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[JPA Cate]

A PS to my post #15.

The PS is because, while I fervently believe it has to to be the OP and his wife's choices, I also believe it is worthy to heed the advice of a seaman/health care professional, because he knows the surprises the ocean can deliver, and he also knows the care of stroke patients.

To disparage either him or me as "naysayers" does neither of us justice, and begins to form a not too flattering picture of the OP. His choice.

Ann

[adamgoldberg]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

A PS to my post #15.

The PS is because, while I fervently believe it has to to be the OP and his wife's choices, I also believe it is worthy to heed the advice of a seaman/health care professional, because he knows the surprises the ocean can deliver, and he also knows the care of stroke patients.

To disparage either him or me as "naysayers" does neither of us justice, and begins to form a not too flattering picture of the OP. His choice.

Ann

Ann, the disparagement is due to your (and others') assumptions that I haven't done the things you suggest I should do.

It was a simple question, that had one answer (which is fine) ... untill I posted elsewhere about 2/3 winches at the helm. Then a number of IMO unhelpful comments came, all assuming things. As if I had never sailed before and popped up and said "my wife is disabled and can't stand, but I want to sail (and she doesn't), so how can I do that". Which is not what I asked, nor the situation.

[JPA Cate]

Okay, Adam,

It is not assumption, it is a legitimate concern. What you haven't informed us of, are factors we use in lending our experience and knowledge. It is that we want to give good quality advice. Free advice varies in its overall value.

Are you familiar with the "passarelle" concept? Googling them will show you many. You will want one that your wife can manage walking with her stick. A long one, because it will have to reach a long way. That will get her on and off the boat.

Help may be needed descending into the hulls. You might be able to fit one of those staircase elevators, and add a seat belt if the motion is twitchy.

Ann

[adamgoldberg]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Are you familiar with the "passarelle" concept? Googling them will show you many. You will want one that your wife can manage walking with her stick. A long one, because it will have to reach a long way. That will get her on and off the boat.

Perhaps you've over-read "relative newbie", lol.

We're going to have a CF passarelle, much wider than typical, with hard handrails on both sides. CF to make it light enough for me to manhandle. It'll be set up to work for aft, starboard & port. Starboard and port will have opening doors for side-to docking. Furthermore, the aft of the cockpit will have an opening door set up to enable level access from the cockpit into the dinghy.

-edit- Also, we will have a mechanism for lifting her out of the water with a davit, in case of MOB.

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Help may be needed descending into the hulls. You might be able to fit one of those staircase elevators, and add a seat belt if the motion is twitchy.

The only anticipated help is to have additional handholds. After the build has advanced to a stage we can mock something up, we may adjust the rise/run of the stairs. She can navigate stairs, albeit slowly.

[Fore and Aft]

Adam I am not sure how many stroke victims you have observed on boats so I will tell you a yarn about a very good family friend of ours who had a stroke last year.
He has a lame arm and a so so leg, but not bad enough that he can't drive a car. He's owned a variety of boats from a ferro slug to performance race yachts and has covered countless miles on the water. Now when he visits his yacht (it's on the market) he is to put it bluntly a liability. Sure, he can shuffle on and off the boat and hang out in the cockpit. But thankfully he is smart enough to know that sailing has finished for him, and an RV beckons. Low tide in the marina is the worst as the steepness of the walkway ramp means it's a fair challenge to get up or down and someone has to open the gate for him. Just observing him in the cockpit you can see an unexpected boat movement could easily cause a serious injury. The other night he spent onboard and he had a slight episode and his biggest concern was how would the paramedics get him of the yacht.
I am not being negative; this is just what I am observing right now with a good friend who 18 months ago was a competent sailor.
Cheers

[adamgoldberg]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

I am not sure how many stroke victims you have observed ...

What I have observed is that every stroke patient is different.

-> We believe we've got this <-

If you have specific suggestions (e.g., Ann re passarelle), please make them. If you have generic cautions ("stroke means stay away from all boats for all time for any reason"), please hold your tongue.

[Fore and Aft]

AdamGoldberg you're right every stroke victim is different. John from the Caro Babbo blog I follow had a stroke and is still sailing. Maybe at a slower pace but he is still out there enjoying the water.
Cheers
One, Two, Three Strokes, you’re out at the ol’ ball game. – Caro Babbo

[PineyWoodsPete]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

AdamGoldberg you're right every stroke victim is different. John from the Caro Babbo blog I follow had a stroke and is still sailing. Maybe at a slower pace but he is still out there enjoying the water.
Cheers
One, Two, Three Strokes, you’re out at the ol’ ball game. – Caro Babbo

In reading his blog above from April '23 he was very lucky to have had the most reversible of the three most common causes of stroke - a cerebral embolus (traveling clot) due to atrial fibrillation of the heart, lodging in the arterial supply of the left cerebral cortex and causing complete R-side paralysis, obtundation/confusion and inability to speak (aphasia).

Fortunately he was in Port Townsend, WA and was given a powerful "clot-buster" IV anticoagulant in the ER within the 4-5 hour window of recoverability, and had a rapid, pretty much total recovery. I assume he's on an oral anticoag. now and will have had his atrial fib. reverted to normal "sinus" rhythm.

The most common cause of stroke is atherosclerotic occlusion of a cerebral artery - by either complete blockage due to the process in the inner wall of the artery, or an embolism from a fragment of the fatty-fibrotic plaque due to hemmorhage within it.

The most devastating and most fatal strokes are from intra-cerebral hemmorhages from ruptured smaller arteries within the brain tissues, creating an expanding mass compressing and destroying surrounding tissues, usually in the setting of uncontrolled or untreated HBP, or a clotting disorder from poorly-monitored oral anticoagulation, and rarely, conditions such as hemophilia.

Ol' Doc Pete