One thing I've come to accept after a lot of time on large lakes and oceans is that you must never go out with the thought, "If I get in trouble, someone will save me." This is especially true if conditions are rough.

It has become more and more common, in these times of rapid technological advances and cool gadgets, for inexperienced folks to head for the great outdoors with an array of computer chip-laden products that'll keep the credit card/debt management companies in business for years to come. In the back of the mind, those hapless folks may be thinking, "I won't get lost because I've got this GPS," or "If I get into trouble, I'll just call for help on my VHF or cell phone."

While there will always be the heroes who risk their lives when others are in trouble, you just can’t let that enter into your thinking when it comes to the decision of, “Do I go out there today?” The mindset should always be one of self-reliance. Use good judgment before setting sail, and be prepared to get out of any situation on your own.

Earlier this year, my wife and I were sailing our N6.0 on the “broad lake” section of Lake Champlain. (The large middle section of the lake, with a north/south fetch that stretches to 70 miles of the lake’s 120 mile length.) South winds were blowing steady at 25 to 30 knots (Force 7). A steep breaking chop rolled through at four to five feet, with crests being blown off into long streaks of foam. When sailing five miles from shore, it had the distinct feeling of a survival situation. (Quite often the aft 3 to 5 feet of the leeward hull was the only part of the boat touching the water.) Friends of ours were sailing their N5.8 behind us. Other sailboats on the lake were heavily reefed with rails buried. My wife and I realized that if we got knocked down, there wasn’t much our friends could have done except notify the Coast Guard once they made it to shore.

Back on the beach, we took the time to run through scenarios of what could have been. We both agreed that assistance from another boat was not something we would count on. (The few boats that were out there were having challenges of their own.)

I don’t intend to downplay the importance of leaving a float plan with a reliable person, or carrying appropriate signaling devices, etc. I just want to stress that calling in outside assistance should always be considered your weakest defense. Good judgment, sailing skills, and the ability to recover from a capsize are much more important than the gadgets that are tucked into your boat or PFD.