Staying in the cockpit

[Jim Stanicki]

Almost 2 years ago I was in a motorcycle accident and broke both my legs very badly. I had done some sailing prior to the accident and would realy like to again. I can now walk without a cane but not real well. I think I will need to stay in the cockpit. Can I sail a CD? I think if I keep the boat on a mooring and use a roller on the headsail I can sail without ever going forward. Am I missing something? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jim



jstanicki@pivot.net

[Jerry Axler]

Almost 2 years ago I was in a motorcycle accident and broke both my legs very badly. I had done some sailing prior to the accident and would realy like to again. I can now walk without a cane but not real well. I think I will need to stay in the cockpit. Can I sail a CD? I think if I keep the boat on a mooring and use a roller on the headsail I can sail without ever going forward. Am I missing something? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jim

Roller furling on both jibs and a main halyard run to the cockpit with amethod to contain the main with the Dutchman system or good old lazyjacks should keep you off the foredeck most of the time.



cutter36@erols.com

[Captain Mike]

Dear sailor:
I ride a motorcycle thanks for the good reminder- I am happy to hear that your one of the luck ones. Furling the jib seems to be the least of your troubles, how do you pick up the mooring and cleat it to the bow? If you think of handle a mooring from the cockpit in any type of breeze, you may have something else broken. Do what I do -give friendly orders to my crew from the comfort of the cockpit while I control the helm and ,therefore, the vessel. They are always novice sailors who love to say "aye aye Captain".
Yours for better sailing; Captain Mike

Almost 2 years ago I was in a motorcycle accident and broke both my legs very badly. I had done some sailing prior to the accident and would realy like to again. I can now walk without a cane but not real well. I think I will need to stay in the cockpit. Can I sail a CD? I think if I keep the boat on a mooring and use a roller on the headsail I can sail without ever going forward. Am I missing something? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jim

Roller furling on both jibs and a main halyard run to the cockpit with amethod to contain the main with the Dutchman system or good old lazyjacks should keep you off the foredeck most of the time.

mattngly@concentric.net

[Dave and Jane Olson]

We believe that there is nothing you can't do. Tristan Jones had no legs towards the end of his life. He did well. You can do well too!

Every aspect of sailing mechanics can be tailored to meet your needs. It just requires some inventiveness on your part or some asking for help from others when you get stuck for and idea.

You have an excellent resource here on this Doryboard and that is as good a reason as any to select one of these outstanding boats as an "Accessible Sailing Platform".

Go for it!!!

Dave and Jane Olson

Almost 2 years ago I was in a motorcycle accident and broke both my legs very badly. I had done some sailing prior to the accident and would realy like to again. I can now walk without a cane but not real well. I think I will need to stay in the cockpit. Can I sail a CD? I think if I keep the boat on a mooring and use a roller on the headsail I can sail without ever going forward. Am I missing something? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jim

102065.2666@compuserve.com

[Jim Stanicki]

Captain Mike,
I am a bit of an independent guy, when I can go I hate looking for help. The moorimg problem I think can be solved with a line from the cockpit run through the mooring cleat and back to the cockpit. When I pick up the mooring I attach it to the line, take up the line and cleat it in the cockpit. When I leave I will use my tender to reset my onboard mooring line, or have another line to bring it back to the cockpit. What do you think?
The anchor part is a little fuzzy for me. I am sure I'll need a way to deploy an anchor in bad weather and I'm thinking the cockpit is not the best place to do it.
I will also need a downhaul on the main and a way to put the sail cover on. Anything else?
Thanks for the help
Jim

Dear sailor:
I ride a motorcycle thanks for the good reminder- I am happy to hear that your one of the luck ones. Furling the jib seems to be the least of your troubles, how do you pick up the mooring and cleat it to the bow? If you think of handle a mooring from the cockpit in any type of breeze, you may have something else broken. Do what I do -give friendly orders to my crew from the comfort of the cockpit while I control the helm and ,therefore, the vessel. They are always novice sailors who love to say "aye aye Captain".
Yours for better sailing; Captain Mike

Almost 2 years ago I was in a motorcycle accident and broke both my legs very badly. I had done some sailing prior to the accident and would realy like to again. I can now walk without a cane but not real well. I think I will need to stay in the cockpit. Can I sail a CD? I think if I keep the boat on a mooring and use a roller on the headsail I can sail without ever going forward. Am I missing something? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jim

