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Old 06-17-2007, 09:31 PM   #1
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Hello,

By the mid 80’s I had sailed a bit and got the bug and bought an 18’ Westerly that was a wonderful little boat. Once I sailed it for a week (cruising I thought) the Tampa Bay area down to Sarasota and back with a friend. I took a sailing course on a 41 Morgan. I sailed a 32 Cheoy Lee in exchange for maintenance. I did crew work on a 95’ “yacht”. Just a little here and there over the years.

I wanted to cruise. I read many books and magazines and a lot of Dutton’s, Slocum, “Heavy Weather Sailing” etc. I never pursued it. Couldn’t afford it.

I said “I DO” and most of the sailing/cruising dreams started to fade away over time with the “American Dream”…….house, kids, school, sports, Boy Scouts, work, on-call, etc etc being the replacement.

My last child is almost 18 and will start his senior year in high school this August and I now have the cruising “fever” again. It is really bad. OMG is it bad!

I have been lurking the internet for a while and have done what I did in the 80s. I pretty much know which (I think) boat I want. I also think I know much of the outfitting I want too. In the 80s it was a Lock Crowther (sp?) 41 cat. He was 6’4’ too and made the berths to match. I wanted that………oh yea! I even visited one being built not far from me one weekend!! OOHHHHHH!!!!! At least I know I want a cat. Now, exactly which one………Hmm…

I have found I cannot ask because it is such a personal choice. All are the best. None are really that good. So I will be at the next Miami show and look at them all side by side.

I have read most boards and many, many threads recently and am relearning that it is much like having children. One can never afford them, yet one does. With children it is a natural sense of necessity. With a boat for cruising it is a sense of need. Some say a want but I know the vast difference between needs and wants. I do not know exactly how I will do it but I may actually try this time. I feel I need to. Not exactly sure what I need to prove but I feel the need (a raging fever), again.

I have read with particular interest the threads on cost………..that is not true. I have read almost all of them with particular interest. There is still no answer for all the questions. Particularly on cost – recently insurance, both healthcare and boat, have gone up “a bit” – what to do – Medicaid??? Which wind generator? The one that uses very common diodes? Which solar panels. Which controller. AUGHH!!!!!

I even read the one (somewhere recently) where there is a great jumping off point (for the Pacific) in Mexico I think and that the hard is full of lots of boats for sale because “they or she decided it was not for them.”

So here I am, late in life for a beginning cruiser with bad knees, a moderately tender back and a fear that I will die before doing one of the few things I always wanted to do in life before I die. Cruise the Caribbean and beyond.
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Old 06-17-2007, 09:59 PM   #2
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Hi Therapy, welcome aboard. I don't think anything of note was every done without the dream first being refined. Gallop forward, make your choice and go cruising. It's only money!

Best of luck to you and please keep us informed of your progress.

David
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Old 06-18-2007, 03:01 AM   #3
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Welcome, sounds a bit like me. All of those far destinations sounds great but are not that much different than the Bahamas or East USA waterways (well, maybe a lot different). All you need to go day sail cruising (harbor to harbor) is a bunk, small galley and a head. Someone with bad knees and tender back should get a shorter, lighter boat. There is a lot of boats in that class. A lot cheeper and easier than the big boats. It can be well set up to make it easier. No need to get real complex with all the stuff, If you need something, just stop and use the phone.

Go down to Marathon, Fl for a long weekend and talk to the cruisers. I have taken my MacGregor 26M there and was told that it was the "perfect boat for cruising Fl and the Bahamas". Fully loaded is less than 5000 pounds.
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Old 06-18-2007, 04:53 AM   #4
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Hi All,

Lynx's post presents an interesting conundrum. Would a 50+ couple with crook knees, stiffness and some back problems be better served on a small yacht, or a larger yacht. The gear on a small boat would be easier to handle, but the sharpness of movement afloat may counter that benefit and the accommodation comes with the usual attendant problems of compact size.

Conversely, on a bigger boat, the motion is slower, the gear is heavier, the accommodation more suitable to people who are starting to get the little aches and pains. At 56, I would hate to go back to a 20 something footer, but I am used to shorthanded sailing on a 55' boat. At 66, maybe I would opt for a day sailer providing I had a comfortable lakeside apartment as a base.

I guess there is no definitive answer, but it would be interesting to hear from some of the older sailors out there with their opinions on size, number of hulls and the use (or not) of technology to assist with heavy jobs.

Cheers

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Old 06-18-2007, 06:07 AM   #5
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@Therapy



Welcome aboard. Great introduction.

I know you will learn as much from this friendly community here as I do.

Good luck with your plans.
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Old 06-18-2007, 08:13 PM   #6
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Quote:
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Hi All,

Lynx's post presents an interesting conundrum. Would a 50+ couple with crook knees, stiffness and some back problems be better served on a small yacht, or a larger yacht.
Auzzee's question is an interesting one, to which there is no right or wrong answer.

