Cruising in your mid-50's stories - did it happen/didn't it happen?

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Too many people on this thread dwelling on about getting old. Just stay in shape and sailing will be a breeze well into your 70's and beyond.

I filmed this 18 months ago at the LA Cycling Velodrome at age 57 after I'd given up racing and had slowed down. Age is just a number.

Love the positive thinking and that's a great goal to stay in shape and go as long as you can but reality is age is more than just a number.

We've seen far too many people have to give up the lifestyle because age is more than just a number. Some people get lucky and can keep going into their 70-80's but they are the anomaly not the norm. This goes for people who seem very fit and active.

One of the things that got us going so we left at age 37, is my father-in-law retired after 30yrs at Chrysler. He was fit and active outdoorsman in his late 50's. He had bought a 5th wheel to cruise the country and spend more time in the woods hunting... 3months after he retired, he was diagnosed with ALS. About 6 months later, we had to sell his new truck because he couldn't drive anymore and we started finding him just sitting in the drivers seat in the driveway. 3 months later the disease took him. He had every reason to believe he had 20-30yrs to enjoy when he retired.

As you get older, debilitating health issues become ever more common and even if you stay relatively healthy, most people slow down and become less physically capable.

While I don't agree with throwing your finances to the wind, if you really want to go cruising, the plan should focus on getting out there as soon as you can because odds are there will come a time when you can't.

[marty9876]

Another component to my thinking is for me, as I age, I get more and more conservative. In my 50's would I not want to go out for for any number of reasons, physical aside.

But anyways, that's then and this is now. I've been boat shopping as fast as I can, got some showing lined up Saturday and excited to begin making things a reality. Get a good boat at a fair price and sail the snot out of Superior.

[marty9876]

Under contract for my first big boat! No better time to start building out skills than now.

[boatman61]

Started in my forties.. through my fifties and now doing the sixties.. in a couple of years I'll start on my seventies..
Looking forward to being an adult..

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Started in my forties.. through my fifties and now doing the sixties.. in a couple of years I'll start on my seventies..
Looking forward to being an adult..

I dunno, Phil... if 70s=adulthood, then it ain't anything to look forward to!

Just remember, ya can't be forever young, but you can indeed forever be immature. Works for me!

Jim

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I dunno, Phil... if 70s=adulthood, then it ain't anything to look forward to!

Just remember, ya can't be forever young, but you can indeed forever be immature. Works for me!

Jim

Jim... people keep telling me to 'Grow Up'.. every 10 years I expect it to happen.. still waiting..😀

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Jim... people keep telling me to 'Grow Up'.. every 10 years I expect it to happen.. still waiting..😀

Thats no fun "growing up". Ive been spending the last year lightening up. A good dash of the absurd will do me good.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Tia Bu

+1 on the "start small and start doing it" advice.

We've seen others quit the job, sell the house, buy the big boat, take off, and come back miserable six months later.

It seems to work better if it's a hobby and a love that grows.

.

Right!

Don't sell the house until you have cruised for at least 6 months or so.

Many couples and singles I knew on the Gulf Coast planned for years only to last a few months. This after selling house, cars, etc

Now they are totally out of sailing while others of us are still experimenting with different types of sailing.

I did nothing but race on the Gulf Coast sometimes 10 months out of the year. I do nothing but coastal cruise up here on the weekends and vacations. The two are totally different in my opinion.

Also, the winds and waves are usually much stronger up here. Currents are a lot faster, tides every 6 hours vs 12, and there are lots of obstacles to deal with

Full time cruising would be a totally different animal all together I'm thinking.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Started in my forties.. through my fifties and now doing the sixties.. in a couple of years I'll start on my seventies..
Looking forward to being an adult..

I remember my 50's , or were those my 60's? dunno.....

As my uncle said to me just before he popped his clogs.... 'never leave anything until you are old!..'

