What comes next after cruising & racing?

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Interloper

We started out as beginners learning like everyone. We then spent about 15 years daysailing and cruising (a few days at most). And then I spent the last almost 20 years racing, but I'm finally over that. So I still enjoy sailing, but it's hard to imagine not having some sort of challenge. So what's next?

Next is wasting all your free time on CF, answering people's questions and occasionally trying to be funny.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

I thought about mentioning this earlier, but now it seems fitting:
Bring Back the Worrell 1,000!!!

Yep, it would be fun to do ..........if you are around 40 or so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_0o0YFfesM

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I've completed several 100 mile races on beach cats. All the races were the Ft Walton Beach RTI Race.

We did two on a Nacra 6.0 in the 90's and I did 3 more singlehanded on a Nacra F-17 (Inter 17R back then) in the early 2000's

The 1997 race actually had 82 boats compete. We finished that 100 mile race at 7:30 pm after a 7:00 am start. I've also finished at 0300 the following day in some of the other races

Now days they have made that race a two day event since all the competitors have gotten old......the 1/2 way mark they use is just back inside Pensacola Pass at Ft Pickens where you can camp then complete the race the following day.

The Horn Island/Ship Island Races out of Ocean Springs are fun to do also on beach cats. I've probably done those 8X. These races are maybe 25-30 miles long I'd guess. Several guys have raced those on A-Cats. You actually go on the island and have beer and chicken for lunch.

The Horn Island Race used to feature an informal Beauty Pageant at the island to select that years Miss Horny Island..........!

A small/fast monohull may be the way to go though if you are age 60 plus......

After a year of A-Cat ownership I am just now getting to the point where I am considering some listance stuff. Horn Island and Mobile Bay race are on the possibles list this year.

There is nothing so fun as a long trap ride on an A-Cat, Andrew it's far less punishing on the body than hiking for miles.

[bvisailing32]

All of us humans are very different, yet alike....but we have different motivations.

For nearly 40 yeas I had two parallel careers, Merchant Marine Capt, and professional pilot.

It has been a fantastic and active lifestyle, and at 77 we , Erica is 8 years younger, are still going pretty darned strong and still having fun daily with life. We do not sit around much. But, we have to stay within our limits .

Flying back ground: Flight Instructor, Charter Pilot, Corporate Pilot, Aerobatic Pilot, and Fighter Pilot ( Instructor Pilot ) with Air Combat U.S.A. 5 and 6 G, dog fights. That was the last 17 years before moving to kauai.

Sailing back ground: A few years after beginning flight lessons in 1967. I added in sailing and love it, as well. Took 5 yrs to gain my sea time to sit for my 100 ton USCG license ( boosted to 500 ton on the 5th issue ).

Grand life , sailing and motor vessel instructor, charters, corporate buiding regattas, delivery skipper, flotila leader, West Coast of U.S, the Caribbean, Australia, Tonga, Tahiti. Also, international sailing vacations bare boating in Ireland and Greece.

After retirement, we continued to sail and fly but not for hire, we joined sailing clubs as we no longer owned any boats. My flying had reduced to flying aerobatics once a year on mainland vacations from our Kauai Island home. Sadly, due to eyes and ears my flying days are over. I miss it very much.

But, we are still very active. In almost ten years of living on kauai, and now two years back at the beach city of Dana Point, we do not sit on our okoles.

Again, this is how we handle life, and others can find what is important to them and keep on keeping on.

I have a great lady, now of 35 years, both of us are retired and do our best to keep the fun light illuminated and stay fit.

Until recently we belonged to a sailing club here in Dana Point, and we would sail to Catalina, or along the coast to other ports of call. And, yep party down a bit. No huge boat costs, slip feels, maintenance, etc.

We also would do two week to one month sailing vacations, and eco adventure trips. No Cruise Ships . Latest eco trip was Costa Rica, in the rain forrests, cloud forests, up rivers to isolated areas, etc. Amazing.

Last week we drove out to our local desert for the wild flower bloom, and hiking, and having a grand time for 4 days.

In less than month , we will be back sailing the BVI for two weeks plus a few days on land.

Our usual daily activities here at home :

For both of us. Five days of working out at the gym, other days mix it with working out at home, hiking our many local trails and wilderness areas a few days a week, going out to reward grub and grog,

Saturday night date nights...special dinners out...all fun places. NFL sunday during the season, and bareboat chartering 36 foot sailing vessels for our needed international sailing fixes. .

We still try to expand our world, and up coming is going to be 30 day road trips, ( It will take a few ) to explore my own country by traveling thru the western states . Yep, I have been PIC ( Pilot in command coast to coast and border to border ), but that was flying several Air Combat U.SA. missions a day, and did not get to explore those areas. So , we have that coming up next year and beyond. No motor home, just road trips.

Our plan is to continue to live and experience life as much as possible while I am still up right and healthy .

Both of us are very excited about once again sailing the BVI, and experiencing some new islands and harbors that we have not been to before.

Add in meeting great people, snorkeling, some hikes, and of course partying down.

Also, looks like next year, we will add in a special two week trip back to kauai Island, since our hearts and many friends are there, and all kinds of active fun .

Now, I cannot tell you or anyone else what to do, but just give an idea of how we are handling life after a max effort of grand and adventurous occupations and explorations and having fun at staying fit and active.

Life is an adventure

Just reach out and grab it.

Do it now, for now is all we have for certain.