When it's time to quit

[Cap Erict3]

My fridge quit and I was headed out to round up tools and parts but took a moment to drop by and try to assist an old salt.

He has an old trawler that was a jewel in her day. Twin Detroits, 2 6 kW gensets, 4 A/C units and still room to move around in the engine room.

His strainer for the A/C raw water feed had fallen apart and he thinks the pieces shredded in his pump. He had broken 2 bolts in the impeller housing cover.

Daytime temps have been in the 90's and I think his pump had been out for a couple of weeks.

He commented on how hard it has gotten to try to keep up with his never ending boat chores and that he hoped to be able to swap his boat for a run down house trailer on a small lot.

When I first met him a few years ago, he was a spit and polish 70 yr old skipper that played racket ball several times a week. He doesn't get around as well now.

I can understand how one could feel overwhelmed.





------------------------------
Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[exMaggieDrum]

We all will get there someday unless something else gets us first. Sad to see but it's what happens. I've met many just like your friend.

[yardie]

I wintered with a few couples like this. They are getting too old and a boat at sea requires a lot of work. More work than a small house. Others had grandchildren they wanted to see more often. And many just got sick; Cancer, Alzheimers, heart conditions.

For me, sailing is just one of many adventures I plan to have.

[valhalla360]

It's the curse of a DIY guy. The more you do yourself, the harder it is to pay someone to do something you always did, especially when you know they won't do it as good as you would do it.

You see it with boats, cars, RV's, houses.

[colemj]

The sure signs that it is time to quit are when your radome fills with water and your reefer gives out…

Mark

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

When I first met him a few years ago, he was a spit and polish 70 yr old skipper that played racket ball several times a week. He doesn't get around as well now.

I can understand how one could feel overwhelmed.

And that is precisely why I decided to do it now. I'm 60 and headed to that place.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by colemj

The sure signs that it is time to quit are when your reefer gives out…

Mark

That had a whole nother meaning back in the day.

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by colemj

The sure signs that it is time to quit are when your radome fills with water and your reefer gives out…



Mark

The new dome is up (sans plug) and I just pulled the gauges off the compressor. Had to make a R134a can adapter fitting to my 1/4 " flare and bought cheapo vac pump. JB QUIK works.

97 degrees out now. Plan to stumble over and try to fix his pump and maybe make him a strainer when it cools a bit.


------------------------------
Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[Tingum]

Good on you Captain Eric, I always try to do the same hoping it will come back when I need it!

[EggHrbrGuy]

70 this year and this thread makes me think transition to the trawler is not the best option. How about some fractional ownership, trading my capital for some guy who would be happy to go up the mast?

[Ndavies]

I may be a little off topic here - so apologies in advance. While this is sad, it just reinforced (once again) to me that "you can't leave it too late to go cruising".....now I know that falls into the same realm as "how much money do I need; what's the best anchor, and what's the best gun", but I offer up this:
- at 53, I spent 7 months cruising to see if it is what I want to do more of during retirement;
- most of the people I met on my trip were older than me;
- just about everyone I met said they wished they had cast off the lines earlier
- I helped several people with repairs along the way...some were wondering how much longer they could do this.

Lesson learned - I have moved up my own retirement timeline, and significantly changed my outlook on life. Thanks for sharing this story.

Neil

[dpddj]

I met an old timer a few years ago who asked me if I had a tape measure. He stretched it out to 81. "Ya know what this number is? It's the average age a man lives to. I'm at 75 so I have six more years til I hit that mark." It is quite visual.

Of course, he was intending on going beyond that. But .. it struck home. I now have 15 years to that mark and this fall, after I liquidate all the equipment in my business, the boat and I head South, artificial knee and all.

I'm going out kicking, if I can have any say in it. And I look forward to helping out old timers I run into along the way. Won't be long and I'll be one.

[captain58sailin]

At 56, I stepped away from full time wage earning, and put all my marbles on continuing my life at sea, commercial fishing, adventuring etc... This is not a new endeavor, it has just been awhile since I put all my faith in my ability to catch enough fish to keep things above water. If I am going down, I am going down swinging. The old saw about regretting things that I have not done versus the things I have done. I guess we will see how things shake out.

[EggHrbrGuy]

Well planned dpddj.
I was always an anti touchy-feely guy but this thread is the closest thing to therapy I have ever had. It's helpful. I guess I'll head off to a Grand Banks gathering.

[dpddj]

Originally Posted by Jon Wachs

Well planned dpddj.
I was always an anti touchy-feely guy but this thread is the closest thing to therapy I have ever had. It's helpful. I guess I'll head off to a Grand Banks gathering.

Grand Banks in Chicken Harbor?