Every spring when the sailing gear catalogs and flyers flood my mailbox and inbox, and I contemplate the long list for spring commissioning and inevitable upgrades, I feel that rising familiar lust for all that fancy new boat stuff. If only I had this or that, wouldn't sailing this year be more _________ (fun, safe, fast - whatever)! Things look so darn good in those catalogs, don't they? Fortunately, I eventually hear that booming voice of conscience: "Keep it simple, sailor!" If winter or other things have kept you away from sailing for a time, it's worthwhile to read a philosophic sailor like Roger Taylor to regain a healthy perspective. A favorite quote: "I don't want to be told what's going on by digital displays set up inside the yacht, fed by electronic sensors and radio signals from heaven knows where. Even more, I don't want to develop a dependency on these so-called 'aids.' I want to use and develop my own senses. I want to feel everything that is going on directly, physically, viscerally...."
