Forced to give up sailing

[Viking Sailor]

Originally Posted by Shawn0900

I'm also a pilot. Been watching my older friends deal with it in that sport too. Most just switch to hanger flying, but the rest fade off into another activity, if able. Golf seems to be one of them. Just be thankful they don't require medical certificates for sailing like they do for aviation. That would seriously knock down the number of sailers. [emoji6]

I like your garden idea btw. One hell of a big garden you have. [emoji106]

Glider pilots don't need a medical certificate to fly. I have seen a couple of guys lift and set an 80+ dude into a glider cockpit. He wasn't about to let a little RA keep him out of the sky. In fact a lot of the gilder pilots I've known are old guys who can't pass the medical.

[Shawn0900]

True, but it shouldn't be that way for gliders. Btw, I'm a glider instructor and a tow pilot. 25 years worth of it. Believe me, plenty of those guys should hang it up long before they do. There's a reason you want to be in good health flying. Reflex time and eyesight are critical. Sadly I've watched too many of those guys ding gliders, or hit people and objects on the ground. I know one older guy who totaled 6 gliders. Luckiest guy I've ever seen. Finally hung it up at 84 after nearly getting decapitated on a barbed wire fence because he turned the wrong way while in the landing pattern and landed in a field instead. Very sad. He simply forgot what to do when landing.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Sailing/Cruising is not becoming a rich person's endeavor, it just seems like that because most of the media coverage is at that end.

I am living proof of that. I've sailed for 40 years (so far) and I can honestly say its been monetarily neutral. Buts its taken a ton of effort and labour. Given the choice, I'd be on one of those magazine boats with an attractive crew catering to my every need. But thats not my life. I've often said you need money, knowledge or time. The lucky among us are those who have all three.

[a64pilot]

This is the year the third class medical is supposed to end. You can now fly as a private pilot with a regular Drs sign off, I do not know any specifics though.
If I can drive a 6,000 lb SUV within feet of other vehicles at 70 mph, I can darn sure pilot my old 1200 lb airplane no where near any built up area

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We do all the repair and maintenance work ourselves including bottom cleaning. Why can't others do the same to save money?

I think the reference was to nanny state regulations.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Deltasailor

My wife is very ill, we just cancelled out flight to Greece yesterday.
My sister said sell the boat, I can't, I think about it all the time. As long as there is a chance to sail I'll keep her. At 75 I think I can manage a few more trips.

Way back when I wore a younger man's shoes, I bought a Tanzer 22 from the family of an old sailor who had passed. The family could not bear to sell the boat, and it sat on the hard for several years before I came along. I like to think the old sailor would have been glad to have me aboard, as I cleaned and fixed and got her squared away properly once again. While I was cleaning, I found the old sailor's pants. Dead man's pants. This made him even more real to me. I could hold up the pants and compare his waist and legs to mine. And then I found his secret log book, well hidden. He had been having small heart attacks while sailing, and did not tell his family. He knew they would not let him sail anymore if they knew. He bought an autohelm instead. I read his story of lying helpless on the cockpit floor while the autohelm steered on, wondering if this was the end. There were many more pages, but I could read no more. I closed the book, wrapped it carefully in his pants, and delivered it to his son as soon as I could. That sailor would not, did not give up sailing, long after he should have. I never met him. But I will always remember him. He liked to sail his boat. And so do I.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Madwand

I see old people hanging around their old jobs cause they have nothing else to do, but I've never seen an old guy hanging around the marina wishing he could sail. Maybe they already got a ride?

Lets be real...nobody is going to take an old man out sailing on their boat if they can help it...even if they are related! A 22 year old woman...now thats something entirely different!

