Interesting article...Just when does an adventurer reach the perfect age to go off and adventure? I married at 21, so I am positive that 21 is not the perfect age to set off on an adventure. Neither is thirty years of age, for that is when I became a parent. Forty through early fifty is not a time to be alone at sea for my parents needed me more than I needed to leave.
It took years of preparing myself to fin contentment to be alone in life and to not depend on others to support my efforts. I left at 59 to single hand a twenty eight foot Morgan Out-Island through the Pacific and back home to Los Angeles. The problem with sailing alone is there is no one to share the event with. Instead I had learned I was really never alone, for God was with me each waypoint of the way. He was there when I imagined I was surrounded by sharks as my ANN MARIE was chased by sixty knot gusts and when I was soaked to the bone on cold nights on the helm during bad weather. He was there when I needed my ten horsepower diesel to run when sea water polluted my diesel fuel. He was there to share the calm after a storm passed over me while I slept on the cabin sole. He is always there with the single sailor because only single handed sailors know they survived when they were not sailing alone. There are too many mistakes made when no one was there to tell the tale to, yet not forgotten to those who traveled alone. Or maybe the tale I told is only told by the lucky ones who traveled alone.
Last week Karen & I, both 82, sailed ten foot four inch Clam Girl the 1st time this year. Floppy winds at 10-15 knots, so began with the double reef that was already in, thinking it would be comfortable to beat south against the current. Tack & tack & tack, barely making it in failing wind as we looked forward to a broad reach return at the top of the tide. Since hurricane Helene oyster islets & mangroves had changed so leeboards crunched unexpectedly & the fully kicked up rudder tried to lift out once! Four knots of vacillating zephyrs said to shake out to full sail.
Old fingers battled the sticky snap hook at the tack, re-hooked it & hoisted the full sail. Oops, of course the clew needed its hook moved. Lowered sail again & Karen fought the snap hook there, too, as we balanced the rolling while ducking below the boom. Full sail gave our best speed of the day, 2.5 knots, sore hands, new bruises, a small cut & aches & pains forgotten.
Twelve foot four inch Octo now inverted on her strongback to glass the outside, will have toggles for tack & clew, & her mizzen should help reefing. Nice, huh?
I have reached the “last category” of psychological well being…..lots of “Ice-cream Seasons” astern!!….I think I enjoy sailing more now (It’s the Journey now…not so much the Destination!)……I am probably a better sailor now (or is it, I hazard far less risky ventures these days?)….I’m still here, though sadly, many of my sailing buddies have Crossed the Bar….In retrospect, I am still entertained by some of my “Misguided Youth”….Better to be Lucky Than Good!!”
Among this group of respondents, I'm a piker at 77, but still making sailing plans. I've been accused of enjoying boat work more than sailing, and that might be true, but the search for joy goes on. Joy is not as easy to find as it used to be, but the slopes provide a good place for it in the winter and the water fills in when the snow melts. My "boys", now aged 40 and 38 used to follow me on "adventures" on the slopes and in our 26 foot sailboat, and now I follow them, but can't keep up. This summer, I hope to introduce my grandchildren, two boys and two girls to the adventure of sailing. I'm sure that all of us, ages 77,10,8,6,and 2 will fit in my SCAMP for the joy of an ice cream run to Boston Harbor.
Yes, I have to admit my sailing is unlikely to become more prolific at this stage. As a consolation every day sees the lift I get from the dream becoming more important than ever! I do still sail, and I try to go places, but the day would be so much less if I couldn't look out and see my little boat patiently waiting!
Just turned 60 and have windsurfed 37,863 kilometres in the last 14 years. My skills improve every year still. I have a designed a new daysailer for myself to start building next year. I'm getting old, but I think the peak is yet to arrive. Sailing is good like that.
I'm 83 and am one, along with my wife, who no longer sails. We do like to get on the water now and then whenever an excursion presents itself. And we still seek out harbors and such often when vacationing, just to be around the water and boats. I also like very much reading about what all of the rest of your adventures/projects are as active sailors/boaters.
There's no doubt my physical peak was many years ago; likely in my 40's since I'd abused my body smoking and drinking earlier.
