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Cruising Wilsons
Gadgets galore
 Bob
and Carolyn Wilson, aboard Sea Island Girl, continue Lakeside’s long
running series of cruising adventures which began in the mid-1990s.
To date we’ve had the Johnston family, Jean and Bill Bayman, and
Mechelle and Bill Cooksey all contribute to the series. Bob and
Carolyn boated on Lanier until leaving for their adventure in 2002.
Have you ever noticed the
gadgets most of us carry around today? Electronic door openers, cell
phones and a Black Berry; a computer or an iPod. The list just goes
on. Well when it comes to boating, I find myself equally as guilty.
All it takes is a trip to West
Marine. The aisles are full of must have items, for making the boats
look brand new. Their variety of water toys is endless and there is
always some type of sale going on.
Boating magazines are no better.
They tend to have page after page of advertising, aimed at getting
us to try the “newest and latest” product out there, and in some,
the editorial material even reeks, of suggestions that readers buy
certain gear.
From the day my very first
paycheck arrived, some 48 years ago, I have been a sucker for
gadgets. In the Boy Scouts, I sold Christmas cards to get money to
buy the latest and greatest model camping gear. During my
professional life, I was among the first of my peers to own a
computer. I did buy a pager, but I never got into those Black Berry
things. AT&T sends me a birthday card each year. They love me. I
have been a cellular customer since the days of the bag phone, and
now that I have a boat …well, there are even greater temptations.
The marine industry has changed
since I got into boating. Initially, I was happy if I had something
that stayed afloat and could be propelled by the noisy British
SeaGull I picked up for $50 at a garage sale. It was when I started
attending boat shows, that I learned comfort should be considered a
priority and that faster speeds were obtainable.
There are those out there, like
Lin and Larry Pardey, who routinely opt for the very basics. They
have never had an engine aboard, yet they are world travelers in a
boat, not much bigger than my car. At the other extreme, there are
those with the funds to be the first to own the latest equipment,
whether they need it or not. Observing these extremes in my retired
years, my habits tend to land somewhere in the middle.
An issue with most of these
modern inventions is that they can be, very expensive. As an
example, satellite TV costs around $5,000. An electronic AIS system,
that can give you the name of the boat that is about to hit you,
sells for over $1,000; and, most services like weather, satellite
radio, email or mail forwarding, have monthly fees ranging from $20
to $50. It can add up very quickly.
Let me be honest. I am in the
market for a weather satellite system, and have been on the
internet, all day, investigating my purchase. Like most electronic
gadgets, they are not inexpensive; but, I believe that the cost can
be justified to my admiral. “Well honey, if we are out on the water,
with no internet and the weather changes for the worse, how will we
know? It could, be extremely dangerous!” Over the years, I have
noticed a careful selection of words, has proven beneficial.
I also have learned it doesn’t
hurt to have a backup plan. “Terry and Peggy have one! And you know
how he feels, after they got caught in that thunderstorm last year.”
The words “worse and dangerous” will usually produce the desired
result; but, some advice for those captains out there longing to get
the biggest and best, you should always have a contingency plan.
There is a problem with all of
this you know. Most of these gadgets require other gadgets, to make
them work properly. There is also the cost of installation. An
unmentionable problem exists when you get the new boat fever and
want to sell your boat. The buyer expects that everything on the
boat will come with the boat. And don’t expect him to pay you, for
your addiction!
Over the years, the admiral has
shown me that in life, there needs to be a balance. Our last
sailboat had everything the trade magazines – and the salesmen at
the boat shows – said we would need. It was not until we sold the
boat, that reality set-in. We could have cruised for several years
on the money I had spent for equipment that proved totally
unnecessary.
This time we are taking it easy.
I have learned to resist those sudden urges, to rush out to the
stores and buy every new gadget that comes onto the market. It is
much easier, I have found, to sit back, surf the internet, and buy
online.
-Until
next time,
Skipper Bob
Visit the Wilson's
'blog site' at
www.cruisingwilson.blogspot.com.
Email the Wilsons at:
cruiswils@earthlink.net
or
wilsons@lakesidenews.com.
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