Is Being A Dock Queen So Bad?

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

At 55 I would walk 10 miles in 10ft. of snow to my boat...chip the ice from the waterline with an axe just to go sailing. Then I would shower in that water.

Was it up hill both ways? lol

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by GaryMayo

......Is 55 the age where you leave er tied and sit and watch the other dock queens sit and watch you? .....

The short answer is not generally. If however, that is what you enjoy doing, by all means do it. I just think that 55 is a bit too early to just lose all your physical energy but then again, I am not you.

I just turned 65 and wife 71. She was getting nervous the last several times we took the sailboat out because she feels like if anything goes wrong, she physically is not capable of helping. And, generally, something always goes wrong on a long trip. I am very fortunate that she does not want to give up the boating life though. We have our 39' ketch for sale and we just bought a nice 36' Mainship aft cabin motoryacht. We are currently having her reworked - the boat, not my wife. We plan on taking our first inland trip next year. We will be going from Galveston Bay, Tx. to the northern part of Kentucky Lake, Ky. Somewhere around 1,500 to 2,000 miles. We just love being on the go. In your case, you like chillin' out at the dock. That is what you like to do. Neither of us is right or wrong. Just do what you want to do and enjoy your life. Some people buy waterfront property and dont even own a boat and dont care to. Your boat is your waterfront property - enjoy it.

[GaryMayo]

My sailing experience each day, is a little different than most of you. My lake is 1800 acres with six miles of shoreline. There is no way I can do a Magellan trek no matter how hard I try. Yes, I enjoy sailing, but I also enjoy sailboats. For me, a sailboat on the water is relaxing, on or off the slip. If the wind is nil, or if it is too windy, I am quite pleased to sit on the slip, and watch the days pass.

Is that getting old? Or is that just being comfortable with the circumstances at hand.

I would like to sell everything, and head down river to the gulf, and sail all over. Roots, and a life here, is not allowing that to happen.

What I am grateful for is the lake I do have, and the comfortable slip, wonderful neighbors, and a few years of just chilling on my lake.

[impi]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Hey we are 59 and heading for Australia from Croatia over the next 5 years or so then it's north to Asia.. 55? your a puppy!!!!! Cheers

GOOD ONE !!!

[impi]

If just sitting at the dock watching time go by is what makes you happy, then good on you ... what you don't want, is to reach an age where you wish you hadn't just sat on your lazy butt and had untied the lines and sailed to yer hearts content ...
So what do you do 10 years from now? Sit at the dock on your boat thinking about all the great time you spent sitting at the dock on your boat ...(tongue in cheek) LOL !!!

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by impi

If just sitting at the dock watching time go by is what makes you happy, then good on you ... what you don't want, is to reach an age where you wish you hadn't just sat on your lazy butt and had untied the lines and sailed to yer hearts content ...
So what do you do 10 years from now? Sit at the dock on your boat thinking about all the great time you spent sitting at the dock on your boat ...(tongue in cheek) LOL !!!

In ten years, the boat will be on a trailer, in my yard, because I will not be able to afford slip fees in retirement. lol

If it does not break 100 degrees by 8am, we are going to go to the lake tomorrow. I promise you all, I will try to go sailing. lol

[impi]

Originally Posted by GaryMayo

In ten years, the boat will be on a trailer, in my yard, because I will not be able to afford slip fees in retirement. lol

If it does not break 100 degrees by 8am, we are going to go to the lake tomorrow. I promise you all, I will try to go sailing. lol

Now we talking ... lots of photos please

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by David M

There is nothing wrong with doing whatever you want with your boat. It's your boat, not theirs. It's pointless to live up to someone else's standards, unless they are paying you.

+1

Do whatever floats yer own boat .

[casual]

If all u want from life is to an observer so be it.Sell the boat sit on a bench anywhere you want too,and observe away.Perhaps sailing wasn't for u to begin with.We all read and hear of people well into advanced years doing very active things ,we also look around and see many others just hanging out,doing only whats necessary.It's your life make your own decission.

[rover88]

I recently spent my 56th birthday at sea, single handing our boat to and from the Bahamas. I can't remember a better birthday!!

Along the way I met an 80-something couple still going strong after thirty years of sailing aboard their 33' Morgan.Most memorable was a fellow with brain cancer that was given six months to live and decided to spend it cruising - the diagnosis and death sentence having been made twelve years ago!!!!!!!!

Forget the diet. Hoist the sails and go!! It'll keep you young, fit and perhaps add years to your life.

[sabray]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

55?--55?--55?--so long ago, I can't recall even where I was at the time.
Anyway, 12-18 today--taking Bluestocking for a solo to try out the new stack-pack I designed and built.

Now curious what have you done to redesign a stack pack. My old one is getting long in in years. I think it could be better designed . What have you come up with?

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by rover88

I recently spent my 56th birthday at sea, single handing our boat to and from the Bahamas. I can't remember a better birthday!!

Along the way I met an 80-something couple still going strong after thirty years of sailing aboard their 33' Morgan.Most memorable was a fellow with brain cancer that was given six months to live and decided to spend it cruising - the diagnosis and death sentence having been made twelve years ago!!!!!!!!

Forget the diet. Hoist the sails and go!! It'll keep you young, fit and perhaps add years to your life.

You pegged that doctor business correct. To the AMA we are human lab rats. Kill one lab rat doing Frankenstein experiments, they just grab another. The paper says so in so died of cancer. BS. He / she died of chemotherapy, radiation, drugs, surgery, infections caught in the hospital.

Broken leg? See a doctor. Want a physical? Why? That is like a cow asking to go for a ride in a macdonalds semi. If you find a good doctor, hold on to him. Pretty rare anymore.

[Tempest245]

Wow..we should call this " Old Cruisers forum" Thanks guys, @ 60 ..I now feel like the youngster in this group...I think I'll go sailing today! ;-)

[pdjb]

hey there
been sailing since 05, from nyc. now in seattle..bought a 28 iwin and fixing it up so I can live and sail on it...pushing 61...love it on the water...so peaceful......no one is old.......phil

[GaryMayo]

Up at 5am to beat the heat. Pegged 104 in the shade today. At 8pm it is still 102.

Hit the lake at about 7am. Worked on one boat, stowing stuff away getting ready to drop the mast. Went out to the slip and dinked on the boat we are fixing up to keep. So much to do. By 10am it was getting so hot, we left the lake and went to my business to cool off in the AC.

It has not rained in about 6 weeks, crops are dying. Leaves are falling from trees like it was autum. Very odd weather over the past few years. Luckily the lake level does not look down too much yet. The lake drops a couple feet, and my slip turns into a stuck.

No wind today. Weather apps said 14mph. Not so. Still. Not a sailboat on the lake today that I saw. The few people that were out, were all dock queens that I saw. Later in the day, in the heat people most likely went out. I did that two weeks ago. Pass. Just too hot, in the sun, baking. In our region, august is the hottest month. Looking forward to that.