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As
I write this from Pesaro, Italy, at the end of a tour of European yards,
I admit to feeling an affinity for the old continent. Despite our current
government’s disillusion with “old Europe,” there’s
much to admire here. Great coffee is universal on the continent, and
notwithstanding the disconcerting spread of American franchises, the
food is generally prepared and presented with more care—except
for maybe in England. I also like the fact that walking is frequently
done for pleasure over here, not as a last resort, and that when I rent
a car I get something far more rewarding to drive than a Cavalier or
Alero.
Obviously
Europe is not perfect. Its airlines may actually be worse than ours,
and the place is crowded—just look at the hotel rooms and marinas.
And European behavior in lines is nothing short of brutish.
But
when it comes to boats, I’d say it’s something of a draw:
Europe and America have learned a lot from each other. America, the
land of large, taught Europeans that boats should be roomy, even for
crew. We also proved the superiority of high-capacity air conditioning,
big refrigerators, thick mattresses, and the Glendinning Cablemaster.
Europeans taught us the value of finely wrought, flawlessly lacquered
wood, sensuous exterior styling, and bow thrusters.
But
Americans still haven’t learned to embrace one admirable European
ethic: the importance of safety equipment. I refer not to PFDs and automatic
bilge pumps, but to the near-universal presence on any sizable European
boat of at least one liferaft and one manual bilge pump. This may stem
partly from governmental regulations and the fact that European craft
must contend with generally less hospitable waters than we do. Yet marine
mishaps are universal, and the failure of American builders to fit such
relatively inexpensive equipment as standard is curious. Moreover, most
European builders design their boats around such equipment; there’s
nearly always a dedicated liferaft compartment on the flying bridge
and/or in the cockpit, and the manual bilge pump (or pumps) is typically
in the cockpit, where it’s readily accessible in an emergency—usually
near the battery and fuel cut-offs, which are also typically absent
on U.S. boats.
And
while I’m on a soapbox, I’d also like to lobby for standard
EPIRBs, smoke detectors, and CO detectors, and for separate bridge batteries
for VHFs (all of which should now come with DSC) on boats over 40 feet,
so that in the event of a sinking, a captain can continue to broadcast
distress calls until the very last minute. (EPIRBs are a common aftermarket
item on European vessels, but dedicated bridge batteries and DSC are
not, in my experience.)
Sad
to say, safety equipment will probably never be as appealing to either
American or European owners as sexy styling, mirror-finished wood, and
big ‘fridges. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sell.
Boats that come equipped with more than just basic safety gear feel
safer and seem to be more seaworthy, and that’s a selling advantage
on both sides of the Atlantic.
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