Self analysis of mental ability is not likely to be unbiased but that peak has surely passed also.
But time and experience have changed my outlook to the point that I no longer worry or think about such matters. At 81 I'm way over the 'peak' and on the downhill slide to oblivion.
But I'm not there yet.
So I'll muddle along enjoying the journey, slower and not quite so far but travelling still. I'm fairly certain that my current camp/cruiser QB will be the last big build but there's plenty to tinker with and optimise before another run at the Texas 200 and another solo wingsailed proa would be fun.
Yep, i have been sailing my absolute, entire life. Boats have drastically changed over the years, due to needs of the age. I am on the down-size side of that peak. My first being an old wooden catboat and I'm ending the series with a fiberglass catboat, with sloops, ketches, yawls, catamarans, and trimarans in between.
Round-the-world single-handers are my heroes, but i've never felt the pull of that dream. But i do love to explore! So i'm down-sized to trailerable so i can explore bodies of water i've not accessed before.....nothing beats the fresh morning air at anchor in a sweet cove after a days sail getting there~
Funny stats. I'm doing very little of what I did at 23, or even at 30. Sailing was completely off my RADAR then. Sociologically, we might be conditioned to think we are supposed to progressively build a life over the years. Education, a career, a family, hobbies. That is considered success and stability. I don't think I'm living right. Perfect. 🤣
At 77 I'm a sailing instructor for a city-run community sailing center and I own three sailboats: 30, 12, 7ft. Eventually, I'll join the geezer RC group that races every week.
Interesting article and some encouraging responses. I feel like a youngster at 74 alongside some of these guys. Bravo to you. I'm sure I've passed most of the aforementioned 'Peaks' but am still enjoying building and sailing and will do so as long as I can use a tool and trim a sail. Spent the last couple days sailing a spirited, skinny hulled little boat (KAZE) and hope I can for years to come.
Interesting article...Just when does an adventurer reach the perfect age to go off and adventure? I married at 21, so I am positive that 21 is not the perfect age to set off on an adventure. Neither is thirty years of age, for that is when I became a parent. Forty through early fifty is not a time to be alone at sea for my parents needed me more than I needed to leave.
It took years of preparing myself to fin contentment to be alone in life and to not depend on others to support my efforts. I left at 59 to single hand a twenty eight foot Morgan Out-Island through the Pacific and back home to Los Angeles. The problem with sailing alone is there is no one to share the event with. Instead I had learned I was really never alone, for God was with me each waypoint of the way. He was there when I imagined I was surrounded by sharks as my ANN MARIE was chased by sixty knot gusts and when I was soaked to the bone on cold nights on the helm during bad weather. He was there when I needed my ten horsepower diesel to run when sea water polluted my diesel fuel. He was there to share the calm after a storm passed over me while I slept on the cabin sole. He is always there with the single sailor because only single handed sailors know they survived when they were not sailing alone. There are too many mistakes made when no one was there to tell the tale to, yet not forgotten to those who traveled alone. Or maybe the tale I told is only told by the lucky ones who traveled alone.
Last week Karen & I, both 82, sailed ten foot four inch Clam Girl the 1st time this year. Floppy winds at 10-15 knots, so began with the double reef that was already in, thinking it would be comfortable to beat south against the current. Tack & tack & tack, barely making it in failing wind as we looked forward to a broad reach return at the top of the tide. Since hurricane Helene oyster islets & mangroves had changed so leeboards crunched unexpectedly & the fully kicked up rudder tried to lift out once! Four knots of vacillating zephyrs said to shake out to full sail.
Old fingers battled the sticky snap hook at the tack, re-hooked it & hoisted the full sail. Oops, of course the clew needed its hook moved. Lowered sail again & Karen fought the snap hook there, too, as we balanced the rolling while ducking below the boom. Full sail gave our best speed of the day, 2.5 knots, sore hands, new bruises, a small cut & aches & pains forgotten.
Twelve foot four inch Octo now inverted on her strongback to glass the outside, will have toggles for tack & clew, & her mizzen should help reefing. Nice, huh?
