All I Ask Is a GPS and a Radar and Displays

Zephyr was sharing some Masefield with us earlier this week. I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky.

A quick Google unearthed this parody by an unknown author on Panbo: The Marine Electronics Weblog. As someone who sails a very simple boat, on which we are not even allowed to use a digital compass when racing, I had to chuckle.

I must go down to the sea again, in a modern high-tech boat,
And all I ask is electric, for comfort while afloat,
And alternators, and solar panels, and generators going,
and deep cycle batteries with many amperes flowing.

I must go down to the sea again, to the autopilot’s ways,
And all I ask is a GPS, and a radar, and displays,
And a cell phone, and a weatherfax, and a shortwave radio,
And compact disks, computer games and TV videos.

I must go down to the sea again, with a freezer full of steaks,
And all I ask is a microwave, and a blender for milkshakes,
And a watermaker, air-conditioner, hot water in the sink,
And e-mail and a VHF to see what my buddies think.

I must go down to the sea again, with power-furling sails,
And chart displays of all the seas, and a bullhorn for loud hails,
And motors pulling anchor chains, and push-button sheets,
And programs which take full charge of tacking during beats.

There's more at Panbo. How many "amperes flowing" do you need to enjoy a day on the water?