I usually find myself agreeing with Auzzee but in this instance our opinions differ. Certainly, a 55 footer is a more comfortable boat and, given the right systems, it can be realtively easily handled. On the other hand, what do our elderly crew do when systems start to fail? I strongly advocate the KISS (Keep It Simple) principal which either means a smaller boat or a larger crew.

Then there are the other advantages of a smaller boat such as lower initial cost, lower maintenance bills, less work, etc.

In the end, what it boils down to, is what YOU believe to be the best solution to your requirements.

Aye

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Old 06-19-2007, 02:11 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Lynx View Post
Welcome, sounds a bit like me. All of those far destinations sounds great but are not that much different than the Bahamas or East USA waterways (well, maybe a lot different). All you need to go day sail cruising (harbor to harbor) is a bunk, small galley and a head. Someone with bad knees and tender back should get a shorter, lighter boat. There is a lot of boats in that class. A lot cheaper and easier than the big boats. It can be well set up to make it easier. No need to get real complex with all the stuff, If you need something, just stop and use the phone.

Go down to Marathon, Fl for a long weekend and talk to the cruisers. I have taken my MacGregor 26M there and was told that it was the "perfect boat for cruising Fl and the Bahamas". Fully loaded is less than 5000 pounds.
This I know and have always admired the MacGregor.

I have a friend that bought an 80s 30' Catalina that needs a lot of work but it also drafts 5+ feet. Terrible for Florida.

My little Westerly drew about 8-10" with the swing keel. I took a lot of short cuts across flats and bars in that boat (running of course). Really makes you grin to save 4miles in a boat that only gets 4-5 kts usually.

That brings me to speed. The 26 MG is not all that fast.

I know, cruising is about the trip......and all that.......but I am one of those sailors that will trim a sail just a touch to see if I can get another quarter knot........sorry. That's me.

I sailed that 30 Catalina for 4 days and at the end my knees were so swollen and hurting I was taking meds.

I hate that.

I really think it was the companionway climbing and bracing while heeling that caused the most pain/swelling.

I work on my feet and have for 25+ years, rarely sitting during the day. Upright I am fine. Getting up and down is what hurts and climbing stairs is awful.

So I am thinking.........................a cat of course.
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Old 06-19-2007, 06:12 AM   #8
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Good luck with your search. There is not to many boats without some sort of ladder in them if only to get to the bunk. However, the cats do not heel.
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Old 06-19-2007, 12:15 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nausikaa View Post
In the end, what it boils down to, is what YOU believe to be the best solution to your requirements.

Aye

Stephen
Yep. Its funny how people with the same physical considerations (age, health, etc) will comfortably pick entirely different boats. The usual pushes come from what kind of boat we've been dreaming about buying AND from our pocketbooks. Its interesting to hear people go on and on and on...and ON!!! about "why" they purchased a particular boat. Usually they'll catalog all the things it has onboard OR they'll talk about its "simplicity" etc...when in reality, the budget was driving the purchase OR the boat really did fit the "dream" that some potential cruiser has been carrying around for the past 15 years or so.

We all have our dreams and we all have our budgets...as well as our physical limitations. Finding the right boat isn't easy

Good luck.
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Old 06-26-2007, 03:37 AM   #10
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Therapy,



It sounds like you have a renewed fever that two hulls could cure.

You have some knowledge and experience going for you, and made a decision of what you want to do. Now you are facing the "trade-off" decisions. Choices I think each sailor and especially cruisers are faced with. This hull or that hull, this keel or that keel or something in between. At least you know what many choices there are. Going to boat shows sounds like a good idea in helping sort that out, as does visiting the marinas and talking to others. Test sail those vessels you think you are most interested in.

Concerning the knees and the back, perhaps you already have, but see a Dr., or a second one, perhaps there is help, and hope.

Live your dreams, make them happen.

I look forward to seeing you on the board.

Best Wishes,

Jeff
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Old 07-01-2007, 10:18 PM   #11
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Hi,

I have not given up completely. I have sailed a bit, crewed on foreign seas some , owned several power and sailboats and a seaplane. I can't get the water out of my life. I sold my MacGreggor 26X last year (after sailing her to Desolation Sound, BC; and the Bahamas single handed (meaning ALONE) during the past five years. I turn 60 this month and decided to call it a day. However, I paid my back dues at the yacht club and bought a used Walker Bay dinghy (just for excercise) a couple of months ago. NOW I am busy outfitting her "Suzy Q" for cruising. I lost my confidence but figured I have been rowing since I was four, I can probably row another summer. After all, I still ride my bike alot. Now, I am considering getting a 2 to 5HP outboard for those serious occassions here in Howe Sound (15' tides) and the Straight of Georgia.

Now I am considering getting a motor home so I can move by dinghy south come fall.

When it is in your blood, it's hard (impossible) to quit. I don't have any particular physical problems, I am just not so sharp anymore. Keeping the systems simple helps. I also notice that I am more agile. I hope you fulfill your need to be on the water.

Suzy Q
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Old 07-02-2007, 12:33 AM   #12
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Hi Suzy Q,

I have tried to deliberately rule boats out of my life three times in the past...each time, I eventually came back with a bigger, better boat. There is nothing quite so welcoming as giving in to temptation. Enjoy your marine retirement.

