New adventure at 70

[Pilot2]

Originally Posted by Mithril Bham

Learning to sail is fairly easy...Read Chapmans...A

Chapmans is great but its 1.5" thick with 10pt type. A fast reader/learner will take a fair time to get through it, at 70, it could take years.

[Pilot2]

Offshore Sailing: 200 Essential Passagemaking Tips is also a great book with lots of common sense life-saving tips.

[Scout 30]

Not much response from the OP. Have you decided on the boat yet? If not you might tell us where you're located so we can throw some other options at you. I'm a fan of more traditional, higher end brands like Island Packet, Cabo Rico and Pacific Seacraft but there are a ton of great boats out there.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by CMO Tashina

Good to hear I'm not the only boomer deciding that buying a little sailboat and heading over the horizon at age 70 is a lovely idea. Beats the heck out of sitting in a nursing home or in some rocking chair, right? Good luck on your boat hunt and sailing venture!

Thanks CMO. Do you single hand sail?

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

You give no indication of just where you are going sailing, nor what your experience is. That tends to matter :-)!

You say "Navigation?". Do you mean "how do I navigate?" or do you mean "what equipment do I need?"

The answer to the latter is simplicity itself: You need: a) paper charts of the water where you will sail. Buy only what you need for now. The library of charts will grow as you sail further afield. b) a sharp pencil, c) a pair of dividers, d) 2 draftsman's triangles. e) a cheap wristwatch from Walmart. C'est tout! You do NOT need a chartplotter. In fact you shouldn't presume to use one till you can navigate using the cited "old school" equipment! Before anybody jumps me - NO you do NOT need a bearing compass. In a slow moving boat your steering compass is quite sufficient. Tho I'll admit I use a pair of binocs with a compass in the one reticle.

You say "Communication?". Do you mean "how do I communicate?" or do you mean "what equipment do I need?"

The answer to the latter is simplicity itself: You need a VHF radio. You can buy either a handheld job or a mounted job for ahunnert'n'fifty bux at any chandler's. Since few yachtmen can read semaphore or Morse code these days, you are reduced to the using VHF.

As to the "how" of communication: Be punctilious about how you use the radio protocol. If you are not familiar with it, the Power Squadrons give an excellent course on what it is and how to use it.

Oh - I've got ten years on you BTW ;-0)!

All the best

TrentePieds

Getting back to you to thank you;
Navigation; type of equipment you recommend
for coastal sailing/cruising,
Communication; again, equipment you recommend.
Sounds as if we want to keep things simple, I like that, thank you.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by roverhi

I'm 74 and down sized into a Sabre 28 Mk I. Extremely happy with boats sailing ability and handling. Light on the helm and tracks well sailing. Easy boat to single hand with Mainsail control lines led aft to cockpit. Tiller steered boat so can steer, winch headsail and reef from the same position. Would have gone for the 30 but slip size limited length to 29'. Boat is no condo but have stayed aboard for more than a month and adequate room and storage for simple living.

Had to deliver the boat from SF to Oceanside, CA mostly solo. First day averaged more than 7knph over the bottom with complete control. Unfortunately had to power for the other 3 days of the 400 plus mile voyage.

When "single hand", do you incorporate a auto-helm?

Thanks for your time.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by stormalong

I had a Sabre 34 Mk I way back when. Great boats with one exception. The hull to deck joint was butyl rubber tape bolted together. Stop leaks by tightening bolts - that is until the rubber is squeezed out. Be sure to check this on your new to you boat.

Very good to know, thank you.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by Lihuedooley77

100% agree that you learn Coastal Piloting, and maybe a back up hand held GPS.

Paper chart or charts of the area that you are sailing. Hand bearing compass to take bearings to plot fixes, running fixes, estimated positions. You can also lay out a D.R. track line using time speed, distance and direction.

1. Paper Charts
2. Ships Compass
3. Hand Bearing Compass
4. Dividers
5. Plotter
6. Watch
7, Ships knot meter
8. Pencil
9. Book to log your position,

Learn to properly note all of the info very easily on your chart as well.

If you are not skilled in Coastal Piloting, Coastal Naivigation, take and complete, and gain knowledge by taking a quality navigation class. Should last a full weekend, or three or four nights .

Also, we recommend an inexpensive hand held GPS.....

Or if a GPS is installed, that is good as well.

