50 innovations that changed sailing

Sure, it's clickbait, but it's pretty well thought out:
50 innovations that changed sailing
Sections on Safety, Navigation, Deck Gear, Systems, and Historical.

Having sailed extensivley, much of it off shore, I will attest to the major improvement in quality of life some of those innovations brought me. Not sure I'd put them in the same order, but that's semantics. Also, many of them apply equally to power boats.

oscar said:

Not sure I'd put them in the same order, but that's semantics. Also, many of them apply equally to power boats.

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I suspect it's an ordered collection grouped by topic area. All but a couple of the deck gear apply equally to power boats.



Keith

Wifey B: Difficult for us sometimes to appreciate as to us improvements are those things of the last three and a half years... That's as long as we've been on the coast. But we have those around us who remind us of how it was in the "old days". Interesting list.

I like lists like that on life in general.

The only item on the list I even though of as not being around like forever and ever and always was the tablet. I know it's only 5 years old.

I'd be interested in hearing from some of you which items on the list are new in your boating lifetime.

If the list was sailing specific which it is not, I would have listed carbon fiber, A sails and inhaulers

BandB said:

I'd be interested in hearing from some of you which items on the list are new in your boating lifetime.

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My boating lifetime started in the late 50's

I count 23 items that didn't exist back then.

That said things like a VHF radio, radar, hyperbolic nav systems (ex Loran) or self steering were either extremely bulky and too heavy to have aboard, or financially unattainable for anyone other than the commercial operators or the independently wealthy. So even though they technically existed, we did without.

We had charts, tide charts, guides, dividers, parallel rulers, pencil, eraser, compass and binoculars. Later on we had a depth sounder. (That spinning thingy) Dead reckoning was it Even electronic calculators were bulky and expensive and not found on the average pleasure vessel. We actually did math in our head or on paper.

Later on DF antennas started appearing which allowed triangulation.

Wifey B: Thanks, Oscar. Guess I should say doubly thanks.

We did a think one night we were bored and just walked around our house looking at things we have and when they were first available. Sort of freaky to a kid like me. But then now I find myself talking to young kids 10-20 years old and I tell them we didn't have such and such when I was their age and they're startled and say "you didn't? for real?"

I remember on our walk a round that the first countertop microwave was in the late 60's. I guess sometime anything before 1980 is like forever to me. It's like a new job and you walk in and everyone there is an old timer and you can't tell the ones there 15 years from the ones who started last week.

BandB said:

We did a think one night we were bored and just walked around our house looking at things we have and when they were first available. Sort of freaky to a kid like me. But then now I find myself talking to young kids 10-20 years old and I tell them we didn't have such and such when I was their age and they're startled and say "you didn't? for real?"

I remember on our walk a round that the first countertop microwave was in the late 60's.

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We got a microwave oven in the 80s....

I was explaining to my kids this morning how much area the schools I attended took up and that it was because we did not have AC. The buildings were designed to get a breeze through the class room. There were windows on two side of the room and hallways were outside under a roof to try to catch a breeze. This forced the schools to cover larger areas compared to their schools that are now multi story, compact and have few windows because of the HVAC system.

The kids have always had:

• AC at home and school.
• Wireless phones
• Cell phones
• Cable
• Computers
• Internet
• DVDs
• Man on the Moon
• ...

Later,
Dan

our first microwave late 70s early 80s we referred to as our $400 coffee warmer, about a weeks wage. A few years later same story on VCR. First Sat Nav. I worked with (mid 70s) filled a small room and cost about $250K. Stuff was around but most couldn't afford it.

Number 51

Best innovation in sailing?

The TRAWLER!!!!

Sorry my windblown friends!

(Some days I DO miss it... )

I didn't see Pusser's Rum on the list of things that made sailing better.

Moonstruck said:

I didn't see Pusser's Rum on the list of things that made sailing better.

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It has been grandfathered but some might argue it made sailing worse.

Surprised to see VHF radio listed. If they are installed on sailboats they never seem to be turned on.

Greetings,
Mr. b. The reason sail boaters don't turn on their VHFs is because they cost too many $$$ to operate.

[]

bayview said:

Surprised to see VHF radio listed. If they are installed on sailboats they never seem to be turned on.

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Well, If the "MV Pink Bikini" would not have hailed the "MV Ding Ding" EVERY FIVE MINUTES FOR AN HOUR ON CH16 I would have left it on......



Not to worry, coming to the dark side. And with the sound of a few diesels under the floor the added radio clatter will not be as disrupting.