Multihull weekenders for mobility impaired

[brownoarsman]

Hi multihullers (though we'd consider monos too),
I recently took my dad and mom out on my 28' Pearson, dad loved it, mom was iffy, but dad still wants to get a small boat for himself in his retirement for short cruises of the Eastern Shore and the rest of the Chesapeake (and maybe further afield if we can find something trailerable). A number of issues came up with my boat, however, that we would need to overcome in a new boat.

My parents are older, with dad just having turned 70. With multiple shoulder dislocations from an active life and general greater frailty of age, these are the things that were tough.

Entry to the boat from the water. With the outboard on a bracket having replaced the swim ladder, the entry into my boat is complicated, which gave us a good chance to evaluate my parents' physical abilities. When we went swimming, I would need to pull both my parents over the side of the rubber inflatable. From there, they needed to step onto the boat. With a high freeboard of four feet, my boat is dry, but difficult for them to get into from the water. Dad slipped once and the resulting swelling has yet to go away due to the blood thinners he is on. Dad can also be forgetful, so we would need something with a water level platform, like a sugar scoop, or the ability to fix something like a platform in the back, or a swing ladder that can be lowered from the water (with most ladders tied up under passage, there needs to be some way to undo the lashings from the water). We would also a need a dinghy that is easy to get into from the water. I haven't seen them, but I've heard of people putting ladders on portabotes? Dad is not a great swimmer, so quick and easy access from the water is a necessity.

The angle of the heel was difficult for dad to overcome. He loves the feel and soul of a mono, but on his own, the heel would keep him from moving quickly and comfortably. That's why we're looking at multis.

Dad doesn't want an electric winch, so we need a sail plan that is easy to grind-can this mostly be overcome with oversized winches installed after purchase?

We were using all chain to anchor, with a snubber. Dad is not able to lift up all the chain without a windlass. An easily transferable chain/rope windlass would need to fit in the bow, or we would need to use a mostly rope rode with a short length of chain. Not a big deal in the chessie, and we'd be able to choose our weather better than full time cruisers. So the backup is rope.

Speed. From where we are in round bay on the Severn, we would want a boat fast under sail or power. To expand the field. It's a whole, long day to st michaels with my boat which tops out at 6.5 knots. Bonus points if it's trailerable.

Crab pots. I can jump in and work these off when they get trapped. This will be harder for dad. So something to prevent this from happening, like a full skeg protected rudder and an outboard, would be an ideal setup.

Ability to single hand. Dad wanted to come join me for bits of my recent passage, but sadly hospitalization and other commitments got in the way. I treasure my time with my parents, and will cruise with my dad for at least a week a year straight, and at least a few weekends, but he would like the ability to feel comfortable cruising the boat on his own (mom is not exactly enamored with the boat idea).

Is there anything that meets these requirements pretty close to stock? I was thinking perhaps an f-25 with a conservative sail plan? Maybe a hirondelle? Perhaps a jar cat if we can find one? Please do suggest other boat models we could consider, or good workarounds that can easily overcome some of these issues. We're looking forward to the Annapolis boat show to check out some options!


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[FSMike]

An F-boat for your father was my first thought because of its ability to be trailered, although I doubt your dad could haul and launch it by himself. Cats heel less than tris, but trailering most of them would be difficult.

Get the mainsail recut so as to have a reverse roach (no battens), and with a roller furling jib dealing with the sailplan by himself should be a piece of cake. I'm the same age as your father and I'd keep the original sail plan, but my problems are legs, not shoulders lol. Perhaps try it with the original sails with the option of recutting if raising/reefing the main is too much.

A boat lengths worth of 5/16 chain should be adequate for the Chesapeake. I'd put a Fortress anchor on, again for lighter weight, but you can doubtless get better advice from local sailors. Get a spare anchor (with rode), say a new generation Rocna/Mantus/Spade etc, for those occasions when the boat needs to be stopped without worrying about getting the anchor up.

Permanently mount a boarding ladder on the transom/side/wherever with a cord dangling down so it can be pulled down by a person in the water.

If you father's like me he probably doesn't wear life jackets much, but I've got an auto-inflate Mustang with a built in harness when I want it.
EPIRB or PLB, hand held VHF, GPS, all the normal gadgets to make sailing safe and comfortable.

I frequently singlehand our 36' cat so your dad won't be the oldest guy out there. Tell him to have fun!

[thinwater]

Yup, I understand the issues well (sent you a PM).

Access from the dingy is a minor issue. While falling out is always possible, it can be avoided. Getting in and out is simple in shallow water or from floating docks.

Sugar scoops are a HUGE help. It is vital that the tackle from the davit is located at the boarding point. We actually lower the dingy, secure it to the inside of the scoop, and board from there.

