The late, great comedian Spike Milligan once declared, ‘How can we lose when we haven’t got a plan?’ I know what he meant. But without any kind of plan or knowledge you’re entirely at the mercy of whoever has your ear at the time, and this can prove disastrous if the person concerned doesn’t have your best interests at heart, or if you’re ill prepared to deal with the results.
In ordinary life this need not have serious consequences, but where offshore yachts are concerned it certainly can. A badly serviced engine can let you down at just the wrong moment, or a cheap sail can blow out 1000 miles from land, whilst the current insistence on having everything including the kitchen sink on board means that you need to have as many arms as Buddha to keep it all running.
