POLL: So what is the age here? MERGED

[nimblemotors]

Originally Posted by twistedtree

Well, we have a pretty evenly declining population on either side, centered around the 50's. But as someone pointed out earlier, it represents people participating in Cruisers Forum, not people out on boats with better things to do :-) But I think the original questions what indeed about participants in the forum, so there we have it.

Don't you give your birth date when you join? So it should be possible to compute the age distribution of all members?

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

Don't you give your birth date when you join? So it should be possible to compute the age distribution of all members?

Some people lie about their age.

Didn't you know?

OH, I fell for it.....Never mind. sorry.

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by Mark1977

Exactly what was asked.

so, you can show us where that specific was asked?

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Is there any actual data to support this Jim/Robert? I'm not doubting you, but personal perspectives usually suffer from self-selecting bias. If this really is the case, then it begs the question: why? What's going on? I suspect the answer relates to the economic squeeze the middle class has faced since the mid-1970s, but maybe there's something else at play (like the shift to different kinds of play).

I think it is just demographics. Hospitals focus on aged care whereas when the boomers were procreating, it was focused on maternity wards.

As a cruising kid in the 80s across Oz, Asia and the Med, there were lots of other kids and the cruisers were in their 30s. As a kid, I paid attention to kid boats. The grandparent types were in the minority.

Cruising in the late 90s and early 00s in the Caribbean and Med, I can't remember many kids but I wasn't looking either.

However, cruising in the last few years in the Caribbean and Pacific with our own kid, we paid attention to kid boats. There are not so many around. The boomers still dominate but now they are getting on in age and have no young kids, only grand kids.

This is all based on our observations and I have no stats to back it up. They are generalisations and there will always be the exception of that one anchorage with 6 kid boats and no one over 40. But that is very very rare these days.

Why is it so? Some boomers carried on their alternative lifestyles left over from the 60s while others went to work and then retired into the cruising lifestyle? No matter which group they fall into, the boomers continue to leave their significant demographic mark on the world and the anchorages due to their sheer numbers.

[GILow]

Further to the whole cruising kid thing... not sure how it affects the question about cruising age, but I have am struggling to find anyone under 20 who is the slightest bit interested in sailing. We know families with kids ranging from babies to late teens, and I am yet to find one that expressed the slightest interest in coming out sailing.

Those that do eventually come out, seem to enjoy themselves, but never express an interest in coming out again.

I recently posted about the problems of giving away a perfectly decent little catamaran that I could not give away to any of our friends with kids as nobody wanted it.


I don't get it, I would have grabbed the chance to sail ANYTHING from the age of 6 or 7. If someone had offered me a free boat of ANY sort I would have grabbed it with both hands and tears of joy!

Is this the Internet generation or something else, and could it be skewing the age of cruisers, directly, or indirectly?

Matt

[ohYes]

I'm a 54 year old child. Every day is a new adventure. It's hard for me to imagine getting old even though I suppose I am... lol

[Chrissailorman]

I started sailing at about 45... I'm 66 now and love sailing, but I primarily am into day sailing on a cruising boat, Rhodes 22. My wife is not into long times on the water but that's ok. I use my time on the water to bring friends and introduce the sailing experience to them, or take my kids and grandkids out for a day on the water. I agree that the boomers dominate this sport, but think that's also a factor of time and income as well as not having to blast along at breakneck speed every time you're on the water... A lot of younger generation seems more interested in power boats...don't have time to stop and appreciate the beauty of sailing. The young ones are out there however. Just check out any local sailing community and see the schools of kids in Optis or other small sailing boats... But compare that to jet skis and power screamers.... My kids like sailing, but that doesn't mean they are looking to buy a sailboat... However they are the exceptions too... For example, two of my kids told me they wanted to buy motorcycles, I've been riding since '75... But, their choice was to buy a cruising bike instead of a highway rocket screamer....so to some extent part of it seems to be what they have seen and learned from their parents. So I expect they may consider a sail rig when they have the money and time...

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Jimbo485

I noticed the same thing. The baby boomers dominated the anchorages in the 80s and they were in their 30s and had kids. They still dominate the anchorages and the demographics but they are grandparents with grand kids a long way away.

They will start dying in another decade or so and there will be a glut of boats.

Thanks for the happy thought.

Oh ... wait ...

[oldragbaggers]

Husband is 64, me 60 soon. We've been sailing for 30+ years and have been dreaming of cutting ties and going cruising for even longer. Thought we would have done it by now. Life is complicated, but we're still sailing and still dreaming. We have 4 years to retirement. If we still have the mental and physical wherewithal at that point we'd still like to try and it's nice to think we're going to run into a lot of others of our age and experience out there in the anchorages.

We have two grandkids. When they were babies we used to strap them to the stern rail in their punkin' seats or tether them in the cockpit and go. They were captive. They seemed to enjoy it, but we didn't really ask them. We sailed, so they sailed. Now they are teenagers and all they want to know is, "can't this thing go any faster?" We have a sailboat and a 17' runabout. Give them a choice and they'll take the runabout anytime. Maybe that's why you don't see as many young people out sailing anymore. If it doesn't go mach 10 and set your hair on fire it just isn't exciting enough.

