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24-08-2011, 05:19
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: 40 Caliber LRC
Posts: 167
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Sailing with a Prosthetic Leg
My wife is getting ready for her upcoming leg surgury, (ankle replacement) and we already know that she is not a great candidate for this procedure. She has already had more than 20 surguries on this leg. If things don't go well during the procedure she has opted for amputation rather than fusion of the ankle.
I am looking for any of you that may know someone or have personal experience with sailing with a prostetic leg. It would be nice to find someone who can encourage her.
Bob
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24-08-2011, 06:34
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Los Angeles Harbor
Boat: Newport 30
Posts: 94
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
Back in the early '90's, a fellow named Jess showed up at our marina, sailing a 30'r that he had bought in the Bay area & sailed down the coast to LA. It didn't take long to find out that he had lost a leg(above the knee) in Vietnam & wore a prosthetic.
Sailed many times, in company, with Jess..he mostly singlehanded..had his boat rigged with sheets led aft, as well as the ability to let loose the anchor from the cockpit, without going forward.
Intrestingly, over time, he told me that he found his prosthetic to be more of a hindrance than a help when underway, due to the knee failing to lock in position, so he made himself a "peg leg", like you might see in a pirate movie, which he wore at sea & swore by.
He upgraded to a 36' that year, fixed it up & one day took off..again, by himself. Last I heard from him, he was in Costa Rica, living the good life. He also rode a motorcycle, with a side-car..quite a guy!
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24-08-2011, 06:39
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Maryland
Boat: Valiant 42
Posts: 284
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
My son was hit by a drunk driver last year and had to have his left leg amputated below the knee. He has a prosthetic and comes to the boat often. He has no problems using the prosthetic with a boat shoe. He takes his leg off to go swimming and we modified the ladder to give him lower hand holds so it was easier for him to get back on the boat. We learned that if you realize that this is his 'normal' there are very few problems.
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24-08-2011, 07:18
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: 40 Caliber LRC
Posts: 167
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
Thanks to both of you for your replies. I believe that my wife is a strong enough person to over come this. She also was a victim of a drunk driver. The good news is that, either way, the pain will stop. After 20 years, thats a blessing in itself.
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24-08-2011, 07:27
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Southampton UK
Boat: Jaguar 22 mono called Arfur.
Posts: 1,220
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
Very best wishes to your good lady. I watched Prince Harry (UK) last night doing the North Pole with a bunch of Army Casualties. An arm/hand is much more disabling than a leg or two, the back even more so. They did 300 miles un-assisted with only guides. Don't expect your lady to do that, but with the advances being made nowadays losing a leg is, relatively speaking, one of the easier injuries. Being free of pain must also figure in her assessment. There will be issues in adapting to a false leg, but there'll be plenty of smiles, and a lot of sailing miles, to follow.
__________________
Ex Prout 31 Sailor, Now it's a 22ft Jaguar called 'Arfur' here in sunny Southampton, UK.
A few places left in Quayside Marina and Kemps Marina.
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24-08-2011, 08:16
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#6
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Moderator... short for Cat Wrangler
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: San Francisco
Boat: Cal 28 Flush Deck
Posts: 5,559
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
You all might want to contact John Silverwood (authour Black Wave)
5 years after loosing his leg in a boating accident he and his family are preparing to depart the Pacific coast for another cruise. he uses a prosthetic leg and has continued sailing and I bet would be someone who could help your wife thru this difficult time.
Bio
best of luck.
__________________
Sara
ain't what ya do, it's the way that ya do it...
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24-08-2011, 08:25
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#7
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cat herder, extreme blacksheep
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: furycame alley , tropics, mexico for now
Boat: 1976 FORMOSA yankee clipper 41
Posts: 18,967
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
i know of 2 guys in sd who sailed with prosthetic legs. they seemed to do well.....
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24-08-2011, 09:16
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Palm Beach and the Conch Republic
Boat: Gibson 50', Columbia 8.3, Harbor 20, Hunter 14, Trac 16, Several Lasers
Posts: 308
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
I think with a well fitted prosthetic she would be good.
After all... there is prior art ... arghhh!
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24-08-2011, 09:29
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#9
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Moderator... short for Cat Wrangler
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: San Francisco
Boat: Cal 28 Flush Deck
Posts: 5,559
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
Oh that peg leg would be smashing with an old school woody... maybe a ketch rig with manilla lines and teak decks...
On the other hand if she is planning on sailing a more contemporary vessel I would think something like this
would be more in keeping with the aesthetics of the boat...
__________________
Sara
ain't what ya do, it's the way that ya do it...
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24-08-2011, 09:37
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Palm Beach and the Conch Republic
Boat: Gibson 50', Columbia 8.3, Harbor 20, Hunter 14, Trac 16, Several Lasers
Posts: 308
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
Hmmm... so it looks like they could install a socket in the boat and she could then make a positive connection to the vessel for watches and other duties..
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24-08-2011, 10:05
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: 40 Caliber LRC
Posts: 167
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
Actually, in a meeting with the makers of prostetics, I mentioned to the guy that we were sailors and asked about a wooden peg. He said he had made one for a patient who was in a play. Of course, he was playing a pirate.
Bob
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24-08-2011, 10:08
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#12
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Moderator... short for Cat Wrangler
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: San Francisco
Boat: Cal 28 Flush Deck
Posts: 5,559
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
Well keep us all posted Bob, so we can send the good thoughts her way!
__________________
Sara
ain't what ya do, it's the way that ya do it...
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24-08-2011, 10:26
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,453
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
The new prosthetics I see are amazing. IF she does have to loose the leg below the knee I would think it can work out well in the end. There are some high end sailing shoes that grip amazingly (Sebago SPS Force 8 etc) maybe one of these could be fitted. I wish her the best of luck.
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
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24-08-2011, 10:37
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 182
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
People actually race with prosthetic legs, anything from sprints to marathons. Oscar Pistorius, a South African double-amputee sprinter was forbidden from entering the 2008 Summer Olympics because his prostheses were believed to give him an unfair advantage over athletes using the old-style, natural limbs. So be careful when you enter sailboat races with your wife on board - you might be disqualified for having a super-enabled crew.
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24-08-2011, 10:40
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#15
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,594
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Re: Sailing with a prostetic leg
knew a sailor in grenada who was a thalidamide baby,he was the original "single handed sailor" he only had one good arm and one good leg!!!!! and would single hand up and down the windies....
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