[PUP] Electronics equipment, needs, and costs - needs and realities, yacht equipment in general

[hannu venermo]

I may offend some people with this mail, and it is not my intention to 
do so, but let the chips fall where they may.

Gentlemen -
I have worked for a few years with the owner of the nr one naval yard, 
largest builder of yachts in Spain - Puma Yachts.
They have 16 years in production, several 1004s of vessels delivered, so 
these observations are based on realities, and real-world experience.
I have also worked for some years with the exclusive importer and 
distributor of Sea Ray in Finland, and know very well their real 
rationale and thinking.

Yacht builders, in general, do not look for the best possible solution. 
They do not test various models, nor do they consider the 
price/performance of a piece of equipment. They just do not.

They are in this to make money, and the nr 1 criteria for naval yards is
a. will it increase the sales of their vessels, and
b. can they sell it at an attractive price

The most important criteria in the US market, in yachts, is brand and 
"attractiveness". For this reason many, many superior products have 
fallen by the wayside, or been bought out by their better financed 
and/or marketed competitors. At this time, IMHO, based on 19 years 
observation and experience, so-called "yacht" equipment is
1.grossly overpriced,due to inattention and negligence by the purchasers 
of this equipment
2.grossly underperforming, due to the equipment, in general, being 
barely fit for purpose
3.extremely unreliable

These are mostly due to the fact that apart from many members of this 
list, that is, us, gentlemen, passagemakers, an average yacht utlisation 
time in the U.K. is 2 days / year, 15 days in Finland, and similar in 
Spain. These are statistical facts.

Most yacht equipment is therefore not utilized. Most yachts are used as 
showpieces, for personal pleasure in port, and to entertain friends or 
for business purposes. Therefore, it follows that the perceived value of 
a piece of euipment is the most important criteria - i.e. as  an example 
Mercedes MTU diesels as being "better", since they cost "so much more". 
High cost is seen as a benefit and as increasing the "value" of the 
equipment. Please note - the actual quality of the MTU diesel is not my 
point, nor is it *in any way relevant* as absolutely any diesel engine 
in the world will
1. work the 2-15 days a year its called upon to perform
2. suffer from lack of use

The same trend applies to electronics, even more so.
Perceived value by the owners, of whom less than 0.1 percent *ever* 
undertake passagemaking, is based on how much they paid for it, what is 
the current most fashionable label, and how much of the "newest stuff" 
there is in it.

The owners pay exorbitant amounts of money, for equipment that sees 
practically no use, is obsoleted by poor design, and poorly installed. 
However, they feel good as the high cost justifies their "investment" 
and therefore the owners are happy. And this is why this trend exists.
I wish to point out, to stress, that yards, designers and builders would 
really, really like to do all this better - but they *absolutely 
cannot*. The success in the marketplace is based on pleasing the buyers 
- the buyers are pleased by overpriced junk - only successful builders 
stay in business - we will therefore sell what the owners want, while 
pretending that it is somehow necessary, of high quality, and desirable.

The current trend is to replace everything, every 5-10 years, due to 
better equipment being available. Form wiring to connectors to the 
equipment itself. All craft, to my knowledge, are built abysmally badly, 
with no thought being given to maintenance, replacement, upgrades, or 
reliability.

So what is necessary -
First, lets say that passagemaking is where equipment is tested, used 
and the need or not of a piece of equipment is clearly seen.
1. approximately 1000 sailboats have circumnavigated for pleasure, and 
maybe 10.000 have undertaken long passages under the passagemaking category.
2. approximately 1000 powerboats have done these longs passages, maybe 
100 circumnavigations

Of the sailboats, under 5%, perhaps only 1% has carried radar. Note that 
most passages were made when radar was difficult,complex and costly, and 
today in the percentage of new crossings it is different. I would 
therefore say that radar is absolutely not essential, and all successful 
passagemaking practice supports this !
Please note - this is not my opinion, it is a fact based on the last 40 
years sailing history, and therefore indisputable.

