Hope for the elderly

[Roger Long]

Having started getting serious about cruising rather late in life, an age when many are giving up sail and turning to power (or maybe shuffleboard), I naturally fret a bit about getting old. I'd like to be cruising for a long time.

This sure warms my heart. The fellow is 18 years older than I am and he sailed from Block Island to San Fransisco last summer the hard way, going north of Canada! Finished up by doing the final leg from Alaska alone.

http://www.yachtfiona.com/northwestpassage2009/newsletter1.html

There's hope for us old guys yet.

His home page:

http://www.yachtfiona.com/

 

[Patrick17430]

I see it one way. Your either alive or your dead. Ted Kennedy sailed right up to the end. Go for it ! Its way better than the other option of not. You can sit in your cockpit or lay in your death bed.

 

[Ross]

The magnetic compass is almost useless at 70 north and I don't know about high latitude sight reduction for celestial, is the gps reliable at the high latitudes?

 

[Stu Jackson]

I see it one way. Your either alive or your dead. Ted Kennedy sailed right up to the end. Go for it ! Its way better than the other option of not. You can sit in your cockpit or lay in your death bed.

I see it both ways.

Either you're it, or it's your last stand.

Anyway, I'm glad you're not into being your spelling police.

Don Guillette knows what I mean...

 

[tommays]

Uncle Joe is 91 still going well and trims main on races but hit the wall a bit at 90 and had to slow down some

Its is pretty much lucky gene club as to how far you going

 

[BobM]

I'm relying on Roger to figure it out

I figure with Roger's background and all the stuff available for the handicapped already it can't be too hard to come up with some gear to take the bull work out sailing without sending me to the poor house.

How about some electric winches that capture the line so I can just push a button? Same for the anchor windlass please!

Kennedy had a few million bucks to spend on crew. Perhaps we need a program to introduce the young to the experienced so that both will benefit.

 

[Roger Long]

Its is pretty much lucky gene club as to how far you going

Keeping going is important too. It gets a little harder every year to get physically adjusted to the sailing life in the spring and I know that a key part of my long term plans is to transition into full time cruising as soon as my youngest son graduates from high school in 18 months.

 

[marthaj]

a school boy at eighty

A year and half ago i rented little sailboats at the beach. My father and his high school sweetheart flew across the marina leaving me still trying to fill my sails with wind. This Thanksgiving my father 80 and his wife 80 (along with me the deck hand) took the maiden voyage in Namaste a 1974 V25 Mac. I think the sailing bug never leaves. He has plans to start a Sea Scout troup and do a little coastal sailing off the Gulf. He cant scamble the decks like when he was sailing at the Citadel, but he sure can tell me what to do.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Roger has a son in high school? I have a granddaughter in college! And am no where close to the age of one of our yacht club members. He strolled right up to the podium at the sailor's banquet to get his trophy. He is still winning races in the racer/cruiser division. Dick is 94, that's ninety-four!

 

[Roger Long]

Roger has a son in high school?

I was a late starter

 

[Benny]

I think BobM hit the nail in the head. The secret is not in high tech devices but the interaction between youth and experience. Let the young people provide the muscle and let the old pass down their experience. The "fountain of youth" is none other than but keeping company with the young.