For Sale: A most difficult decision.

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I've just been reading back through the posts here, and thinking about your situation.

As you have never had to deal with being incapacitated before (lucky you!), you may be experiencing a situational depression, a post traumatic stress sort of deal: your vulnerability has been crushingly brought to your attention.

One of the challenges of ageing is to find ways to maintain your quality of life while your physical competency dwindles. All of us who live to old ages have to cope with it. You are not alone. Trying to come to grips with this issue is one of the primary causes of depression among the elderly, or at least, so I was taught.

Still, it is a serious injury, and I suppose there's the possibility of further surgeries as time goes on.

Your best option here is to be really devoted to your physical therapy (as soon as you are allowed.) Anything else you can do to increase your healthiness is worth a shot, as well.

Good luck with it,

Ann

Anne,

You hit a very important thing for "old sailors" to note. I am no spring chicken and am not the man in many ways I was when I single handed offshore numerous times. I would not do this now. However... I find the boat THERAPEUTIC forbnody and mind. We DO slow down and it takes more effort to "get going". I find boats represent constant mental and physical challenges which will keep you old codgers from getting cobwebs. In fact boat projects and that list which never seems to go away are exactly what the doctor prescribes. DOING THINGS. Solving problems.

Actual sailing unless in rough weather is not difficult especially with all the power assists we now have... AP, GPS, powered winches and windlass... and so forth. These "guys" are my crew! And they are damned good at what they do. And they don't talk back and they don't consume provisions or complain of lack of sleep! I can say all this because Shiva is 36' and so maybe 50' would be a whole different level. But I do think unless you can't get around at all... your boat is your lifeline to better heath... physical and mental!

Jolly.

Do not be discouraged and do not sell your boat. You will regret it. When you need help... call Cruisers Forum and your friends here will assist. Helping other sailors is in our DNA.

[JPA Cate]

Helping other sailors is in our DNA.

Good one, sandero, it is pretty compulsive, at times.

Ann

[CS Cruiser]

Jolly sorry to hear of your injury, hope things work out well for you, all the best.

[oldragbaggers]

Jolly, I would like to add my voice to those urging you not to act impulsively right now and sell your boat. You are not only physically fragile at the moment, but also mentally and emotionally, probably more than you know.

I have never broken anything like you have so can't relate to your injury or the recovery from it, but I have a little experience with the other part. So that those who have already heard the story don't have to suffer through it again, Jolly, I will just give you the link to my blog post about my experience and hopefully, if nothing else, it may give you some encouragement.

Best of luck in whatever you decide.

https://www.oldragbaggers.com/its-pe...t-of-my-sails/

[Nicholson58]

So sorry to hear of your situation. We are all one hiccup from a train wreck. My cousin a few years ago reached a similar condition but wanted to continue cruising. He hired a captain-wife crew to handle & deliver his vessel. My cousin & his wife sometimes did transits and sometimes joined the boat at the destination. This was surprisingly affordable by finding a couple who shared the desire to life aboard & cruise. There were extended times my cousin could not be aboard allowing the crew to cruise at will. Perhaps something similar could let you continue on for a while.

[Jolly Roger]

Once more I am gob-smacked at the kind remarks and support, for both me and BRITANNIA.
I am especially grateful to those who have had more serious injuries and illnesses. I realize a broken leg is no big deal in the great course of events. Although it is for me at the moment, being a first, at my age.
I know I’m going to mend eventually, but I’m still essentially in the “leg up” mode, with the occasional sortie on my scooter, but far too much time to think.

So I’m going to take the majority advice and just try to get better quickly, so we can get back to the boat and evaluate it all.
I’m also going to dig my old rowing machine out of mothballs, because that’s one of the most all embracing exercises I know, and won’t put too much pressure on the bad leg. It will certainly be an odd sight, seeing someone rowing like mad on the foredeck getting nowhere. I expect people will want to know why I don’t just get in the dink’.
I’m no psychoanalyst, but I think Ann and others might be right about the depression thing. It's probably inevitable after getting so near to cutting out after five years hard labor and expense. So getting back to the boat will probably help with this and I will just have to get used to not being able to do some things for the moment. Copious drafts of Guinness will help as well.
This discussion has helped enormously, and I’ll keep you all updated, until we can finally close this thread one way or another.

[Sandero]

Great to read that you are responding to the support from the members here. Please keep us informed about your progress. With determination and patience...you'll be underway sooner than you think...

Think positive!

Your journey begins not with tossing off the lines but the will to do it!

[Jolly Roger]

I have just been introduced to the greatest diversion from worrying about my leg and the boat since it happened.
I was complaining about not having my favorite CD’s with me, which are still on the boat. My grandson showed me how we could get music from something called i-tunes, and play it through something called blue-tooth on our stereo.
We might be able to navigate with a sextant but we are cretins regarding new technology. I’m still on windows XP.
I’ve just listened to 1000 Welshmen - the land of my ancestors - belting out Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (land of my fathers), and the haunting Myfywny. I actually found my bad foot trying to tap to The March of The Men of Harlech, so that’s therapeutic if anything is. Why didn't the doc' tell me to do that?
At this rate I’ll be on my feet in no time.