Roller furling on both jibs and a main halyard run to the cockpit with amethod to contain the main with the Dutchman system or good old lazyjacks should keep you off the foredeck most of the time.

jstanicki@pivot.net

[Chris Scheck]

Almost 2 years ago I was in a motorcycle accident and broke both my legs very badly. I had done some sailing prior to the accident and would realy like to again. I can now walk without a cane but not real well. I think I will need to stay in the cockpit. Can I sail a CD? I think if I keep the boat on a mooring and use a roller on the headsail I can sail without ever going forward. Am I missing something? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jim

CScheck@aol.com

[Chris Reinke]

Jim - I commend your initiative and optimistic attitude. I have a friend who lost full mobility of his right arm and partial mobility of his right leg following a severe skiing accident. He enjoys a full and active lifestyle which includes sailing. He elected to purchase a cat boat due to the ease of operation which a single sail can provide. He also loves the traditional look. His main is rigged on a furling boom ("Stowboom"I think) which he can control from the cockpit. This eliminates the need for packing your sail, or the cover. This rig also allow him to furl his main from the cockpit which is something I do not believe you could do in a CD. To compensate for his limited arm use he has added additional mechanical advantage for controlling the sheet and incorporates a self-tailing winch.

His boat is moored via a long pickup line. When leaving the mooring he motors slowly forward until the pick-up buoy can be reached from the cockpit. He then casts off and keeps his bow line running into the cockpit. When he returns he is able to motor along side the pick-up buoy and simply attach the bow line and cast it back over the side.

A Cape Dory would offer you a wonderful stable platform and others may disagree with my suggestion, however a cat boat may be an idle solution.

Please let me know if you require any additional ideas of suggestion as I am sure my friend would love to share his experiences.

Almost 2 years ago I was in a motorcycle accident and broke both my legs very badly. I had done some sailing prior to the accident and would realy like to again. I can now walk without a cane but not real well. I think I will need to stay in the cockpit. Can I sail a CD? I think if I keep the boat on a mooring and use a roller on the headsail I can sail without ever going forward. Am I missing something? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jim

Chris.reinke@transamerica.com

[Chris Scheck]

Jim -

Great to hear there's another biker/Cape Dory sailor out there. I assumed most bikers go for the thunderboats with "Born to Lose" painted on the side.

Not to be a heretic, or a skunk at a garden party, or Benedict Arnold, or any of those things, but if you prefer to stay in the cockpit I think there are some newer designs out there that would make your sailing easier and more enjoyable. I've been sailing a CD33 for 14 years, so I know the layout and the feel of the boat pretty well.

This Winter my girlfriend and I wanted to charter on the West Coast of Florida and we ended up with an Island Packet 29 from Yachting Vacations out of Punta Gorda (near Sanibel Island) Say what you will about Island Packets ... they're fat, they're ugly, they're like a powerboat with sails on it. After sailing the IP29 for a week, I can see why they have such a following. They are the answer for sailors who are older, or have limited mobility or just want one of the newer designs where



CScheck@aol.com

[Chris Scheck]

Jim -

Great to hear there's another biker/Cape Dory sailor out there. I assumed most bikers go for the thunderboats with "Born to Lose" painted on the side.

Not to be a heretic, or a skunk at a garden party, or Benedict Arnold, or any of those things, but if you prefer to stay in the cockpit I think there are some newer designs out there that would make your sailing easier and more enjoyable. I've been sailing a CD33 for 14 years, so I know the layout and the feel of the boat pretty well.

This Winter my girlfriend and I wanted to charter on the West Coast of Florida and we ended up with an Island Packet 29 from Yachting Vacations out of Punta Gorda (near Sanibel Island) Say what you will about Island Packets ... they're fat, they're ugly, they're like a powerboat with sails on it. After sailing the IP29 for a week, I can see why they have such a following. They are the answer for sailors who are older, or have limited mobility or just want one of the newer d

[Harris]

Keeping the boat on a mooring solves the problem of multiple dock lines and colisions with docks and other boats. It provides additional problems for those with mobility problems although. The first problem involves launching a dingy from the beach or wherever. the second involves climbing from the dingy into the boat. My boat is about Typhoon height and some heavier and non mobile people have serious difficulties. The last problem is that picking up a mooring singlehanded usually involve a quick sprint to the bow while the boat is luffing. My suggestion for dockage involves a floating dock in a well protected marina. Expensive...but well worth it for you. My freind has one inclose on three sides and overprotected by bumpers. After fastening one springline he can worry about the bow lines 10 minutes later. I prefer the mooring for $ reasons and that it is better for me singlehanded.....and I like to leave my motor at home.