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I see I am going to have to explain myself. delmarey was saying how you cannot scrub the bottom of his boat any more. You have to haul out to do it. That is way more expensive. Slips in Mexico were once 1/4 the price of the US. Now they are equal or more. Yes, the hob-nobs of the 1930's had 105ft. yachts. But the 30's to the 80's saw people who built their own boats, learned celestial navigation and set off for years on the cheap. Hal Roth was a good example. Today .com money continues to buy more and more Huntabenelinas creating a higher demand for marine services, pushing up the prices.
In regards to Steadyhand's post to sailboats under $30K, this is true but he doesn't speak of the costs associated with ownership such as maintenance, haul-outs and slip costs...because like a lot here on the forum does not own a boat and perhaps never has.

I see your point, but this is largely a location restriction. We still scrub and paint on our own , no mercury or tin, but much DIY is available. I do remember slip rates at 10 cents/foot for the transient day, but at that time you could also buy four chicken pot pies for a dollar. Inflation seems relative to pay increases. I think you're subject to some West Coast restrictions that are not present here on the East Coast.

[Madwand]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Lets be real...nobody is going to take an old man out sailing on their boat if they can help it...even if they are related! A 22 year old woman...now thats something entirely different!

I just said I would.

[Joel E Felt]

Reading this thread, I cant help thinking of my father in S.Pacific in wwII. He spoke about all the on board highjenks, and battles that he was in. Built his 6 children a 13 ft. (Popular Mechanics) teacup. From there I was hooked. But life is a funny old dog, Im turning 62 in july and have reserved a slip in E Tawas for my first attempt at serious sailing. My dad? He turned 93 in March and is ticked off at me because we have a golf tournament that week of July. I am just getting started, but I wish that I had started sooner. Let me see how much I can cram into the next couple of years.
To all of you that are reaching that final goal, God Bless You for your insightful wisdom and explanations here on this forum. Endeavor to persevere.

joel

[Joel E Felt]

I know of one old man that I wished I could take!


Joe;l

[Viking Sailor]

Originally Posted by Shawn0900

True, but it shouldn't be that way for gliders. Btw, I'm a glider instructor and a tow pilot. 25 years worth of it. Believe me, plenty of those guys should hang it up long before they do. There's a reason you want to be in good health flying. Reflex time and eyesight are critical. Sadly I've watched too many of those guys ding gliders, or hit people and objects on the ground. I know one older guy who totaled 6 gliders. Luckiest guy I've ever seen. Finally hung it up at 84 after nearly getting decapitated on a barbed wire fence because he turned the wrong way while in the landing pattern and landed in a field instead. Very sad. He simply forgot what to do when landing.

Shawn,

I bow to your far greater knowledge and experience with older glider pilots. I can only claim 3 or 4 years of gliders.

However, during those years, I never saw or heard of any of the older pilots banging up an aircraft. The pilots were a close knit group and if one of them wasn't fit to go solo he would go up with a friend. Nobody was so stupid, suicidal, or malicious as to want to (or let someone else) wreak a perfectly good aircraft. But, maybe it was different where you worked.

[Shawn0900]

I've been very active in the Northeast soaring community over the years. Seen it all. All types, young and old. Stay in it long enough and you will witness things that will really freak you out. Once us local instructors decide we won't sign off your biannual, you're done. Medical or no medical. Thats how many end their careers. Sadly, that's also when some go elsewhere to find someone that will sign them off. Unfortunately that's how some people end up killing themselves. When it's time for me, I'm just hanging up my wings, or maybe I'll just fly into rock face in the mountains and go quickly. [emoji6] I wonder which will need to go first, sailing or flying. Interesting question.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by sailpower

I think the reference was to nanny state regulations.

...Thank you...but can you imagine forking over a hundreds to clean your bottom every 3 months?

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Or like I wrote earlier... plan your finances better in order to hire others to do the heavy lifting. If one needs to quit due to lack of money, who's to blame for that?

Not everyone I have met have had opportunity in life to create $$green$$ energy in their life. I'm glad you have your Oyster. Last time I checked, those boats were going for $300,000 to $500,000. Please raise your hand if the average Joe can pull that off. I know you do the 50/50 thing with working but that is not everyone's trip.