard a well-heeled fellow talking to a broker who was about to list his gorgeous, 58-foot, twin-engine, gold-plated yacht.
"You know I'm just tired of always having to pay someone to keep all this stuff working. We're not having fun anymore. I need to take a break from boating."
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Maverick builders |
But instead of taking a break from boating, maybe some of us need to rethink boating. Why have boats become so complicated and expensive? Is it the fault of boatbuilders? I don't think so. Every builder I talk with tells me the same thing: Customers want all this stuff. They demand all the comforts of home and, if we don't offer all the bells and whistles, they won't buy.
While the boating market seems to have bottomed out and shows signs of stabilizing, it is doubtful it will return to its glory days of prerecession prosperity and low fuel prices. All of us have had to swallow big doses of the new reality and rethink our financial situations, including whether or not boating can remain an integral part of our lives. If we love being out on the water, we need to re-examine the kind of boats we own and how we use them.
Zero-basing
Mike Kaufman, the Annapolis, Md., naval architect who designs the Thomas Point series of small- and medium-size power cruisers, tells a story about a PT boat fleet commander during World War II who was challenged to improve the performance of his fleet. He ordered all the gear and equipment that wasn't bolted down to be taken off the boats and put in a pile. He then instructed his skippers to make a list, without looking at the pile, of what they absolutely needed to accomplish their next mission. Only a few things were put back. The boats were faster, had more range, and were more maneuverable. Mission accomplished.
Perhaps we need to rethink our mission by asking ourselves if we really need all these things to enjoy being out on the water. Part of our zero-based thinking should also focus on size. It's a known fact that as a boat's length increases, its cost and complexity increase in geometric proportions. The bigger the boat, the more stuff we tend to put on it. And bigger boats cost more for haul-outs, slip rentals, bottom paint, winter covers and more. Could a smaller boat satisfy 80 or 90 percent of our needs, and when we need something larger, could we simply charter?
Caught in the perfect storm, most boatbuilders have few options to survive. But perhaps one option, at least for a limited number of builders, is to promote a niche of simpler, more affordable boats that offer more for the dollar by including far fewer "household" luxuries and complicated marine systems. Boats that get us out on the water safely and comfortably don't have to be complicated or expensive.
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"It's funny, though," says Reid. "A customer will start out saying he wants to keep things very simple, and then as the project progresses he keeps adding stuff. Sometimes I have to control him and remind him why he came to us in the first place."
Back to the future?
Downsizing and doing without the amenities certainly are not for everyone. But if you have been questioning the amount of time and money you have invested in boating and are wondering if it's all worth it, don't give up the ship entirely. Instead, think about what you really enjoy about boating and consider choosing a boat that will simply get you out on the water with little effort and cost. A smaller, simpler, "back-to-basics" boat may be in your future. And it may be the future of the boating industry.
Read the complete version of this story in the December 2009 issue of Soundings.
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