Ladder access is easy with scoops. You can easily deploy from the water. Make certain it has 4 steps below the water, not 3.

Winching is a matter of reefing early. Self-tacking jibs help.

Personally, I like full batten sails with lazy jacks. Very easy on cats, and easier to handle, reef and trim than no-batten sails in this size range.

Crab pots are not a big problem with any of these (engines raise). However, if you wrap it on the rudder, you will need to dock your head. One the other hand, it is generally practical to cut the line (it is not far under water).

Forget trailerable boats (I've sailed and owned Stilettos and F-boats). I've sailed them, and though fun, they are not for the mobility challenged unless they are performance sailors at heart.

Speed is not a big deal, really. Assuming he will pick mild weather (no more than 15 knots) the speed difference with cats is not that great. My PDQ can hit 9 knots in those conditions, but the ride is not smooth, and under smooth conditions (<10 knots) the speed is closer to 6 -7 knots. Motoring is 7.5 max, 6.5 cruise.

Steps in the cabin. These can be a big issue, given the hundreds of times you climb them. Better than a companionway ladder, but still wearing. Look at both the height and number.

Chain. Go all 1/4" G4 chain. Don't even consider or waste a second's thought on anything else. You only need 100' of chain on the Chesapeake for it to be "all chain." Much easier to handle than a combination rode. The electric windlass is a charm.

----

No magic. There is always a certain amount of vigor in sailing; either a small boat with more motion, or a larger boat with heavier gear. But I have cruised all over the Ches and Delmarva with family and 80+ parents. Some of it is just thinking things through.

My blog may also shed some light.

Sail Delmarva

[brownoarsman]

Thanks for the thoughts guys! This will give us a good think, and I look forward to reading your blog thin water as the bay is my new cruising ground

Thinwater - it doesn't look like your pm came through. If you have it saved, could you try sending it again? Or please email me at my username here '@gmail.com' It would be great to hear about your experiences. Dad loves it, and we have standing plans to share a charter in the Caribbean each winter-he's just getting started on it pretty late in life and he's anxious to get out there, as, sadly, he's not sure how much time he'll have left to really enjoy himself.

Then again, I was single handing for six months, and five days after getting to land, find myself in the ER and then the surgical observation ward. I guess it might be true what they say - being on the water really is safer than being on land! I should look at his sailing as a life-extender


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[brownoarsman]

One quick question for the both of you-full batten main vs no battens seems to be the only place at odds in the advice (other than ground tackle of course!). I've sailed a loose-footed main but that's as close as I've come to non-traditional. Is the full batten considered easier to reef because the battens naturally fall on the boom? I have to admit to never having sailed a battenless main-and thought they were mainly for main sail furling systems. Was this the suggestion rather than just jib furling? Hopefully on the Chesapeake, dad will mostly choose to cruise when wind is less than reefing, though it can certainly be variable here, especially coming from a tributary into the bay.

The one thought with trailering is that I could come back for a week or long weekend, and help dad take her somewhere further afield, like chincoteague. Within a four to five day sail of Annapolis, it seems the 'big' options are pretty limited from reading all the threads on weekend sails from here. He's excited about gunkholing, but also really wanted to make Tangiers and we just couldn't with the limited time we had.

We will be climbing on a lot of boats at the show, so it's great to get this advice on what to look for early!


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[FSMike]

I did not refer to roller furling mains. The main deal with battenless mains is they are lighter, so easier to raise. They are also easier to furl imo , just drop them and roll the sail up on the top of the boom, or flake it neatly if you're so inclined. Lots of old time cruisers went that way to avoid the possible hassle of broken battens, usually monohulls with partial battens.

They don't need lazy jacks like fully battened sails do. Lazy jacks make it easy to drop a main, but can be snagged by a batten when raising the sail, unless you have moved them out of the way. If you move the lazy jacks to raise the main, you have to move them back to drop it. Or at least you did on the 3 boats I've cruised which had full batten mains with lazy jacks.
PDQ 32 may have a perfected system.

Reverse roach mains will lose some performance compared to a fully battened main, which might not be a bad thing for a single handed senior on an F-boat. On the other hand, the Chesapeake can have periods of light wind from what I understand.

Cats would probably be more comfortable, if the trailering isn't that important. Your dad might be well advised to charter/bum a ride on an F-boat to see what he thinks about them. They can definitely heel more than a cat.

[Howaya]

Another solution is for your mother and father to interact with some helpful local resources. Chesapeake Regional Accessible Boating (CRAB) focuses on getting people with severe handicaps out on the water. They likely have a variety of suggestions to make boating easier for your folks. The other resource is Chesapeake Multihull Association. Full disclosure: I am a fairly active member. The association has a wealth of knowledge about multihulls and more than a few of us are getting up there in age. I bet at least a few of us could provide some guidance and encouragement. And, as it so happens, we are having a gathering on the evening of Sunday October 11 in Annapolis. Why not stop by?