David.
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Old 07-02-2007, 01:30 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redbopeep' post='8675' date='Jun 19 2007, 02:15 PM'
Yep. Its funny how people with the same physical considerations (age, health, etc) will comfortably pick entirely different boats. The usual pushes come from what kind of boat we've been dreaming about buying AND from our pocketbooks. Its interesting to hear people go on and on and on...and ON!!! about "why" they purchased a particular boat. Usually they'll catalog all the things it has onboard OR they'll talk about its "simplicity" etc...when in reality, the budget was driving the purchase OR the boat really did fit the "dream" that some potential cruiser has been carrying around for the past 15 years or so. We all have our dreams and we all have our budgets...as well as our physical limitations. Finding the right boat isn't easy Good luck.
Yep.I think I want a Manta, Leapord, or Lagoon.I think the Lagoon will be too slow though.
Quote:
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Therapy, It sounds like you have a renewed fever that two hulls could cure. You have some knowledge and experience going for you, and made a decision of what you want to do. Now you are facing the "trade-off" decisions. Choices I think each sailor and especially cruisers are faced with. This hull or that hull, this keel or that keel or something in between. At least you know what many choices there are. Going to boat shows sounds like a good idea in helping sort that out, as does visiting the marinas and talking to others. Test sail those vessels you think you are most interested in.Concerning the knees and the back, perhaps you already have, but see a Dr., or a second one, perhaps there is help, and hope.Live your dreams, make them happen.I look forward to seeing you on the board.Best Wishes,Jeff
The problem with the knees is real. I spent many years helping in the OR with total joint replacement. I know most of it. Important for me because it is not IF, it is WHEN. Very hard to time when they will wear out and/or when I will die.
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Old 07-02-2007, 01:36 AM   #14
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Yep.I think I want a Manta, Leapord, or Lagoon.I think the Lagoon will be too slow though.The problem with the knees is real. I spent many years helping in the OR with total joint replacement. I know most of it. Important for me because it is not IF, it is WHEN. Very hard to time when they will wear out and/or when I will die.
I posted a response to Harbor Pilot and do not know where it went.

Can't figure out this site yet.
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Old 07-02-2007, 06:41 AM   #15
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Therapy,

I read the post; it is here, in the correct place, two posts above this one. Scroll up or down; using the slider bar on the right by putting your mouse on it and holding down the left arrow key and dragging it up and down; or use your up and down arrow keys on the key board; or page up and page down keys; 3 differant ways to display the rest of the current page.

In time you will figure out this board, and the various forums, keep clicking on things, you can't break it. If you make a mistake, like posting a topic in the wrong forum, the Moderator Team can correct it, move it to a more suitable forum. We are here to help. If you have questions, just ask. We have one forum dedicated to that: Board Announcements And/Or Questions. You may find those topics helpful.

I read your post and understand it, as well as having a better understanding of the problem with your knees.

Best Wishes,

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Old 07-02-2007, 06:50 AM   #16
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qltea

Welcome Suzy Q.

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Old 07-02-2007, 12:23 PM   #17
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When I went cruising, one of my favorite things to do was to get up just before dawn, fix a great cup of coffee, jump in my dinghy and enjoy the coffee as I explored little inlets and coves. The sea smells just as good. The birds and the lapping waves sound the same. The motion of the boat playing with the water and the feel of the air caressing your cheek are still there. The sense of adventure is still there (especially if you are heading down Howe Sound for the Straight of Geogia).

I know......it's not the same....but it is one step closer to my dream. Enjoy the sea however you can.

Suzy Q
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Old 07-02-2007, 08:57 PM   #18
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Therapy,

In time you will figure out this board, and the various forums, keep clicking on things, you can't break it. If you make a mistake, like posting a topic in the wrong forum, the Moderator Team can correct it, move it to a more suitable forum. We are here to help. If you have questions, just ask. We have one forum dedicated to that: Board Announcements And/Or Questions. You may find those topics helpful.

Best Wishes,

Jeff
Thanks.

What I don't know about now is how both responses ended up on one post.
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Old 07-02-2007, 09:09 PM   #19
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If you post two posts very shortly after each other (in the same thread) the software "thinks" that they should be combined. To keep them seperate you must wait 4 or 5 mins between posts (this in the same thread).
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Old 08-17-2007, 09:18 PM   #20
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I'm just getting around to visiting the Tavern as I wait on a download into i-tunes and so extend a late welcome to the forum. It's a great place to visit and learn.

I'm sympathetic to the issue of backs and knees. My husband jokes that he may have to make the harness for me that he'd planned for my aged auntie! Our multi-level boat is all steps up and down, but there you go. We just shouldn't get old. As long as I do my stretches and get enough walking in, I'm fine. If the back goes out, well, he'll have to strap me in for my watch.

And, if we ever get too old or wounded to handle Sea Venture, we'll downsize again. The thought of never sailing isn't allowed, even if one of us (probably me, the younger one) has to be hoisted on board!
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