hg@myhost.com

[Tom]

Almost 2 years ago I was in a motorcycle accident and broke both my legs very badly. I had done some sailing prior to the accident and would realy like to again. I can now walk without a cane but not real well. I think I will need to stay in the cockpit. Can I sail a CD? I think if I keep the boat on a mooring and use a roller on the headsail I can sail without ever going forward. Am I missing something? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jim

Here's something that might work for you if you are using nylon rode on your anchor. When single handing and wanting to anchor under sail, I do it this way. First I pull out about a hundred feet of line, cleat it off on the foredeck, and then lead it to the cockpit going outside everything, i.e., shrouds, life lines, etc. At the stern bring it into the cockpit and cleat it off again. You now have a line that runs from cleat to cleat and can't get tangled in the prop or anything. Coil the line neatly and set the chain and anchor on top of it. I used a big bucket so I could move it around if necessary, or could set it in the lazarette out of the way.

Heave to several hundred yards to windward of where you want to anchor. I would go up and dowse the main (you'd have to use your lazy jacks and downhaul or whatever you're going to do about sails). Once the main is down an interesting thing happens. The jib and helm are no longer in balance and the bow falls off and you start sailing slowly downwind. You're now under jib alone and you've started from a dead stop so you sort of drift slowly toward your anchoring spot. When you get to the spot where you want your anchor you simply feed it off over the stern and pay it out as you sail slowly downwind. When the anchor bites the jib will set it and once it's set you let the jib sheets fly. This takes the drive out of the sails and you're anchored stern to. Now uncleat the rode at the stern and the boat will turn nose to wind. You're anchored perfectly and can go forward at your leisure and take down the jib on a level deck. If by any chance the anchor doesn't bite you are sailing downwind slowly under jib so you still have steerage enough to avoid things and can pull the anchor back in from the cockpit. This really works I've done it many times and I've thought that on my next boat I should put the windlass on the stern and just use a bridle to swing the bow around.

Perhaps you can adapt this to work for you or it will set you to thinking about how you want to do it. Anchoring from the cockpit shouldn't be a major problem for you and I cheer you on too.



TacCambria@thegrid.net

[Steve Alarcon]

Jim,

Several years ago we bought our CD30 "TEMERTIY" from a physician who had had polio since before he went to medical school, and had been confined to a wheelchair. He had purchased her new, and sailed her in the northwest for 14 years. The good doctor (a fairly large framed man) did not have the use of his legs at all, but still managed to hoist himself in and out of the cockpit as well as belowdecks through his own inginuity, as well as with the assistance of his very small stature wife. The boat is not equipped with anything special, aside from leading the halyards aft.

When we did our sea trials, the doctor had the helm the whole time (it was obvious he didn't want to give her up, and I didn't have the heart to ruin his last sail). His wife served as deck hand, and between them they did everything an able bodied seaman would need to do. As we pulled up to the marina to haul the boat for hull inspection, "Doc" (without assistance) put that 30 foot sailboat alongside the pier between two other sailboats with less that 1 foot space at either end. I suspect that if you asked his opinion, he would suggest you live your life to the fullest!

By the way, "Temerity" means "reckless abondon".

Best Regards,
Steve Alarcon
CD30 Temerity
Seattle



steve.alarcon@attws.com

[Bob Luby]

After reading a number of follow-ups I'd like to add my $.02.

1. Re Dutchman - in your case, go for the fancy sail slides and a full-batten main, perhaps with a special sail track. The idea is to reduce the amount of help the sail needs when it comes down so you don't have to go forward.

2. I have mild cerebral palsy, which impairs my coordination a bit, and a full-displacement boat ( like Cape Dory, IP, & BCC ) has an easier motion than a light fin-keel boat. This makes it a bit safer for me on the foredeck should I have to go forward.

3. I bought one of those Harken single line reefing kits. When I get ambitious, I'll try installing it. As it was it took quite a while getting the screws to loosen on the jiffy reefing stuff on the boom.

4. Consider adding jacklines for your use if you **have** to go forward. What if you're single handing and the rig breaks? If you think about this now you'll add to your peace of mind.

5. Finally, It may take you a bit longer to get used to the boat's
motion. I call this "kinesthetic learning", others call it sea legs.
Give yourself time.



Rluby@aol.com