Older sailors and boat must-have features

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by MikeE

.........To upgrade everything I would need make the boat an easier sail for me it would far exceed the value of the boat itself. Plus there are a few other basic things it needs, new head and hoses, wiring, running lights, Windex etc..........I'm hoping to get a menu of features you all feel would comprise the perfect sailboat for someone my age..........

Autopilot
All control lines led to the cockpit
Wind speed and direction at the helm
Functioning head, lights, etc.
Dodger and bimini
Self tacking jib
Refrigerator with cold beer

[sail sfbay]

These added features would be benefical:

Windlass
Furling jib
Self-tacking jib
Mainsail stackpack

[Scorpius]

I have a Milwaukee M28 angle drill with a winch bit fitting thus converting all of my winches to electric - much cheaper and just as powerful (if not more so) than a Winchrite.

I figure that thing alone will add five years to my sailing life - barring serious medical issues ocurring elsewhere.

I turn 75 in a couple of weeks.

[stormalong]

Autopilot to keep the boat into the wind while setting/reefing/dropping the main.

[Cpt Mark]

I'm 66, still a spring chicken lol. Actually more of a sprung chicken. 6 knee surgeries on the right knee including 2 total knee replacements, 5 spine surgeries, C2-6 are fused as are l3-5. Mobility issues, strength issues and nerve damage due to the various accidents, surgeries etc. Been paralyzed twice from the neck down. Gave up on ever circumnavigating as I could barley walk the dock. Buddy asked me to go out with him on his sailboat (new to him). Nice thing about a boat is there's always something to grab onto. I immediately checked the boat bow to stern and started sailing again. Health is much improved and except for the fact I damaged my rotator cuff so can't single hand I'd be on my way south to Mexico now.

For me. The only boat choice was a catamaran. Mobility issues make a flat sailing vessels with wide decks just too much easier. An electric winch, not a drill or drill like device. All lines come back to the cockpit through clutches and all can reach the electric winch if needed. Electric windlass with a digital chain counter at the helm. Since I'm circumnavigating I have 3 forms of auto pilots on board. The main electric one, B&G with MFD, a cheap electric wheel pilot as back up and a Hydrovane wind vane. AIS transponder, radar, watermaker. All of this makes life easy and comfortable.

Installed a chinese diesel heater. Wouldn't go anywhere without one. The 3 KW version heats my entire 35' cat easily. To learn about these watch this guys videos.
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ohn+mck+diesel

Tides marine are awesome and coupled with an electric winch... I'm going to add a wireless switch to the winch so I can push button myself up the mast. I'll be clipped into another halyard to go down the mast using Jumar ascenders.

Have some form of storage to keep your lines separate and out of the way and an easy way to get back aboard.

[sogin]

We worried about being able to sail in our 70's and 80's when we purchased our Sabre 426 in 2012. We ordered it with in boom furling, electric primary winches, auto pilot, an electric windlass and one electric winch for the furling main. Self tacking jib plus Harken adjustable genoa cars for the larger sail. All led back to the cockpit with an appropriate number of clutches. We also purchased a Gybe-Easy system. Not cheap but the expense was much smaller than the cost of building the boat. We have been very happy with all of these decisions. If I had to do it over again I would have ordered a hydraulic head sail fuller. Clearly this is not the best way to equip a blue water vessel because of potential points of failure but for a coastal cruiser this arrangement has worked well for us.

[Motorsailer4me]

I am 65 and the Admiral is 61. We faced the same question about continuing to sail. We debated giving it up and going the trawler route but we decided we would miss that special moment when the engine goes off and the sails take over too much. However, we decided we would not miss hard tacking in a narrow channel with the wind right on our nose....so....trawler vs. sailboat. Being indecisive types we opted for a motorsailer. If it is comfortable to sail we do. If we need to get home in bad weather we drive from the pilothouse and crank up the engine. The main and mizzen keep us from rolling much in boat wakes. The boat we selected has a full keel, single 100 hp diesel, large 3 blade prop, ketch rig with main and mizzen roller furled in the booms, furling self taking jib, bow thruster, electric winches, autopilot, etc.

When we started sailing 45 years ago we had wet sandwiches from the bottom of an igloo cooler. Now we feel we deserve a full-size refrigerator, microwave, oven, coffee maker, washer dryer, three reverse cycle AC/heat units, and most importantly an ice maker in the bar.

Btw, cats were considered but most now are very overpriced and though they don't heel much we never could get used to the odd motion.

[Scaramanga F25]

Get a battery powered "Wincher". Or an
angle drill and a bit that fits winches.

[Minggat]

Do your yoga.
Wish I had found the right program sooner. PM me for recommendation.

Huge 2nd on the pee bottle. That would be a liquid laundry detergent bottle with the spout removed. Free, essential, and much more safe than the rail.

Learn to do Google search here on CF.

Small Knipex pliers.

71 years here, and still learning.

[Finalee]

Auto pilot, tides track, generator for ac, electric winch, young wife. That about did it for me at 67.

[Ramona]

I'm 73 and have an SS34 with a stackpack/lazy jacks and all reefing lines to the cockpit. Oversized two speed self tailing winches for the genoa sheets. Aries windvane self steering gear, I sail 99% solo. When I get old I'm planning on installing an electric winch on the cabin top to haul up the mainsail halyard.

[sailingabe41ds]

hi..
i know money is an issue. ..but for me i went from a hunter 36 to jeanneau 41ds. bigger is better ...more headroom...ease of getting in and out. ..everything is electric..toilets..winches. ..windlass...in mast furling. ..
..all lines in the cockpit. the 36 was so much work even when i was 10 years younger....i am 62.
i guess i will eventually follow the path of sailboat to motorboat...motorboat to motorhome...motorhome to nursing home. ..and nursing home to eternal home.

abe

[thomm225]

To me as I age, I think the worst thing you can do is to make things easier for you physically until you absolutely have to because when you do you will begin to lose the muscles (and balance) it took to accomplish those things aboard.

Now when you no longer can that is a different story.....but to stop earler isn't a good idea.

[Seighlor]

Originally Posted by thomm225

To me as I age, I think the worst thing you can do is to make things easier for you physically until you absolutely have to because when you do you will begin to lose the muscles (and balance) it took to accomplish those things aboard.

Now when you no longer can that is a different story.....but to stop earler isn't a good idea.

I've arrived at the "different story" part of life. Long a singlehander, I sailed my 44' sloop until age 85. At that point, coping with big sails and sudden thunder storms (We have many in Florida) became too much of a challenge.

Now, at 90, with my 34' trawler, I'm still able to enjoy time on the water. I do committee boat work for our yacht club and enjoy cruising the back side of the keys and other waters I could never have sailed with the draft of a sail boat's keel.

As has been noted in earlier posts, maintaining one's physical fitness is paramount to any bit of hardware in enabling continued time on the water.

[dfelsent]

I’m 64. 47 foot ketch. Split rig means things are not quite so big.
Genoa primaries are 66 two speed. Keeps the loads low and slow.
The boat in general has more mechanical advantage than most.
Plus she (the boat ) beats me into shape and adds flexibility.
That will change with time I am sure but for now? All good.