[shantycrew]

We went on a start yachting weekend in 2008 I was 60 and Jackie was 56 before this niether of us had sailed at all. We loved it and decided we wanted to really learn how to do this and then we could buy our own boat and maybe cross the Atlantic with the ARC. After that we would sail the islands of the Caribbean. So we took RYA courses and did flotilla holidays in the Med, and bareboat charters in Scotland. In 2013 we sold our house in the UK but we had decided by then that the Atlantic was perhaps a step too far and boats were cheaper in the Caribbean and the US so we flew to the Dominican republic where we owned an apartment and a month later bought a1978 Hardin sea wolf all 40ft of her. By this time I was 65 the wife 60. We had a huge learning curve fixing so many systems that needed sorting but we eventually sailed Picaroon from Puerto Rico back to DR then sailed to Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and back to PR and the the BVI. Weve learned a lot about fixing boats in exotic locations and run out of money so the boats up for sale. But it was the best adventure you could ever wish to have so go now, dont be a gonna as my dad used to say. Gonna do this one day well do it now, we did and had we the money wed still be sailing,
The adventures of Picaroon | or a story of two novice sailors seeking adventure before dementia

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by shantycrew

We went on a start yachting weekend in 2008 I was 60 and Jackie was 56 before this niether of us had sailed at all. We loved it and decided we wanted to really learn how to do this and then we could buy our own boat and maybe cross the Atlantic with the ARC. After that we would sail the islands of the Caribbean. So we took RYA courses and did flotilla holidays in the Med, and bareboat charters in Scotland. In 2013 we sold our house in the UK but we had decided by then that the Atlantic was perhaps a step too far and boats were cheaper in the Caribbean and the US so we flew to the Dominican republic where we owned an apartment and a month later bought a1978 Hardin sea wolf all 40ft of her. By this time I was 65 the wife 60. We had a huge learning curve fixing so many systems that needed sorting but we eventually sailed Picaroon from Puerto Rico back to DR then sailed to Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and back to PR and the the BVI. Weve learned a lot about fixing boats in exotic locations and run out of money so the boats up for sale. But it was the best adventure you could ever wish to have so go now, dont be a gonna as my dad used to say. Gonna do this one day well do it now, we did and had we the money wed still be sailing,
The adventures of Picaroon | or a story of two novice sailors seeking adventure before dementia

Shame you did not get a 5yr old ex-charter from Moorings.. my Bene 331 cost me $60K and less than another $10K for setting her up as a liveaboard.. then sailed her to Europe
You'd likely still be sailing and in funds if you had.. that's all you need in the Caribe..

[Gadagirl]

So, reading this thread, I'm feeling forlorn. I'm going to start a spin off thread more specific to my situation and perception.

times are ticking by.

[sailorboy1]

The house closes in 18 days so weather depending we leave in 19 days. We don't need no house to return to! I've been lots of places and know that there are houses to buy everywhere you go.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

The house closes in 18 days so weather depending we leave in 19 days. We don't need no house to return to! I've been lots of places and know that there are houses to buy everywhere you go.

Nice one Don.. Congratulations..
Love the Positive Attitude..

[Bulawayo]

So guys, the inevitable question / what next? I read part of your blog and see you are facing a few challenges.

Originally Posted by shantycrew

We went on a start yachting weekend in 2008 I was 60 and Jackie was 56 before this niether of us had sailed at all. We loved it and decided we wanted to really learn how to do this and then we could buy our own boat and maybe cross the Atlantic with the ARC. After that we would sail the islands of the Caribbean. So we took RYA courses and did flotilla holidays in the Med, and bareboat charters in Scotland. In 2013 we sold our house in the UK but we had decided by then that the Atlantic was perhaps a step too far and boats were cheaper in the Caribbean and the US so we flew to the Dominican republic where we owned an apartment and a month later bought a1978 Hardin sea wolf all 40ft of her. By this time I was 65 the wife 60. We had a huge learning curve fixing so many systems that needed sorting but we eventually sailed Picaroon from Puerto Rico back to DR then sailed to Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and back to PR and the the BVI. Weve learned a lot about fixing boats in exotic locations and run out of money so the boats up for sale. But it was the best adventure you could ever wish to have so go now, dont be a gonna as my dad used to say. Gonna do this one day well do it now, we did and had we the money wed still be sailing,
The adventures of Picaroon | or a story of two novice sailors seeking adventure before dementia