I have reached the “last category” of psychological well being…..lots of “Ice-cream Seasons” astern!!….I think I enjoy sailing more now (It’s the Journey now…not so much the Destination!)……I am probably a better sailor now (or is it, I hazard far less risky ventures these days?)….I’m still here, though sadly, many of my sailing buddies have Crossed the Bar….In retrospect, I am still entertained by some of my “Misguided Youth”….Better to be Lucky Than Good!!”
Among this group of respondents, I'm a piker at 77, but still making sailing plans. I've been accused of enjoying boat work more than sailing, and that might be true, but the search for joy goes on. Joy is not as easy to find as it used to be, but the slopes provide a good place for it in the winter and the water fills in when the snow melts. My "boys", now aged 40 and 38 used to follow me on "adventures" on the slopes and in our 26 foot sailboat, and now I follow them, but can't keep up. This summer, I hope to introduce my grandchildren, two boys and two girls to the adventure of sailing. I'm sure that all of us, ages 77,10,8,6,and 2 will fit in my SCAMP for the joy of an ice cream run to Boston Harbor.
I am 85 and still sailing my Houdini, and plan on doing it as long as I can safely do it !
Yes, I have to admit my sailing is unlikely to become more prolific at this stage. As a consolation every day sees the lift I get from the dream becoming more important than ever! I do still sail, and I try to go places, but the day would be so much less if I couldn't look out and see my little boat patiently waiting!
Just turned 60 and have windsurfed 37,863 kilometres in the last 14 years. My skills improve every year still. I have a designed a new daysailer for myself to start building next year. I'm getting old, but I think the peak is yet to arrive. Sailing is good like that.
I'm 83 and am one, along with my wife, who no longer sails. We do like to get on the water now and then whenever an excursion presents itself. And we still seek out harbors and such often when vacationing, just to be around the water and boats. I also like very much reading about what all of the rest of your adventures/projects are as active sailors/boaters.
There's no doubt my physical peak was many years ago; likely in my 40's since I'd abused my body smoking and drinking earlier.
Self analysis of mental ability is not likely to be unbiased but that peak has surely passed also.
But time and experience have changed my outlook to the point that I no longer worry or think about such matters. At 81 I'm way over the 'peak' and on the downhill slide to oblivion.
But I'm not there yet.
So I'll muddle along enjoying the journey, slower and not quite so far but travelling still. I'm fairly certain that my current camp/cruiser QB will be the last big build but there's plenty to tinker with and optimise before another run at the Texas 200 and another solo wingsailed proa would be fun.
Yep, i have been sailing my absolute, entire life. Boats have drastically changed over the years, due to needs of the age. I am on the down-size side of that peak. My first being an old wooden catboat and I'm ending the series with a fiberglass catboat, with sloops, ketches, yawls, catamarans, and trimarans in between.
Round-the-world single-handers are my heroes, but i've never felt the pull of that dream. But i do love to explore! So i'm down-sized to trailerable so i can explore bodies of water i've not accessed before.....nothing beats the fresh morning air at anchor in a sweet cove after a days sail getting there~
Tea's on~
Sailing, rowing, paddling, ahh. Healthful, mindful, social. You can be as alone as you like or as social as you want.
The best part? It’s never too early or too late to start it and enjoy the fruits of the learning curve short or long.
Funny stats. I'm doing very little of what I did at 23, or even at 30. Sailing was completely off my RADAR then. Sociologically, we might be conditioned to think we are supposed to progressively build a life over the years. Education, a career, a family, hobbies. That is considered success and stability. I don't think I'm living right. Perfect. 🤣
At 77 I'm a sailing instructor for a city-run community sailing center and I own three sailboats: 30, 12, 7ft. Eventually, I'll join the geezer RC group that races every week.
It's really good news to find out that in just 2 years, I will hit my 2nd peak. Thanks for giving me something to look forward to!
Interesting article and some encouraging responses. I feel like a youngster at 74 alongside some of these guys. Bravo to you. I'm sure I've passed most of the aforementioned 'Peaks' but am still enjoying building and sailing and will do so as long as I can use a tool and trim a sail. Spent the last couple days sailing a spirited, skinny hulled little boat (KAZE) and hope I can for years to come.
Fair Winds guys.