At 78 years of age I can certainly relate to the article. I had my first sail on November 22, 1963. I may have had my last sail last year sailing from Cape Canaveral to Daytona Beach as crew on a boat I will never go on again!
I thought about turning to kayaks and just pottering around the lake but the pumper isn't pumping like it should and I tire out very quickly even walking though the grocery store. I don't want to quit but may not have a choice. It may come down to "The hell with it, if it kills me it kills me but I will have been doing something I find great pleasure in"
The quote from Omar Kayyam came immediately to mind: "The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.” So - make the most of every day you have, and you only have today!
The last line is key, "Never put off for tomorrow what you can still do today". I am a small boat sailor. I love my sailing and cruising dinghy. Right before COVID I bought a montgomery 17 to take my aging and disabled father out sailing. Unfortunately, cancer saw to it that the only sailing we did together was to send his ashes out sea.
My father and I had a number of issues that kept us apart, but sailing was something we always agreed on. I just put off buying a boat he could be comfortable on for too long and we never got to have that last sail.
Two weeks ago I took a vacation from the stressful job. Plan A was to tow the boat to northern Michigan and sail out of De Tour Village. The Potagannissing Bay near Drummond Island is my favorite place to sail. With reluctance, we opted for a “staycation” and getting some projects done around the house.
Tuesday of that week I had a heart attack. I’m fine, I’m recovering well, I got to the hospital 20 minutes after the first symptom. But what if we had gone with plan A? What if I was three hours away from the marina, and the marina was an hour away from the hospital in Sault Ste Marie? I’ve been questioning wether I should ever be on a boat again.
The answer, of course, is yes!
I need to spend the rest of my life . . . living.
Just . . . Maybe this season is over for me. Or maybe I’ll haul my 11’ dinghy to the 500 acre lake near my house and tool around there for awhile.
John, wow—so glad to hear you're recovering. Tooling around in a dinghy sounds awfully therapeutic to me. We never know what tomorrow brings. Thanks for sharing.
Vin & Barb...nice folks...I sailed with them up on Huntington Lake (they had a house up there and at least a couple of vintage P14’s)...also sailed with them in Monterey Bay...them a “Pristine P14”...me a P15...being an old OR Nurse...we shared some old “Surgery War Stories” and a few laughs.
Yes I too started in the boatyards on the east coast in the 80s. Remember the old timers then telling me how I would never make it in this new fangled world.
Always signing on as crew or engineer even though I had a masters license and Marine tech experience.
I've been on quite a few ocean going adventures and boat ownerships.
Now as the years have slipped by I'm still the help on my older friends boats.
But sail with younger friends and gladly except help at times.
It's a very strange transition when one hits their mid 60s.
Great article, Josh! So well written and such an important message! My son and I are preparing to take “Escargot” to the Kennebec River in Maine next month for my 70th birthday!
When I read the title of this article, and the first paragraph, I thought, uh-oh, is Josh calling this his sunset and resigning? I kept reading and kept waiting for the shoe to drop..
I was greatly relieved when I reached the end and realized I had read too much into it. Whew!
Glad I misread the article. It was a good story BTW, enjoyed it!
At 78 years of age I can certainly relate to the article. I had my first sail on November 22, 1963. I may have had my last sail last year sailing from Cape Canaveral to Daytona Beach as crew on a boat I will never go on again!
I thought about turning to kayaks and just pottering around the lake but the pumper isn't pumping like it should and I tire out very quickly even walking though the grocery store. I don't want to quit but may not have a choice. It may come down to "The hell with it, if it kills me it kills me but I will have been doing something I find great pleasure in"
The quote from Omar Kayyam came immediately to mind: "The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.” So - make the most of every day you have, and you only have today!
Very nice.
Wonder why I like this?
Ferd
Thank you, Josh, for so many memories and dreams! In my 70s and still a waterman. Your stories and magazine have been wonderful!
The last line is key, "Never put off for tomorrow what you can still do today". I am a small boat sailor. I love my sailing and cruising dinghy. Right before COVID I bought a montgomery 17 to take my aging and disabled father out sailing. Unfortunately, cancer saw to it that the only sailing we did together was to send his ashes out sea.
My father and I had a number of issues that kept us apart, but sailing was something we always agreed on. I just put off buying a boat he could be comfortable on for too long and we never got to have that last sail.
Thanks for sharing that story, Arthur. Sorry for your loss.
I needed to read this Joshua.
Two weeks ago I took a vacation from the stressful job. Plan A was to tow the boat to northern Michigan and sail out of De Tour Village. The Potagannissing Bay near Drummond Island is my favorite place to sail. With reluctance, we opted for a “staycation” and getting some projects done around the house.
Tuesday of that week I had a heart attack. I’m fine, I’m recovering well, I got to the hospital 20 minutes after the first symptom. But what if we had gone with plan A? What if I was three hours away from the marina, and the marina was an hour away from the hospital in Sault Ste Marie? I’ve been questioning wether I should ever be on a boat again.
The answer, of course, is yes!
I need to spend the rest of my life . . . living.
Just . . . Maybe this season is over for me. Or maybe I’ll haul my 11’ dinghy to the 500 acre lake near my house and tool around there for awhile.
John, wow—so glad to hear you're recovering. Tooling around in a dinghy sounds awfully therapeutic to me. We never know what tomorrow brings. Thanks for sharing.
Vin & Barb...nice folks...I sailed with them up on Huntington Lake (they had a house up there and at least a couple of vintage P14’s)...also sailed with them in Monterey Bay...them a “Pristine P14”...me a P15...being an old OR Nurse...we shared some old “Surgery War Stories” and a few laughs.
Agreed, Dan. I loved to get them telling stories. My kind of people.
Yes I too started in the boatyards on the east coast in the 80s. Remember the old timers then telling me how I would never make it in this new fangled world.
Always signing on as crew or engineer even though I had a masters license and Marine tech experience.
I've been on quite a few ocean going adventures and boat ownerships.
Now as the years have slipped by I'm still the help on my older friends boats.
But sail with younger friends and gladly except help at times.
It's a very strange transition when one hits their mid 60s.
Still sailing and boating and will until I drop.
Great article, Josh! So well written and such an important message! My son and I are preparing to take “Escargot” to the Kennebec River in Maine next month for my 70th birthday!
Thanks, Joseph! Send us a recap on your trip.
Will do! Thanks for your interest!!
A lovely piece, thanks
Thanks for the motivation!
When I read the title of this article, and the first paragraph, I thought, uh-oh, is Josh calling this his sunset and resigning? I kept reading and kept waiting for the shoe to drop..
I was greatly relieved when I reached the end and realized I had read too much into it. Whew!
Glad I misread the article. It was a good story BTW, enjoyed it!
Thank you. And please: more stories about sailing into one's 80s.