Survey: what modifications are needed for the aging sailor

[sailor1924]

Originally Posted by zeehag

you chose the correct rig for soloing and efficiency. ye aint racing, but you will be able to go fast with only mizzen and jib, which should satisfy any speed needs within the brain...make sure you have rowboat and a kayak for paddling and row muscles which are winch and windlass muscles. who said electric windlasses work, anyway hahaha
once ye get to sea, your age decreases considerably.
donot sweat the small stuff. you will do fine.
most of us out here cruising are actually old folks.
as for boarding ladders, my favorite of all time, which was disintigrated by a hurricane, was mahogany and bronze with WIDE steps. used it for boarding from all attitudes and loading my garafones of water for drinking and other bulky items. if you plan well and the steps are well into water, you can load self from swimming or kayak. safety line and you are good to go .

Back in the day, I enjoyed many solo voyages under the jib and jigger. On my old boat (also a ketch) I had a boarding ladder like your old one, I too liked it. However it needed to be stored on deck when not in use and it needed to be varnished. One of the reasons I built this stainless one is that I wanted it to store in the gangway so that it could be possible to deploy at a moments notice, and, from the water if needed ,and, I got over the joys of varnishing a long time ago.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by sailor1924

Back in the day, I enjoyed many solo voyages under the jib and jigger. On my old boat (also a ketch) I had a boarding ladder like your old one, I too liked it. However it needed to be stored on deck when not in use and it needed to be varnished. One of the reasons I built this stainless one is that I wanted it to store in the gangway so that it could be possible to deploy at a moments notice, and, from the water if needed ,and, I got over the joys of varnishing a long time ago.

i used no varnish on my ladder--i found it less slickery for my wet slidey feets without slickerinessmaker added-- mine was natural.. kept brown by salt water and frequent use. i used to commute to shore and back in a kayak using the rowboat only for heavy item runs and cat rescue. long story.

[sailor1924]

Originally Posted by Fast Tack

You have some good ideas ! Can you give me the specifics on your 12 v going up the mast raiser. How it works and the name brand of the equipment.

Thank you

I bought a 12v 2500# atv winch from harbor freight, that has a 50' wire length, and a remote control fob. I replaced the remote with one I found on ebay that has a greater range, sorry I don't remember the brand.
In use: I run the wire out and haul the bitter end up to the top of the mainmast with a halyard, I tie a bosun's chair to the low end of the halyard and a second halyard as a safety line and haul myself up with the winch remote. I lower reversing the winch with the remote.
2500 lb. ATV/Utility Electric Winch with Wireless Remote Control

Use at your own risk.

[zeehag]

i forgot --i am saving for self tailing headsail sheet winches--i finally accepted the fact they could be more than merely bling but a safety feature.

\

[sailor1924]

Originally Posted by rickdamico

I'm 73 years old and I just traded in my Beneteau 32 for a 38.

I don't want to sound disrespectful, but the first thing that came to mind when I read this string is: has anyone considered exercise? Come on now, being in the 70's is the new 40's. Take care of your body and you wont need to go crazy with senior citizen modifications.

That gym at the marina is there for you not just the young guys, and by the way, how many young guys do you see hanging around the marina anyway?

I wish the 70's is the new 40's, there's something about accumulated experience that includes accumulated injuries. And you're absolutely right about there being no young guys around the marina these days. when I was thirty something there were lots of my age around, now the same thing is true.
Last month I watched a man haul himself from his wheel chair on the dock to another wheel chair on board his cabin cruiser with a modified power davit. I was in awe of his dedication to being on his boat.

[jamesdavis]

I am 68 and just bought a Catalina 30. Its an inspiration to learn others in my age group still enjoy sailing albeit, some with modifications. My thinking was that sailing is such an active sport that I would stay in fine shape considering all the exercising sailing entails.

A good friend and I will be sailing the "new" boat from Cape Cod to Saco Bay, Maine on May 10th with a favorable wx window. Any advice from those who have made this cruise is certainly most welcome.

Thanks, Jim

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by sailor1924

I am turning 70 in two months and suffered from a surgery and recovery last year that seriously limited my mobility for a while. Even before that I've spent the last two summers working on making my boat easier for me to handle as I age further in hope of extending my sailing life into the next decade. I'd like to hear what project and ideas others have done to ease the burdens of bad knees and aching back. Photos and drawings please, if you've got them.

So I'll start of with the list I've undertaken:

1. 3' high solid rails
2. Lazy jacks for main and mizzen
3. Electric anchor windlass with chain rode and big Mantus anchor
4. 12 volt hoist with remote control to hoist me up the mast
5. wide sturdy swim/boarding ladder that folds down from the deck
6. Mast pulpit
7. Additional boarding access step at davits

Lots of grab bars on companionways and ladders. It's a bitch when they go bad. I hope your back is not cervical.

