I'm still amazed each season how simple the basic sailboat- as vehicle, is. It's a bunch of parts but all are big chunky and uncomplicated. Near any failure is easy to over-ride. You just raise sails, trim, the keel and hull do their part, and you're free as the wind to go where you want.

Two things stuck with me years ago on our first trip to the Bahamas. One was a couple in a relatively simple boat with serious diesel problems. Their engine was beyond reasonable repair and would need a rebuild. They were "finished", and were making their way back to the states as best they could. I'm comfortable with a diesel engine(I like them as a system on my boat), but that potential exists anytime, anywhere.

The other thing that stuck with me was refrigeration. Any boat with it then(it has improved in reliablility, but not in it's power needs) was saddled to anchorages to provide wind power, regular and often long term engine running and quite a bit of repair. I understand the convenience of refrigeration and not chasing ice(an adventure in the Bahamas, but not the end of the world), but still today represents and additional layer of complexity to me.

Stuff like that, another step spring and fall in maintenance, another fist full of wire connections which take turns corroding, all take away from the simple enjoyment I get even from my over-complex boat(a few electronics and cabin lights).

I watch a few boats go off that require a systems turn on stage, that requires a bit of time. That's a lot of stuff to keep working. I can trouble shoot and fix stuff as well as most, but I've burned many hours, way too many hours over a few decades, doing just that with various boat gizmos. The added equipment can be it's own reward for some but it too takes away something in my sailing.

I marvel at the simple systems like a big icebox, a woodstove, anchor systems, sheet winches, mainsheet, sail rig, water tanks, rudder, cowl ventilators, a set of oars to row to shore with, etc. These systems that require little to no maintenance provide a reassuring satisfaction to my sailing each season. None of those systems sent anyone home from the Bahamas that I recall.

When my boat is silently sailing itself to our destination in light air or I'm in a snug anchorage reading in the cockpit, that's the experience I crave. It requires more simpliciity for me than many would be happy with.