I have griped many times about people that buy boats and have the boatyard do all the work. They have not learned anything about their boats or how to deal with problems. Self reliance is a thing of the past, coupled with expectations that nothing will go wrong put naive boaters in harms way.

I read Jon's list and one of the boats listed was abandoned because the engine broke and they lost a lower shroud. WTF? Why couldn't they double or triple reef and continue. About 20 years ago I was in daily contact with a boat name Acores (the Portuguese name for the Azores) that lost a lower. A solo sailor, sailed with reduced sail about 1000 miles upwind to the Cape Verdes for repairs. I met a couple in New Zealand that hand steered their Beneteau 40 something using the emergency tiller for many hundreds of miles and over a week when their hydraulic steering failed. With a little time I could think of a lot more.

It has become too easy to call for help and therefore, people that are not prepared to be out there are going to sea.