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by brownoarsman

One quick question for the both of you-full batten main vs no battens seems to be the only place at odds in the advice (other than ground tackle of course!). I've sailed a loose-footed main but that's as close as I've come to non-traditional. Is the full batten considered easier to reef because the battens naturally fall on the boom? I have to admit to never having sailed a battenless main-and thought they were mainly for main sail furling systems. Was this the suggestion rather than just jib furling? Hopefully on the Chesapeake, dad will mostly choose to cruise when wind is less than reefing, though it can certainly be variable here, especially coming from a tributary into the bay.

The one thought with trailering is that I could come back for a week or long weekend, and help dad take her somewhere further afield, like chincoteague. Within a four to five day sail of Annapolis, it seems the 'big' options are pretty limited from reading all the threads on weekend sails from here. He's excited about gunkholing, but also really wanted to make Tangiers and we just couldn't with the limited time we had.

We will be climbing on a lot of boats at the show, so it's great to get this advice on what to look for early!


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Rather than go into full vs part in depth, sufficient to say 98% of multihulls are full batten, and the main reason is NOT performance. They are simply a good answer for many reasons. Most of the disadvantages do not apply to 30-35-foot multies.

Chincoteague is only 4-5 days from Annapolis, and a retired person is not in a hurry. And really, the sailing around Chincoteague is nothing special, it is the trip there! It is a drag for day sailing, as the channel takes an hour.

Sail Delmarva: Trip Report - 2009 Delmarva Circumnavigation.

A good cat can move pretty darn well with a reefed main in 10-15 knots, particularly with a big jib. Yes, you can carry more, but if a smooth ride is important, there is nothing wrong with reefing early. I sometimes do out of sheer laziness and not wanting to work hard.

One advantage of full battens is that on cats (no heel) with lazy jacks, there is often no reason to tie up the bunt when reefed. It is that well controlled. So reefing is really easy; just lower the halyard and crank the reef line, nothing more.

The secret to easy sailing is having the the time to wait for better weather.

As for Tangier, I've done that in a day from Deale several times. 2 days each way is pretty standard. Mostly it's about getting out of bed in the morning. But I wouldn't do it on a long weekend; you need to have several days down there. It is also possible to knock out one of the legs in the afternoon, if you can scoot out of work.

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The other factor to consider is what boat will be right 5-10 years from now. Something that is physically challenging now will become impossible. It also depends on his better half. If she dislikes energetic sailing, a fast boat will be a disaster.

[Stumble]

For what it's worth, my mother has major mobility issues as a result of a major car wreck years ago. She is closing in on 70, and still takes out a Corsair Sprint 750 at least twice a week. Admittedly she does have an able bodied guy come with her, but the boat itself she is fine on.

The major issue I see is that for someone who is severely disabled moving around to do anything not in the cockpit can be dangerous, and that requires either furling on both sails, or a much bigger boat where everything can be run back to the cockpit. And while I love the Sprint, it would take some real work to add lazy jacks to it.

A low 30's catamaran would likely be large enough to resolve this, while small enough to be easily singlehanded by someone with mobility issues.

[mstrebe]

I personally can't imagine wanting to grind winches all day if I had shoulder problems.

I'm also worried about what happens when things go wrong: When a sail furler is jammed, when you run aground on a sand-bar, etc. How does he clear these kinds of issues without help?

Is there a reason why sailing is mandatory? It seems like a cabin cruiser might be a better fit for a lot of reasons.

[SailFastTri]

I have owned 3 trimarans in the 30-39 foot range and a few small monos before that. IMHO sailing any small boat requires agility for safety. The smaller the boat, the quicker the motion and more agility required. When I bring guests who aren't agile I worry for them. All small production tris under 34 feet are sport boats and don't have lifelines, and IMHO anyone who isn't agile shouldn't leave the cockpit while underway. They're not equipped as proper cruisers -- more like boat camping than cruising. No standing headroom can be a drag in a prolonged period of rain and accelerate cabin fever. Inadequate holding/fresh water tanks and limited comforts e.g. no hot water system for showers. Inadequate battery power for lights and electronics. OK if you like to hang sunshower bags or heat water for a camp shower, but for a couple in their 70's with mobility issues most would think it's preferable to have more creature comforts.


I advise 35+ feet and power winches, and power windlass with all chain. Cruising amenities, etc. If they can afford it think Dragonfly 35 or 1200 tri, or a 30-something cruising cat. Trailering? fuggetaboutit.

[brownoarsman]

Thanks for the continued advice thinwater, mike, and everyone; I very much appreciate it.