[dochip]

Get your grandson to show you Pandora. Free music instead of buying from i-Tunes. It takes a song or artist you like and generates music that is similar. You can create "stations" which then play that sort of music. For instance if you create a Fairport Convention station or Sandy Denny station you get lots and lots of similar Celtic sorts of great stuff. It is very easy to use. Keep tapping your foot.

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

I have just been introduced to the greatest diversion from worrying about my leg and the boat since it happened.
I was complaining about not having my favorite CD’s with me, which are still on the boat. My grandson showed me how we could get music from something called i-tunes, and play it through something called blue-tooth on our stereo.
We might be able to navigate with a sextant but we are cretins regarding new technology. I’m still on windows XP.
I’ve just listened to 1000 Welshmen - the land of my ancestors - belting out Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (land of my fathers), and the haunting Myfywny. I actually found my bad foot trying to tap to The March of The Men of Harlech, so that’s therapeutic if anything is. Why didn't the doc' tell me to do that?
At this rate I’ll be on my feet in no time.

My kind of folk!

[Celestialsailor]

Hi Jolly....since everyone here has spread the sweet jam on thick, I want to give you a little reality instead. I think the situation will sort itself out on it's own without intervention. I hate to be the one that has to tell you this and understand why no one has said it yet....Britannia is worth $150K to you but probably no one else. Yes, she is unique...but unique to you. Downeast's have always been a "Blue collar" priced boat. Without a doubt, you have done an outstanding job on her. But there are other boats in that price range that you would have to compete with and arguably of more refined quality as to lay ups and what not.
Secondly, I've been through this myself and even sold a vessel under duress. I kicked myself later.
All you need to do is switch gears and relax into the boat when you're feeling up to it. But for now maybe back off a little, get away from it for awhile and when you're feeling up to it, pedle around with it and slowly get back into the groove of things. Likely, you were putting too much effort into the vessel and it was burning you out.
I have built 2of my own steel boats and resurrected 4 F/G boats. Each one of them, I had to back off at times and have a life doing something else.
You might think you're too old for this but how old will you be if you don't try? Regardless, Britannia is in your life for awhile.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

...
Does anyone know the coefficient of Titanium by any chance? ...

FWIW:
At temperatures between 68 - 200 deg. F:
Titanium has a Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 4.8 [microinch/(in deg. F)]
Titanium Alloy - Ti-5Al-2.5Sn has a Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 5.3
Ti-8Mn has a Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 6.0
➥ Thermal Expansion Metals

[Jolly Roger]

I’ve always held to the maxim: The best time to try to sell anything is when you don’t need to. And I have profitably sold many things, including two businesses and a house, (in the middle of the recession), on this basis.
I built BRITANNIA for myself, knowing some things might reduce the number of sales prospects, just as others might increase it. The name itself could be of-putting to any none British buyer—especially in the largest market among our ex-colonial friends. Ha!
If I had been bothered about that I would have named her CONSTITUTION. But how much more value might her historic name be to a British buyer?
I don’t want to turn this thread into a discussion about what the boat is worth, because beauty and value are in the eye of the beholder, and it remains to be seen whether I actually pursue a sale anyway. All I have done so far is place a button on my site explaining my situation, the same as I did on the beginning of this thread.
In the meantime, I’m already doing exactly what Celestialsailor and others have advised.
We are holed up in our cabin, 3,500 ft up a hill in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, expecting snow any day. (see Rental cabins Blue Ridge Mountains)
I’m writing, and had another article accepted by Good Old Boat Magazine. One comes out in January, about my method of anchoring, and another in May, about the AC installation.
Then there’s i-tunes...
I am becoming more and more confident as each day passes, but we must wait and see how it is when we do get back.
Thanks for the info Gord'. All I have to do now if find out what they actually used, but the surgeon doesn't seem to know?

[Tayana42]

I look forward to reading your up-coming articles in Good Old Boat. Best wishes for your recovery happening faster than your sale.


S/V B'Shert

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

I look forward to reading your up-coming articles in Good Old Boat. Best wishes for your recovery happening faster than your sale.
S/V B'Shert

Thanks Tayana42:
I’m hedging my bets on that, and not doing anything more about a sale until we get back to Florida.
As regards my articles; I have installed some things which may be considered unusual, (if not downright wacky), but that’s what makes them interesting.
Nobody has bought my hot-tub article yet, but other things, like the dinghy hoist winch, over-the-top blocks and the square sail system, have all been a nice bit of extra revenue.

Not to mention the eight pages in Cruising Outpost, which would be my best sales aid if I need it.