Prosthetic and living aboard

[Greg and Amber]

Greetings from Galveston, Texas area, I'm very serious about living aboard and I'm an amputee above the knee on my right leg. It's only about a year that I've been walking again and I'm ready to take back my life and dreams. I'm a single mom of a 12 year old and a 24 year old. Nice to meet you all.

[barnakiel]

Hi!


Hello from Canary Islands, on the other side of the pond.


I have just looked up Galveston - what a place to enjoy sailing and all other water stuff! You are lucky.



Welcome to the forum. I am sure you will find plenty of good info and some most interesting debates here! I did.


Cheers,
barnakiel
LPGC, Canary Islands, Spain

[JPA Cate]

Nice to meet you, too, Amber, welcome aboard CF.

We met a guy in the Marquesas who also had one leg amputated above the knee. The point is, you can do it, too. Not easy all of the time, sure, but glad to have you and your courage aboard.

Ann

[boatman61]

Hi Amber, Welcome to CF..

[moctrams]

Tristan Jones did it.
]

[goeasy123]

Amber,


Have a look at

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

Jon has built a 46ft cat to single-hand. While that is remarkable in itself, but he's just started sailing and is leaving the UK for the Med in 6 weeks.


I spent an awesome night in Woody's Bar in Galveston a few years back. Loved the place.

[daletournier]

Hi Amber you need to talk to this guy https://thesinglehandedsailor.com/

Hes a mate of mine and is currently in Grenada.

After his accident he decided to sail around the world, no prior sailing experience, self taught of Utube , that was 2 1/2 oceans ago.

Yes you can do it, if that's what you want to do, Dustin is proof of this.

[Greg and Amber]

Well good morning to you all, and thank you for the encouraging words. I have no intention on giving in this early in life. Prosthetic, complete porcelain right hip, and lots and lots of titanium, but I'm alive and able to sail and I will sail. I ended up divorced and we had originally joined this group in 2012 together, but life happened an accident and after losing my leg a divorce. So here I am back with my 12 year old and we are searching for a live aboard now that will accommodate us both. Any advice is appreciated.

[Greg and Amber]

Wow, amazing. Thanks Andy Todd.
And yes Woody's is a pretty cool hang out. Galveston has some great spots.

[barnakiel]

My piece of advice is that looking for a liveaboard boat, if you get more than one option, get the boat that is the more seaworthy one. I want to say buying a liveaboard boat is basically buying a house on the water and all boats will do and many of boats that will not sail will make GREAT homes.


But, if one day you decide you want to sail to a place, a boat that sails (=one that sails well) will do better than one that does not.


If presented with multiple good choices for a liveaboard, get the one that will sail best.


A side dish is to avoid going too big. Big is fine, too big can be a challenge. (I am biased though - our boat is only 26').


Cheers,
b.

[Jfricks]

Hi Amber and Greg! I’m glad to see that life is returning to normal (albeit newly divorced). If you can find a boat with shallow steps, your leg(s) will have no problem. You didn’t say if you just wanted to live aboard or you truly meant taking off to distant shores. If just a live aboard, look for a used catamaran. I’ve seen some cats advertised in the low 70’s that are fine for living aboard, but it willl probably be expensive to refit for long distance cruising. Your slip will cost more than for a monohull, but ease of entry and all that living space more than make up for it.

Cats are still a good choice if you are interested in long trips offshore. but I personally would want a monohull.

There is a great live aboard forum in here as well as forums for both cats and monohulls. Check them out and ask questions. Very few trollers on here.

John

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Greg & Amber.

[admiralslater]

Hello and welcome , I met a gentleman in Greneda last year (not the single handed sailor) who had lost a leg below the knee and was cruising with his family around the world. He had left from South Africa . Imo a cat is the way to go
Good luck

[JPA Cate]

I just remembered, we met a woman in Queensland, Australia, on a monohull, who had a prosthetic she wore, and who seemed to get around just fine. It was at anchor, though, and I did not ask her how it was at sea.

Ann

[GILow]

I’ll probably get in trouble for this...

The OP got off lightly. I lost an arm AND a leg with my divorce.