Modifications for the "aging sailor"

[mike ritenour]

A few nights ago we were sitting around the old pot belly stove, lifting a few jars as the snow buried our cars, and the topic of what are the "older sailors"(OMG are they pointing at me ) are doing to modify our boats to make sure we can continue into our golden years, putting to sea.

I fired back a long salvo about respect , but that didn't get me very far , but it did get me thinking.

I've made a few modifications to LaVida, hopefully to counteract the effects of single handing and aging, but I'd like to ask the board membership and especially those of us, who are getting older, just what have you done or plan to do to modify your boat for the eventuality of your aging and how those modifications will maintain your sailing abilities.

Hopefully no one will be able to pry our gnarled hands off our helm, before our time.

Rit

[Warren Kaplan]

I know of what you speak. For one thing, I've brought all my lines back to the cockpit 'cause I ain't so nimble around the foredeck no more!!! Its well worth it.

I have been considering buying a larger boat over the past few years but, along with other considerations, I think that moving up as I get older might not be the smartest thing to do. Truth be told I have a few "senior" friends with larger boats who are definitely considering downsizing because they feel a smaller boat would be much easier to handle in their later years. That, and because they feel that their sailing habits will change, i.e. less long range cruising and more daysailing or weekend trips. So, it makes sense that way.

I've attached a picture of some of the lines coming back to the cockpit on my CD27
[/img]

[mike ritenour]

Your thoughts echoed my own, Warren.

For a few years I moved up to a 44'er but soon realized that my lovely LaVida, at 33', was the ticket for me.

I can still manage LaVida on a solo basis, but it always took two to safely navigate EOS. Just too much boat for one guy to safely handle.

Your project of bringing back everything is a good one and one that I've had under consideration for quite some time.

I'm thinking that it'll happen during the next refit.

What size winch did you use?

Rit

[Steve Laume]

I will be thinking about a windlass when I am willing to admit that I am getting older. That and a bathroom next to the bedroom. Uh, wait I just got a little confused, that would be for at home. The boat is already pretty well set that way, Steve.

[Warren Kaplan]

What size winch did you use?

Rit

I used an Andersen ST-12. Its a self tailing single action winch. Remember, my boat is only a CD27. It does the job okay but frankly I would have installed the next size winch on the cabintop if it fit the way I wanted it to and I could still use it with the dodger up. As it turned out a larger winch would have presented some problems (at least to my installation skills at the time) so I went with the Andersen ST-12.

As I said, it does the job just fine for the sail area I have to deal with.

[barfwinkle]

Trawler

[M. R. Bober]

Trawler

Bill,
There is (IMHO) a logical sequence that is usually followed: Self-tailing winches, roller furling sails, windlass, TRAWLER.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster (somewhere in the sequence,) VA

[tartansailor]

Pad eyes, jack lines and a double tether to keep my weary bones aboard.

Dick

[drysuit2]

I have to agree with Jack Lines. When I was younger, It never occurred to me that I could go overboard...Till I slipped and broke my foot. Self tailers, and roller furling are nice too.

[barfwinkle]

Bill,
There is (IMHO) a logical sequence that is usually followed: Self-tailing winches, roller furling sails, windlass, TRAWLER.

Mitchell, where would a capable, bikini clad, all female crew (or male to be politically correct, skippers choice) fall into this sequence

[Steve Laume]

Pad eyes, jack lines and a double tether to keep my weary bones aboard.

Dick

That is a modification young sailors do so they get a chance to become old sailors, Steve.

[Warren Kaplan]

I also installed wichard folding padeyes all around my cockpit (3 of them) so I can clip in all the time. Makes a lot of difference psychologically when you're sailing solo and the boat is bouncing in choppy water.

[winthrop fisher]

how are you guys and gales ????

how old is old ????

i am 51 and i can still do ever thing i did when i was 25.

how old is ever one else?????

besides i can sail any thing from 41 and under...
winthrop

[Warren Kaplan]

I'll be 64 in April.

Having said that I may be in the best shape of my life. I do over an hour on the treadmill, and an hour on the rowing machine. And I've lost 30 pounds. I also do balance exercises that have helped quite a bit as I move around the boat.

So...even though I'm older, I'm still able to handle myself pretty well on board.

[Jim Walsh]

i am 51 and i can still do ever thing i did when i was 25.

I guess wives and/or girlfriends would be the final arbiter......we might not want to ask them though.....