Not Gettin' Any Younger......

[Warren Kaplan]

As I sat around my house, this lazy, damp Sunday, poking my inquisitive nose into this and that on some of my bookshelves, I came across some old quotes that I haven't picked up for a while. As my 61st birthday rapidly approaches, I know that most likely, physically anyway, the best of my sailing ability and sailing days may be drawing short.

For those of you who find yourselves strangely akin to my plight, or even those of you much younger than I am, I ask you to consider the following quote from one of America's greatest philosophers when you plan this upcoming sailing season and the seasons that follow.

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain
1835-1910

[Neil Gordon]

As my 61st birthday rapidly approaches, I know that most likely, physically anyway, the best of my sailing ability and sailing days may be drawing short.

Physically only and maybe not that, either.

Perhaps the best sailing days are the ones we're thinking of laying out on the chart in anticipation of spring.

[tartansailor]

Yes that is true. I am on the wrong side of 70, and by damn I am going to make that old CD25 Rock & Roll; prudently of course; off Cape Henlopen; out in the ocean. 30 - 60 miles out there are some fantastic tuna grounds. I aim to get some yellow fin tuna.
Dick

[mchaffie]

This thread really struck a chord this evening. I've been lurking here for the last year or so. Having just passed my 58th, I've watched years slip away landlocked and boatless in the Piedmont of NC, waiting for the 'right' time- work, money, other interests- all the typical excuses. I kept telling myself 'one of these days' ... next year- for the last 15 years, now. Well, this past fall year, I received a wake up call- in the form of a back injury- spondylolisthesia to be precise- my first real malady of my life. This will almost certainly require disc removal, bone transplant, and spinal fusion sometime in the future as things get incrementally worse. Unfortunate as it is, it has spurred me on to do more than dream. So, within the last several months, I've looked at a CD 27 in Deltaville, VA and CD 28 in Washington, NC; this weekend, I was in Oriental, NC looking at another CD 28. Afterwards, while walking the docks of Oriental, the owner of Malie, a CD 36, saw me admiring her boat and invited me aboard. Beautiful vessel! After a couple glasses of wine and a several hours of conversation, I drove home hoping that my CD finds me soon ... I know she's out there ...

John

[Paul D.]

Warren,

At the Wilderness summer camp for teenagers where I work, I frequently read, and hear, that quote during times of reflection. So I like to think that others are of the same mind, younger others, of course.

All the best,
Paul

[Bill Chapple]

Warren,
Remember Yeats -
"An aged man is but a paltry thing,
a tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing,
For every tatter in its mortal dress..."

[Joe CD MS 300]

Do not go gentle into that good night." Dylan Thomas

Hit the gym in the off season to keep the strength up during the sailing season. Sailing may be work at times but in general it is not the type of work that builds strength or aerobic capacity.

[Tom Tucker]

Warren,

I am within a few months of moving into my 70th year and have owned my CD Typhoon for three years. The boat is keeping me young, not making me old.

For those who think they would like to sail buy a boat and sail it. Don't let your dream die while you look for the perfect boat. Find a local sailing group and offer to crew. Movable ballast is always in demand. You will quickly start to get a feel for the type of boat that fits best in your area, your interests and your pocket book.

I would recommend starting small rather then large. I think something like the CD Typhoon is a good place to start. I often say the Typhoon is a good first boat for a teenager and a good last boat for a senior senior citizen. For those in between you can always go larger later or sell the boat if you decide sailing is not your thing, but would like to try hang gliding.

Warren, I agree with you physical limitations will have an impact. I would probably like a little larger boat so I could be a little more comfortable down below BUT considering my age, my bad knees, my excess weight and my energy level the typhoon is about right for me. I really enjoy sailing alone so being able to sail the boat single handed is important to me. I am not sure what you meant by "best sailing". For me, at this point in my life, if I look forward to going, enjoy it while I am sailing, feel good when I get back and want to go again soon that is a pretty good sail.

Thanks for a great post Warren it obviously got me to thinking.

Tom

[Parfait's Provider]

Just caught this thread an hour before we head to FL to look at a classic motorhome. I think I will print the thread and take it along. We will sail and drive for a few years, but I can see higher average speeds in my future.

[nikon4004]

Thank you for the quote.