[sailor1924]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

I’m 73 and bought my Down East 45 six years ago. Since then everything I’ve added or modified has been towards ease of handling and comfort.
Here are some:

Roller furling on all four sails, including a roller furling square sail on the foremast.
All sail control lines return to the cockpit.
A powerful Maxwell windlass with a remote control, to handle 250 foot of chain and a 65 lbs anchor.
Self stowing anchor chain.
Mast steps up both masts, supplemented by a deluxe bosun’s chain and hoisting by the windlass.
An electric dinghy hoist on the davits raises our heavy RIB in 20 seconds.
A crane for handling the outboard motor.
A full size bathtub in the master bathroom, fitted with a heater and Jacuzzi jets.
Two 16,000 Btu AC units, which run off a 6.5Kw generator when required.
A winchrite electric winch winder, which I found to be better than a Milwaukee drill conversion.
Twin air mattresses in the master double - a million times better than any foam.

What I haven’t yet got is:
A bow thruster and a watermaker.

You can read about any of these things on my website or articles which have appeared in Good Old Boat and Cruising World magazines.

Well I'm certainly jealous of your budget and of course that bathtub.

I've looked at your site in the past with great interest. I have a Wright Britton rig for downwind sailing so have not needed to create a brigantine rig like yours. On my last ketch I had twin poles forward and twin forestays that were a great downwind rig though lots of string to play with and it could be a bit rolly.

[jas]

Hi Sailor1924: Excellent posting with pictures and much information. We're 73 and just about to set out on a refitted 44' Wellington Cutter rigged sailboat. Transom is out for boarding so would love to know where you sourced your side boarding ladder? Also, am planning on the Milwaukee solution for winch grinding with everything coming to the cockpit except halyards on the mast. Here's two pics after priming the hull last week. Thanks again.

[sailor1924]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Lots of grab bars on companionways and ladders. It's a bitch when they go bad. I hope your back is not cervical.

Yes on grab bars. I forgot to list that I installed railings at 3' high inboard at the cabin roof matching the outboard rail so that I can have a hand hold from the cockpit to the mainmast for either hand. I've attached a photo not the greatest but if you open it and zoom it you can see the inner rail just below the solar panels and the rail at the mast pulpit.
The back is mostly lumbar and the rails can provide some relief and supplement my balance.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by rickdamico

I'm 73 years old and I just traded in my Beneteau 32 for a 38.

I don't want to sound disrespectful, but the first thing that came to mind when I read this string is: has anyone considered exercise? Come on now, being in the 70's is the new 40's. Take care of your body and you wont need to go crazy with senior citizen modifications.

That gym at the marina is there for you not just the young guys, and by the way, how many young guys do you see hanging around the marina anyway?

No disrespect from me, either, in fact lots of admiration for all the ingenious mods. But, Rick, you took the words right out of my mouth! Amen

[sailor1924]

Originally Posted by jas

Hi Sailor1924: Excellent posting with pictures and much information. We're 73 and just about to set out on a refitted 44' Wellington Cutter rigged sailboat. Transom is out for boarding so would love to know where you sourced your side boarding ladder? Also, am planning on the Milwaukee solution for winch grinding with everything coming to the cockpit except halyards on the mast. Here's two pics after priming the hull last week. Thanks again.

I think I answered that in post #14. If you want further please post again. And good luck.

[sailor1924]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i forgot --i am saving for self tailing headsail sheet winches--i finally accepted the fact they could be more than merely bling but a safety feature.

\

Yes to self tailers especially when solo. I've used those rubber addons in the past and they work to some degree but the real things are great.

[sailor1924]

Originally Posted by Elie

When I bought my 47 ft sailboat it was equiped with an inmast furling sail. I was thinking of replacing it by a regular main sail since my mast had also the right groove for a regular sail. Bu after my first crossing(From Montreal to the Virgin Islands, I apreciated so much my in mast furler that I scratched the idea of a new mainsail.
As I get older, I apreciate even more the simplicity and the efficiency of in mas furler: No problem, easy infinite reefing, no work on deck at night during a blow...
To go up the mast, I simply rigged blocks from mast base to my Lofran electric winlass(on the rope capstan)... Fast, powerfull, and no need of brute force...

I'm curious if you're able to use the Lofrans solo or if a second hand is needed?
On my last boat we would use the windlass but I was never able to use it when alone. Can give some more description of your method?
thanks.

[toddster8]

I know I'm only a kid at 55, but has anyone considered over-sizing their winches instead of adding power? Or going to two-speed winches if you have single-sped? My boat came to me with large winches and I almost never even reach for the winch handle. I think the only time I've used the low-speed option was kedging off a sandbar!