[gigaman]

Signed up so I could bump up that 30 something one more notch. I'm not surprised by the comments I've read on here for my age group and younger. I've had a heck of a time finding anyone in my age group who is interested in sailing unless they grew up on the Chesapeake bay. Even fewer who have commited their life savings to owning a boat of their own. I was bitten by the sailing bug 7 years ago and am still struggling to realize the dream of ownership. I don't know if my dream is foolish for my age when I see the curve of age groups in the forum. Certainly doesn't tame the heart, but I realize that I am awful young for someone who doesn't want to drive a stink pot around. I'd sure like to hear from folks who found a way to buy a 30ft+ at 30 yrs old and how they managed to do that with kids, cars, wife, house, etc.

I have to admit, I've recently enjoyed the Americas cup and the muscat that just ended. Those cats have got some real speed! Not practical for everyday harbor sailing or a few days out on the water, but I can't deny 20 knots sounds fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj9_86xXczA

[AirBoyzT]

I'm 28, but have an old soul. I like older music and being around older people. Rarely enjoy the company of people my own age.

[MBLittle]

At least I don't feel alone with that many 30somethings on here. To be fair, I just made the cutoff from 20something. The wife however, fits squarely into 20something, makes me feel younger

[MBLittle]

Originally Posted by AirBoyzT

I'm 28, but have an old soul. I like older music and being around older people. Rarely enjoy the company of people my own age.

I very much agree!

[laika]

Originally Posted by gigaman

Signed up so I could bump up that 30 something one more notch. I'm not surprised by the comments I've read on here for my age group and younger. I've had a heck of a time finding anyone in my age group who is interested in sailing unless they grew up on the Chesapeake bay. Even fewer who have commited their life savings to owning a boat of their own. I was bitten by the sailing bug 7 years ago and am still struggling to realize the dream of ownership. I don't know if my dream is foolish for my age when I see the curve of age groups in the forum. Certainly doesn't tame the heart, but I realize that I am awful young for someone who doesn't want to drive a stink pot around. I'd sure like to hear from folks who found a way to buy a 30ft+ at 30 yrs old and how they managed to do that with kids, cars, wife, house, etc.

I grew up on the prairies of Minnesota and was bitten about 7 years ago as well (now 30yo). Previously cruised for a few years with friends on a 37' boat. Then moved to a farm; got a dog; moved off the farm. Bought my own boat a few years ago.

For me, my 27' boat is my dream boat and I currently own nothing else. I currently work more or less full time remotely from my computer. I have no wife or kids, but I do have an epileptic wolfdog who requires much attention and as many on-shore miles as I can give him.

I have made good money the last few years, but much of it has gone back into the boat (not to mention the amount of time I have put into the boat in labor and learning).

I've found it takes a lot of sacrifice to follow the dream at a young age, especially in a sustainable way. Also, the longer I work and make good money, the harder it becomes to give up that success and stability. In other words, I'm becoming professionally institutionalized

IN short, many reasons, I think, why we don't see more youngens out there, but none that strike me as particularly sound in their logic. There are definitely some of us though, and that's a good thing.

Selfishly, I hope we will see many more in the future.. not only for more personal company, but also as advocates for "cruisers rights" (or at least "interests") moving forward

[gigaman]

Originally Posted by laika

I grew up on the prairies of Minnesota and was bitten about 7 years ago as well (now 30yo). Previously cruised for a few years with friends on a 37' boat. Then moved to a farm; got a dog; moved off the farm. Bought my own boat a few years ago.

For me, my 27' boat is my dream boat and I currently own nothing else. I currently work more or less full time remotely from my computer. I have no wife or kids, but I do have an epileptic wolfdog who requires much attention and as many on-shore miles as I can give him.

I have made good money the last few years, but much of it has gone back into the boat (not to mention the amount of time I have put into the boat in labor and learning).

I've found it takes a lot of sacrifice to follow the dream at a young age, especially in a sustainable way. Also, the longer I work and make good money, the harder it becomes to give up that success and stability. In other words, I'm becoming professionally institutionalized

IN short, many reasons, I think, why we don't see more youngens out there, but none that strike me as particularly sound in their logic. There are definitely some of us though, and that's a good thing.

Selfishly, I hope we will see many more in the future.. not only for more personal company, but also as advocates for "cruisers rights" (or at least "interests") moving forward

Great story! I do realize there are a lot of sacrifices and I fear that there are more than I can "afford" with a strong job/income, a fiance', and two kids. Those three things seem to require my attention far too often for me to spend a day, a weekend, or a week messing around on a boat. Unfortunately, they have no interest in helping aside from when we get to dock and shop. It may be a foolish dream until a different chapter in my life brings me back to it.

For now, I rent at the nearest club (2hrs away) and get to sail when I can. Taking the ASA courses and reading as much as I can. I may be an old salt before I step on my own boat