Senior Boaters

[JackBasset]

At 66 year old, my adjustment was to sell my larger boat and buy a Com-pac SunCat daysailer - perfect boat with one sheet to pull and a mast step system that does not strain one old man.

[rvharvey]

Exactly 25 years ago, Marvin Creamer was 68 and sailing around the globe without instruments. He is now 92 and no longer sails, but he is still very knowledgeable. I am not permitted to post a link here because I don't have enough posts, but if you google Creamer's name, you will get the website named for his boat. I am 70 and prefer smaller craft that can be trailored and single-handed. It makes me feel like a kid again.

[capnbill@adelphia.net]

At age 59 - I'm now one of the older guys at my marina. I'm happy to say that I haven't yet noticed any problems due to my age but I might be taking a little longer to do the things I breezed through 10 or 15 years ago. Because we're all about the same age on my dock - we all enjoy life at about the same pace. Sailing is all about enjoying life at life's own pace. Bill on STARGAZER

[Merthyr_michael]

Sorry no pic. But I took early retirement as one gets intimations of declining physical ability in the late 50's. However although I can still swing around a monohull like a monkey in a cage the switch to a cat (gemini 105) has meant my wife can now enjoy prolonged sails and also (?more important) the dog who, at the canine equivalent of a century, really likes to snug down and feel safe. The only thing she doesn't like is being hoisted 10' + up a harbour wall.
The power windlass is a great boon; winches, well it's probably cheaper to get more favourable ratios than electric motors, if you can't haul it then you need smaller sails or to sail less hard on the wind, a cutter rig or a ketch?
Oh and the other suggestion is don't stop, there's no need of lots of health insurance/provision for senility, if you don't make it back from a trip the sea is kinder than a care home.

[jheldatksuedu]

I'm 53 and planning on a 5-10 year circumnavigation, might be single handed but don't want it to be. I've got the boat a 45 steel ketch, busy working on it right now. You can see it all on my web site. The main hurdle I've got to overcome is selling the old boat a 38 Hughes, The boat market is real soft right now. It's a good blue water boat that I originally was going to start the trip in, till I found my dream boat, that I thought I might never be able to afford. I still want to get married and have kids, all on the boat, all while circumnavigating. I've got a farm in Kansas to retire too. I'm not retired, too young for that... just not working, also not getting paid, so money is real tight, but I get by. Life can be real inexpensive if you choose it to be on a boat. I row a dingy, ride a bike, and have a full machine shop on board. I salvage a lot of the stuff I need and love the thrift shops and bargain hunting. My ebay number is pretty high and climbing. I've bought all my big boats on there. I've always lived an adventurous life and been able to stretch a dollar real hard, and can jury rig fix just about anything.

As for things the retired boater needs, other than what's been mentioned that I agree with, I'd have to go with a young wife and kids to do all the work.... Just kidding.... I plan to have friends join me for legs of the trip, basically I don't want to sail alone, but have and feel I can with no problem. The main thing is the KISS principle, keep it simple, S....

See you on the water. I'm still working on the problem of a frieghter encounter when I'm trying to catch 40 winks and the self steering gear is busy doing it's thing. I'm real good at waking up just before the one hour alarm goes off, doing the watch and getting back to sleep in minutes. Jon

[rvrdgn]

At 62 and with a bad back and bad knees I am not about to give up the thing I love the most, Sailing. I have rigged my 1976 30' Hunter so once I leave the dock I don't have to leave the cockpit. All of my lines including reefing lines run to the cockpit. Last season I installed Lazy Jacks so even after I drop the sail, I can wait to flake the main. My one big expense was a windlass. I wear a tethered harness and life vest when I am out by myself for safety and I am always very careful where i put my feet and hands. So far being over 60 hasn't caused me to stop sailing in fact now that I am retired I get to go much more often. Enjoy life while you can -you never know. Jeff - captain of the River Dragon.

[FishSticks]

At 72 I'll admit to occasional flashes of CRS (can't remember stuff). So keep it simple. Avoid change. It helps that I've been sailing the same boat for 46 years.

As Ogden Nash said, "Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long."

[TomandKarens34]

Well, I'm 54 and feeling it. But I have discovered a wonderful labor saving plan. I have been harnessing the unlimited power of teenagers. The selection process must be followed carefully to remove the squinty eyed hemp users, and the "vidiots". I've included some small percentage of drop outs to get the re-connected with doing something worthwhile. When you just give them a job to do, you don't get much out of them, but when you give them your self, they will work till they drop. So, strangely enough, the way to tap this resource is not to care about their work, but to care about their souls. Works for me, works for them, and I will never worry about who to take sailing with me.

[Mark1948]

I live in Milwaukee and a local gentleman and his pal, both in mid to late 80s are one Lake Michigan with fair regularity. Know your limitations and plan for the unexpected.

[hjkarten]

Even if you have the funds for a larger boat, consider that may not be the wisest action. The physical and emotional demands of larger boats may prove too great a burden as you age. Stick with a boat that you can safely and comfortably handle. Compromise is perhaps wise. I have seen a few friends who bought boats that were too large for them as they aged, and sailed less, finally selling the boats and getting out of sailing. Very sad.
regards,
HJK