Boating with osteoporosis

[buddybear]

Recently I fractured the L2 in my back a compression fracture. It was determined that I have osteoporosis. I am a 68-year-old male and was just doing some minor lifting. No surgery wearing a brace. In 6 weeks the bone should heal. I love boating and spend as much as 3 months in the Bahamas each year. My question is does anyone else have this condition. I am concerned about pulling up the anchor and doing other things which require strength. Bahamas is not a great place to get hurt.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Roland5048]

Welcome to the club, Mark. I feel your pain. I. too, have some major lumbar issues severe enough that the doc wanted to operate. That IS how they make a living of course. No way that was gonna happen. I manage to control this by not bending at the waist to lift and use my legs to lift or make use of mechanical leverage as much as possible. I raise the anchor by sitting and bracing my feet against the stanchions and pulling. Also, keeping my weight down helps considerably. I am seventy-two and now weigh what I did thirty years ago when I was much more fit. If nothing else works, we always have . Good luck and fair winds.

 

[dlochner]

As my wife and I got older we looked for more mechanical advantages to manage the boat. We added several items to make sailing less physically demanding, a Tides Marine track for the mainsail and an eWincher to handle some of hardworking raising sails and using the winches. A folding wheel makes it easier to get around the cockpit at the dock and at anchor, especially accessing barbecue on the pushpit. New foam for the V-berth and a memory foam topper makes the bed more comfortable and supportive. And don't forget the head, the small marine bowl on the toilet was swapped out for a standard sized bowl. I'll be 72 in a few weeks. Our plan this summer is sail out the St. Lawrence River and then south.

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[buddybear]

Welcome to the club, Mark. I feel your pain. I. too, have some major lumbar issues severe enough that the doc wanted to operate. That IS how they make a living of course. No way that was gonna happen. I manage to control this by not bending at the waist to lift and use my legs to lift or make use of mechanical leverage as much as possible. I raise the anchor by sitting and bracing my feet against the stanchions and pulling. Also, keeping my weight down helps considerably. I am seventy-two and now weigh what I did thirty years ago when I was much more fit. If nothing else works, we always have . Good luck and fair winds.

Thanks for the reply. I'll know more in 6 weeks. Will be drinking more wine.

 

[David in Sandusky]

About this time, I would be installing an electric anchor windlass.

 

[buddybear]

Thanks for the reply. I'll know more in 6 weeks. Will be drinking more wine.

Did you actually fracture something in your back?