But, with all of the electronic easy to button push electronics, the boating and sailing community are lacking in knowledge of navigation.

I had one fellow. M.D. specialist. Very smart and a neat human being. Nice home in an expensive area with a dock /slip . Bought a Carver motor vessel. Probably mid to high 40's LOA. It was new, and had all of the GPS, auto pilot, magic boxes.

He new zip about boats, and wanted me to train him. We would be coming into Huntington harbor, and instead of looking at where he was going, he was glued to the moving map of the GPS. I told him look at where he was going, traffic, the rock jetty, and the large mooring cans for the U.S. Navy warships and the warships themselves who load missiles and munitions from the Naval Weapons Station.

I told him he also needed a Coastal Piloting course and since I had been professionally teaching navigation as well as sailing and motor vessels safety a sea courses, we could give him a private lesson at his home. Will take both days of a weekend.

NOPE, HE HAD ALL OF HIS ELECTRONICS, DID NOT NEED ANY MORE.

A year later I run into him and he tells me his story.

He was motoring back from Catalina Island, and had plugged in the lat and lon of his dock, and coupled the autopilot. he was down below , with his friends having a grand ol time . After a couple hours, he happens to look out the window.

AHEAD ARE BREAKERS, WAVES SMASHING UP ONTO THE BEACH. HE NEARLY RAN THAT POWER BOAT UP ON TO THE SHORE .

He thought the bloody GPS would take him to the channel entrance, make the turns and take him to his slip.

That is the mentality of today .

TAKE A COASTAL PILOTING AND NAVIGATION CLASS.....there is one heck of a lot to learn far and above plotting courses and positions.

Stay smart, stay safe... that means you, the boat and the passengers.

Thanks for your thoughts and confirmation of mine, charts, compass, dividers etc and paying attention the way to go.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Your location or area might be helpful. Any reason for the Sabre 30?
Have at it if you're physically fit. 30 yrs ago begins to feel like yesterday.

Location; Kent Island

Why this Sabre, I know where it has been, it is "dry", standard issue boat with no bells and whistles, I can add and install the basics that "I need" only. As my sailing skills grow so goes the equipment necessary.

Thanks for your feedback.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by Mithril Bham

Learning to sail is fairly easy. Seamanship and maintenance is a lifetime endeavor. Focus on your health. Diet & exercise. Yoga is good in close quarters. Without good health you aren't going anywhere. Yes, paper charts. Hand bearing compass. Chart plotter also good. Many inexpensive solutions these days. Lots of good info on this site. Satellite phone. Cheap solutions available now for weather fax which can save your life.
Get USCG Masters just for drill. Read Chapmans, Annapolis and Nigel Calder.
Good luck.

Thank you. I've tried to keep it together courtesy of my surfing interests since 13 years of age. Staying fit sustains the lifestyle, lifestyle sustains staying fit, here's hoping!

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by In Training

Awesome! Love to read people being active after they are retired. Husband and I will probably be 69 and 70 when we get out of our land commitments. Good to know others are doing this at that age as well. Hope you enjoy yourself out there.

Thank you. You two are very fortunate, you have each other to share your sailing etc interests. Spouse has not interest, so looking to build a single hand sailing lifestyle.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by SuW

Good for you! Even if you don't go "around the world" you can have a wonderful time messing about in boats!

It doesn't much matter which boat, imo, you can get about, see interesting things and find peace...interspersed with occasional sheer, bloody terror!

You need,

• A good engine, well maintained. You can do this. The Internet will provide.
• A dinghy (imo) preferably a rowing dinghy - you get little exercise when cruising otherwise.
• Several good anchors and rodes; chain and rope.
• A decent cooker to make tasty food.
• Some understanding of the rules of the road, weather and eye-ball navigation.
• A copy of St. Nigel's Opus.
• Lots of bits of cord, line and rope.
• Sewing kit. Tools. Spares. Filters.
• Love.
• Luck.
• Oh...and sails. Crispy is good!

Fair winds!

I love it, thanks. And yes, crispy is good.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by Lihuedooley77

70 or any age.....agree that mental and physical well being is very important.

We, Erica and i are both, ahhh, er, well seasoned, I am 78, she is 70. We are fit, and alert. And add in very positive, and also respectful of everyone, and everything including the ocean and the weather.