I just e-mailed it to my wife who thinks that 52 is TOO old to start thinking about sailing.


Steve
Boatless in Ohio,,,,,,,,,,,,, but not for long!!!!

[NANP]

Well, at 47 I guess I'm the spring chicken in this thread, but . . . inspired nonetheless. So new to sailing here that all I have so far is the fever . . . but I reckon it's never too late, at that.

There's a lovely line in Tennyson's "Odysseus" that I've always liked, although I don't have it perfectly committed to memory . . . Odysseus, home, king, aging, is setting out on one last voyage with his men, and reflecting on the adventures they survived in their youths, says something like "we may not be of such strength as once we were / But what we are, we are / One equal temper of heroic hearts . . . "

There's an equally inspiring moment in "Beowulf" and this one I have even LESS committed to memory . . . basically, again, he's home, king, and aging when a dragon erupts from its hoard to terrorize the countryside . . . Beowulf says that when he was young he took dares, performed great feats, sought wordfame, slew Grendel and all that, but now he's old. Even so, he says---Texas paraphrase here, lol---he's still gonna cowboy up and go kick that dragon's ass.

~Terence

[DanaVin]

Well, I started sailing in '89 after getting hooked on it through a friends Lancer 28' that we took to Catalina island. After that, I went through the 19 week USCGA saiing and seamanship course with several additional and refresher courses after that. After years of spotty renting 30's and 35's, I finally said "Let's do it" and bought a '77 CD25. 20 months later she was "almost" finished (sailboats never really get finished). So, after two heart attacks, a heart operation, a stroke and now facing 64 in a month or so, we've decided to sell all and move to the coast near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I love Mexico and since my wife is from there, she has a lot of family in the Jalisco state. Last year for my 63rd birthday, I bought a new Silverado cruiser motorcycle. First one in my life. I love it almost as much as sailing.
We are now planning an extensive trip around the country with our travel trailer and then we start building our new home in Mexico.
As far as GE is concerned, right now we'll probably keep her although I am looking at a 31' in Mexico.. Time will tell which way we'll go with that. In the meantime, I'm trying to get in as much golf as I can (I was once asked what my handicap was and I replied every club in the bag!). Seriously, I usually shoot in the 70's. If it gets any hotter I stay in the clubhouse.
Bottom line..... you're never too old to start anything. Life is way too short anyway and for many years I was stuck in that "maybe next year" rut, also.
Go for it now while you still have a breath to take. Everything is a compromise so go small, go inexpensively but go now!
Thanks
Dana
"Gladys Erzella"
1977 CD25
http://svGladysErzella.photosite.com

[Warren Kaplan]

Wonderful inspiring responses. Perhaps I used a poor succession of words when saying my best sailing days are drawing short.

I suppose the word "short" is a relative word and compared to the number of great sailing days I would have left if I were in my 20s the number I have left, now that I'm in my 60s, are relatively a short list.

I'm trying to make the time to really go for it the way I have always wanted to. I am in the best shape I've been in that I can remember since I was in my 30s. I have a gym in my house and I work at it religiously. A minor surgery has forced me off the schedule for about a month, but I should be getting right back into it by next week.

The battle, as with most of us, is in my head. I am strongly leaning to making some changes in my life to effect much more time to accomplish all the stuff I've never had the time to do. Waiting until next year is just not gonna cut it anymore.

And since we are talking quotes, I don't ever want to find myself thinking, when I've physically deteriorated significantly, or when on my deathbed, never having done all that I set out to do because something always got in the way;

For all sad words of tongue or pen
The saddest are these, it might have been.

John Greenleaf Whittier

[David van den Burgh]

Perhaps I'm out of my league here - at 30 years of age - but I thought I'd share a quote that I plan on taking with me into my autumn years. It is excerpted from Emerson's Terminus.

As the bird trims her to the gale,
I trim myself to the storm of time;
I man the rudder, reef the sail,
obey the voice at eve obeyed at prime:
'Lowly faithful, banish fear,
right onward drive unharmed.
The port, well worth the cruise, is near,
and every wave is charmed'.

[Warren Kaplan]

Dave (the younger)

I do remember the poem, though its been a while. The verse you quoted was the last one wasn't it?

Ah yes...Time and tide wait for no man.