Article - selecting & maintaining tools

The article considers the objectives for acquiring tools. If you are not a professional boat builder, carpenter electrician or similar tradesperson, the tools you acquire are not going to be a means of earning your living. You want the tools to work when you need them and therefore must consider reliability over cost. The third consideration is degree of use. There is little point in having tools you do not know how to use without extensive training, because the potential danger, along with failure to get the intended result will not be encouraging. For these reasons, the focus of the recommendations in this article will be on simplicity, practicality and reliability

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Is the head an accessory? Sailors of old would say so. It is without question the boat's most common source of argument, despair and potential disaster so the "head boards" or a bucket are a very attractive alternative to the fitted "head." Unfortunately, your beloved, any and all visitors and the maritime authorities disagree.

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Watermakers

Whether an accessory or an essential safety device depends on the kind of boating you do, but any serious offshore passage might be considered a potentially life-threatening situation. There are several well-documented accounts of boats being swept half-way to Lord Howe and back during what was intended to be a coastal trip. Of the various aids to survival, a watermaker would seem to rate fairly highly. The following guide has kindly been supplied by Waterlog International - see www.waterloginternational.com/yacht.yachts.htm 

Depending on circumstances, a person requires a minimum of 0.8 liters / 2 mugs) per day to maintain body hydration. Below this figure body organs are potentially compromised. The possible consequences are obvious.

In temperate latitudes, an active person needs about 1.7 liters / 6 mugs) of water or food beverages per day. Some of this is in the form of solid foodstuffs, all of which have a relatively high water content to one degree or another.

In the Sub Tropics, an active person usually needs about 2.3 to 3.0 liters or more / 9 mugs) per day to maintain comfort. Although there will be great variation between individuals and their amount of physical activity, this is probably the typical cruising yacht scenario. 

A heavily built person crewing on an ocean racing yacht being driven hard in hot humid tropics may require up to 9 liters per day.

A highly useful brand comparison is also provided on the Watermakers International site at www.watermakers.ws/comparisons.htm