Most skippers and reviews in the press and personally, and my personal 
experience, and preference, is that autopilot, in any form, is the most 
important piece of equipment.
I would say that an autopilot is essential - not because you can4t sail 
and navigate without one, as you most certainly can, and surely everyone 
on this list agrees, but the sheer increase in comfort, reduction in 
fatigue and increased alertness and availability of time makes it the 
single most useful and important piece of gear.
Many many circumnavigators have said the same thing in countless stories 
and interviews - again, I would go with the weight of the evidence.

What else do you really need ?
A gps, of any size, weight, shape or form. The oldest, poorest, 
non-backlighted grayscale gps beats any other piece of equipment hands 
down, when you are
a. far from the shore, and have no landmarks
b. within an island archipelago, etc. where you have too many landmarks 
and no way to distinguish between them

Here again, practical experience may aid us. Everyone I know, every boat 
I know, every circumnavigator I know, has carried and carries gps. We 
could therefore say that gps is essential - but the size, screen, 
resolution, mapmaking, integration thereof etc. is absolutely 
non-essential and non-important.
Here, again,to aid us in the clarity of our thinking, I am NOT saying 
they are not useful, desirable, I don4t want one, I don4t have one etc. 
etc. They are *not needed*, which is the most important criteria.

And a vhf, as they are very useful in coming to harbour, cheap, reliable 
and available everywhere. The convenience makes it a practical 
necessity, just like a (hot) shower. Sure you can manage without one, 
but thats not the point. We are not doing passagemaking to prove we can 
overcome difficulties, but to enjoy ourselves in reasonable comfort, in 
maximum practical safety.

So thats it.

You need an autopilot and gps, and a vhf. (Compass and charts, but they 
are not electronic).
All else is fluff.

For my point of view, as I have for almost 20 years been commonly 
responsible for the life and health of others, first as a jet aircraft 
mechanic, and later as a divemaster and yacht captain, I would stress 
safety and comfort - these are derived from having skill, training, 
responsibility and working equipment, rather than fancy equipment. 2000 
years of commercial navigation and 100 years of aviation teaches us 
exactly the same. Working equipment, and the desire and skill to use 
them, outweighs every other criteria by a factor of at least 20:1.

The reality, from my point of view, (now this is my opinion, not based 
on historical facts), is that 10 k buys you 100% redundant electronics 
for everything you need.
Add the autopilot for 6k and thats it. You are FAR better off with 2 
cheap gps receivers,one of which WORKS, in fiji or wherever, than the 
best newest most expensive chartplotter thats not running.
For my money, I would spend and extra 10 k (but no more) for a bit 
better screens, and better charts.

And, as the last, and most important thing, not found in ANY craft as 
far as I know, dirt cheap to implement, that extends equipment lifetime 
200% and improves reliablility maybe 200-500%, 2 more things.

2 BASIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BETTER CRAFTS, and ELECTRICAL PRACTICE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Redundant wiring.
The whole craft must have pre-installed redundant wiring for every major 
piece or equipment, running in separate conduits. Every wire must be 
numbered at both ends, and at 1 test point in between. A paper chart of 
wire numbers, must exist at origin, at endpoint and at one test point.
This single thing, on its own, will absolutely halve any troubleshooting 
time, and halve repair, maintenance and installation costs of all 
electrical and electronic equipment over the lifetime of the vessel.

2. Proper storage of electronic equipment.
All electronic equipment must be cooled. All electronic equipment must 
be in a sealed moisture-proof enclosure.
Thats it.

Nr 2. alone will extend the lifetime of electronic equipment at a 
minimum 100% on average 500%.
To my knowledge, no-one builds craft with these two simple things in mind.

To anyone wishing practical recommendations, ideas, or (gasp) practical 
work on these matters, you may correspond privately or publicly.

Good luck everyone, fair winds and neap tides,

hanermo