Personal Health . Important

We both work out five days a week with resistance training and stretching, and cardio.
Also, we do 2 mile walks during the week, and longer four to five mile hikes that are a combo of strenuous, moderate, and easy on the wilderness trails.

But time is catching up to us bit in our two main endeavors, flying and sailing. One we no longer do, and one we are still at it.

Flying: Starting flying in 1967, used the Vietnam G.I, bill to go though 2 plus years, private, commercial, instrument, multi engine and flight instructor ratings.

That lead to a career as a CFI, charter pilot and corporate pilot, and the last 17 years, 2500 missions as an instructor pilot for Air Combat U.S.A.

Finally, at about 65 yrs of living, The eyes and ears and G -tollerence was fading. I stopped flying Air Combat 5 and 6 G dogfghts in 2005 with a career total time of 6500 hrs. This was hand flying, no auto pilot. I loved the air combat and actually my entire flying years.

Erica was a private pilot and aerobatic pilot.

Sailing:

As to sailing, that we are still doing. I am retired as a U.S.C.G. LIC. Master, sailing and motor vessel instructor, charter capt, and delivery skipper plus flotilla leader in the south pacific and caribbean. Love sailing, and the sea, and adventures in paradise.

Erica was one of my students and we became a team 36 ro 36 yrs ago. She went thru all of our sailing club lessons, plus celestial nav, North U Fast course for racing, and is qualified as skipper on vessels up to 46 ft, with sailing clubs and bare boat charter companies. Cannot stress the importance of having your partner a qualified skipper and seaman. That means sea- woman as well.

Back to age and over all mind and body health. In may, I will be 79, and we no longer day sailing , but, we are still bare boating internationally on an annual basis.
Just Erica and I, on 36 ft sailing vessels. life is good !

In the last 13 years, we have bareboated, Australia, Tahiti, The BVi several times, in this coming may, will be sailing vacation # 17 in the BVI. Toss in bareboating a
32 ft, and two years later a 34 ft. motor vessel up the River Shannon , Ireland for two weeks, and also, Sailed the Greek Islands, on a 60 plus sailing vessel as watch captains and paying crew/passengers in the Greek Islands. I was not skipper in Greece.

Point being, the OP is coming on 70, and we know that sailing can be done at that age.

It will take time, work and study, and by all means take professional lessons. There is a lot to learn, and after nearly 40 years of skippering sailing and motor vessels world wide, WE ARE STILL LEARNING, and we like that . We also believe that both the husband and the ( partner) wife take the lessons together. Have a viable crew and use team work.

At 70, You can become a sailor, and more important a seaman, and enjoy the cruising and sailing life while being safe and professional. Might start out with long coastal sailing trips before crossing any large ponds.

It does take work and dedication and knowledge, as well as good mental and physical well being,.

Set your goals, do the work, learn and reap the rewards. It is all out there waiting for you to share the sailing life.

"Rolling stone gathers no moss". You are my inspiration. You folks are very fortunate, you have each other, I'm looking at single hand sailing and coming up with same or similar result, a good healthy lifestyle. Thank You for your story and feedback.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by PolarisOne

If you are located on the east coast I have a two-owner 1989 Sabre 30 MK3 for sale in NY. Shoal draft (4 feet), Raymarine Evolution below decks autopilot, Tides track Mainsil with stack pack, Garmin instruments and 740s chartplotter (all networked), Standard Horizon GX2200 AIS, Isotherm refrigeration with Stainless Lobster controller, dodger, bimini with 2X100 watt solar panels, 700 hour 1997 Westerbeke 20B diesel. Both Gori folding propeller and fixed, 2 blade. Keel recently dropped and resealed. Cabin windows replaced. Asking $30,000.

She is a great boat but I also own a Bristol 47 with a dead engine so don't need two boats.

-John

Thanks PolarisOne. Thinking I might be able to pick up this standard issue (no bells/whistles) Sabre 30 for about 10k repair and add minimal coastal single hand cruising equipment for about 20k.

[jhughes]

Originally Posted by misfits

Good choice, I've got a 1980 28'. It's a joy to sail & can be easliy handeled by one person.
With the mainsheet at the end of the boom it's like sailing a dingy

Although I've owned 11 boats through out my lifetime, this is my first sailboat. I'll be 64 when she goes back into the water this season & with any luck I'll be able to sail her for many years to come.

Happy New Year everyone!

Thank you and a happy healthy new year to you.