Howaya-I looked at the Facebook page and website for the CMA, and found the oct 11 boat show party event, but did not see a location listed; will that be filled in later? We'd love to join the event and see what people are doing and how they've accommodated any age issues.and we will certainly be at the boat show.

Dad really does love the sailing, and we've had tons of fun on the hobie 16 and 17 we used to have (a tree fell on the 17 just as the constant helm was getting too much for dad's shoulders), and the o'day sailing skiff we replaced the cats with - which is a great little cuddy cabin daysailor for dad but has nothing in the way of cruising amenities, and I've been working with him on how to singlehand it. We can sail that little boat for hours and enjoy every minute! So, a power cruiser isn't really in his future, though I did suggest a little albin trawler similar to what you were thinking mstrebe. Things can definitely go wrong on a sailboat, but a good tow membership and wise choices regarding weather will hopefully minimize the worst of it. I'll work with dad on whatever boat to make sure he feels comfortable with a variety of common 'oh ****' situations. A boat with a variable sail plan, like a spinnaker for when dad does have crew, will probably take care of any need for speed. Five years is about as much as dad expects to get out of his body, sadly, before he curtails a little bit. Anything more is a bonus.

The big issues with going larger than about 30 feet is that mom will probably be upset, not from a financial standpoint but just from an "oh great, another toy we won't use" standpoint. Also, we chartered a 36' mono and dad felt the power in those sails and in the boat was more than he'd want to handle on his own - hence we are looking at smaller boats, with 30-32 feet being the max length most like. And we thought if we were going smaller, we might as well go trailerable! Dad looks at dawn baths as part of the adventure, and mom swims at least once per day, so they're okay with the camping aspect vs the comfort of a bigger boat. In reality, mom will probably not go for many, if any, long adventures on the boat, but would be happy to drive to meet us if we stay somewhere along the route for more than a day. She puts up with it, but even on the nice, large charter boats we get in the BVI-well, she's not unhappy with it, it's just not her thing. We always spend a few days on land as well before and after the sailing as a bit of a compromise. Whatever we end up with, I'll probably buy and just keep on our unused mooring ball, adding dad to the insurance policy, so mom won't get angry at dad! Compromise

In addition, staying smaller should help us keep a shallower draft, and that will hopefully mean getting the anchor up and down is less work with reduced rode-especially in the mostly shallow Chesapeake.

Great to hear that other people are still getting out there despite age-related issues! Mom and dad don't have 'serious' mobility issues as far as walking around, just some things are no longer possible, and injuries happen too easily now.

Dad's really regretting that I didn't just go ahead and get the Iroquois 30 rather than my Pearson 28! Would have saved a lot of shopping

Thanks again for all the advice in helping us figure out what we don't know.


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[brownoarsman]

It also seems like maybe a small cat might be the way to go over a tri-from the heeling, non-racer, lifelines, and safety aspects. Any that you all would recommend?


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[mstrebe]

I like your dad's spirit.

Trailering is definitely not easy. I have a MacGregor 26M, which is probably the easiest trailerable on the market to rig, and it still takes a solid 45 minutes to get it into or out of the water after years of knowing what you're doing or you keep it right at the boat ramp so it doesn't need to be rigged for road travel. Raising a mast is never trivial, and there are numerous connections that have to be made. Pinning the forestay takes strength, because you're essentially pushing down against the ultimate tension--especially if you're going to use a roller furler.

Most of the guys on the MacGregor forum who are in their 70's have given up the trailer and slipped their boats--others wise they just sit in the side yard except the one time a year that they go out because of the effort, and then they've forgotten all the tricks and it makes everything take forever.

Before you buy a trailerable boat, have the previous owner show you what it entails to get it into and out of the water, and be sure your Dad is comfortable doing it.

By the way, have you taken a look at the Hobie Tandem Island sail tri-maran? That's a speedy small sailboat that your Dad could trailer. Yes, there's no cabin, but it does a fast 10 knots in 10 knots of wind, it pedals easily (much easier than rowing) and I think your mom may really enjoy it as well. The only drawback is that without a cabin it's a pure day-sailor.

[jreiter190]

Google SHAKE A LEG foundation in Coconut Grove, Florida. They have many twenty five footers that are set up for paraplegics. The sailors wheel their chairs down onto the dock and shift into seats mounted on pedestals either side of the cockpit and belt in. Off they go. They have pictures of the boats on the website. John Swartz,of Beaver Brand Canvas in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. Makes electric and hydraulic lifts so paraplegic people can drive up to their boat and operate the lift to pick up their whole chair to the flying bridge and it becomes the pilot seat. My advice is to buy a boat you like and modify it to suit your needs. Plenty of engineering types on this forum can guide you through the modifications. If your dad is comfortable and secure, he'll enjoy himself, and, if he proves the boat to be safe,hell,maybe he'll convince your mom. . Good luck.