First, and let’s be clear on this, the phrase “Simple Cruising” is an oxymoron. The two words “simple” and “cruising” are every bit as incongruous as those in phrases like “Living Dead”, “Jumbo Shrimp” and, most notably, “Government Intelligence”.

Cruising is not simple. An absence of power (however fueled) and technology clearly reduces and simplifies maintenance, repairs and cost. The presence of power and technology generally makes navigation and boat handling physically easier, potentially safer and simpler. Importantly, it is clearly true that nothing is more difficult than to maintain a simple cruising lifestyle without the incursion of ever more and more complicated technology. It is a very slippery slope.

I recently finished reading the first of the two “Pardey” books that I purchased at the Annapolis Boat Show – Herb McCormick’s biography of Lin and Larry Pardey titled “As Long As It’s Fun”. It is a great read and I strongly recommend it.

The Pardey’s mantra was “Go simple – Go now!” – Good advice. Too often today people conclude that to go cruising they must first have everything. I believe that this leaves many tied to the dock or cruising only their local waters. However, it occurred to me last week as I was approaching the Charleston Harbor inlet – on a dark, heavily raining night, winds blowing north of the 25kn range and with waves standing up on the increasingly shallow banks – that I would rather be making the approach with a GPS chart plotter showing my exact location, with an engine to help with maneuvering, with furling sails allowing me to stay in the cockpit, with an autopilot to take the wheel now and then, with a VHF radio readily at hand and with electric navigation lights brightly lit. And yet, each of these devices can and have been at times problematic – some more than others.

Lin and Larry never disparaged anyone else’s cruising choices - nor do I. Every cruiser makes their own choices – for their own reasons. There are some for whom the cruising life would be anathema without a daily long, hot shower or who desire the type of food supplies on board which only large refrigerators or freezers can maintain. And they are perfectly happy with having and maintaining the water makers, water heaters and power systems needed to achieve those goals. I ran into one couple cruising on a 32’ boat while in Cartagena two years ago. The wife’s price for going cruising was that their boat must have a washer and dryer. Since they didn’t have a water maker, they jugged a lot of water – their choice. For another cruising couple an icemaker was necessary. These last were great people to join for sundowners in the tropics! And, where other cruisers often bring wine and snacks to cocktail or dinner gatherings, these folks just brought ice.

My own set of choices would be, by today’s standards, generally considered “simple”. I do not have refrigeration. Having no outboard motor, I row or sail my lovely little Fatty Knees dinghy (outboard motors are evil!). I carry a capable sit-in style sea kayak equipped with the skirts and other gear necessary to allow it to go virtually anywhere. Preferring to sail, I have equipped the boat with a variety of sail options including a spinnaker to keep it moving in light air. And the electrical system, having minimal demands on it, can be simple as well – two 72w solar panels, a 300amp hour house bank and separate engine starting battery. There is no need for “smart” charging regulators, amp-counting battery monitoring devices, inverters etc. The engine never needs to run except to push the boat. And, importantly, by today’s standards KR at 34’ is a small cruising boat – simplifying much.

Yet, gear failure is ubiquitous.

KR’s current litany of issues includes an engine which drips a little oil (and burns a little as well) and that also has a failing starter solenoid, an AIS unit which, while working, is now seeing ships only 8-9 miles out instead of 20-30 miles, a VHF radio with a failed remote mic and a knotmeter which is reading 30-40% lower than reality. By the way, the knotmeter was working fine when the hook went down at 5:00am in the Ashley River in Charleston and had gone bad when, after a few hours sleep, I moved it to a quieter anchorage around noon that same day. This proves my favorite boat saying: “While you’re sleeping, your boat is breaking!”

The Pardey’s never had any of this gear or the problems that go with it.

The challenge is the “slippery slope” mentioned early in this post. I often feel that I am hanging on my ice ax, desperately trying to dig crampons into an icy slope just to avoid falling farther into the crevasse of technology. The fact is that I have 5 separate devices which can provide a GPS position (three of which then overlay the position on electronic cartography on a real time basis), two VHF radios, a Ham/SSB radio w/pactor modem, a stereo, a full set of sailing instruments, and an autopilot. Worse yet, on board KR there is an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Macbook. Clearly, I long ago went over the edge of the Apple cliff.

Have I failed to maintain a simple cruising life? No – at least not by my standards! But the risk is there. I’ll fight the good fight and cling tenaciously and, at times, desperately, to the edge of the cliff.

Best to all.

PS The Pic – Visiting Cumberland Island and walking under the tangled limbs of the live oak trees is one of the highlights of the ICW. This tree in particular captured my attention as, while I looked at, it I noticed that it was looking back - its bushy eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth clearly visible just below the crook. In fact, with its wizened facial features, gnarled limbs and rough bark it looks (I don’t want to be hasty with this!) decidedly ent-ish.