Giving 110%

Here's a picture of a boat loaded to 110%!

We give 110%! Sounds good? Let's look at it from a real life situation. You're flying a small plane carrying vital supplies from Juneau to Hoonah and the request is that you carry 10% more weight than the plane is designed for. Having seen a plane loaded to that level come in and land like a brick, I know it can be done, so why not do it every time? If you look at the history of small plane flights in Alaska, you find that additional risks include sudden weather changes, numerous mountain peaks, strong winds, and very few safe landing spots in case of an emergency. Accidents usually result from an unfortunate combination of risk factors, so every risk you add increases the probability of a serious accident.

How about boating? Can we safely overload a boat? We had great motivation to do just that because we could only move items on the high tides and they lasted a short time. We need three barrels of fuel to run equipment, this is the last tide high enough to make the trip for over a week, and the boat will safely carry two barrels. The weather is calm and everything looks good so we give it a try. Halfway there the outboard motor starts running poorly and the wind suddenly picks up to 5-6 ft. seas. Does 110% still sound good?



Reality means we have limitations. When we exceed them, we pay the price. Here in the states it seems like we can get away with always looking for more than we were designed for. In the wilderness, when you go beyond maximum limits, you expect to pay the price.

What do you think?