Minimalist Voyaging Under Sail: 5- The Essentials

Minimalist is about clutter reduction. The less stuff there is the less there is to go wrong.

Each piece of gear must be chosen for its utility, multiple uses, ease of repair, and fitted into the yacht so that the gear can be serviced regularly. For example, and the idea remains solidly minimalist. a Mini Trans At 6.5 sailor used his little 4 hp outboard to power both his Mini and the dinghy. John Guzzwell on Trekka may have been the first to do it and the idea remains solidly minimalist. First, the outboard and fuel are common to two applications. Secondly, outboards are used all around the world so finding a mechanic is not too difficult. Additionally, small outboards can often be repaired by a competent mechanic with minimal tools and spares. The same idea applied elsewhere on the yacht yields the same results.e

Areas for simplification:
refrigeration
pressure water
shore power

A short list of essentials aboard a KISS (keep it simple sailing?) boat might look like this;

Sink with drain to the sea on either tack
Toilet with discharge to holding tank and overboard
Stove with gimbels
Stove fuel safely stowed
Cooking gear that fits easily into lockers and securely on stove
Water tank with pump or lockers dedicated to water jugs
Berths and linens, one berth per side
Cabin illumination
Charts and cruising guides
Navigation and piloting tools
Handheld GPS
Handheld VHF
Tools for repairing the boat, rigging, and sails
Dinghy
Awnings
Mooring and docking equipment
Propulsion motor.
collision mat

What's missing? Things that require two people to operate or are difficult to fix.