"Do we really need radar? Would a vesper ais do the trick? To me if might be enough to have that plus an iPod, iPhone as gps backup and a cheap dedicated waterproof gps for a bad eventuality you might need it. Plus a couple of cheap handheld vhfs for redundancy... Can a smaller ericson be equipped for offshore with a small water maker and hence a smaller water tank? Do you need a windvane self steer? If you go for auto helm only, there is the better chance you would need more complex systems like solar panels etc... Plus those fail often (read Chiles latest adventure into nz on a 21 ft boat). Anyway those would be my picks. Fibreglass work and rigging would be a totally different story to beef up, and I would be interested in any thoughts from those on this forum that have beefed up their boats and done passages with them. What was worked, what has not, what did they beef up that they in retrospect didn't think they should have, and conversely what did they not do beef up that they now think they should have done so." (Shrewsburyduo in another thread)