Too Old to sail?

[zeehag]

my uncle sailed without engine in a gaff rigged sloop until age 95 at which time he keeled over into his scrambled eggs.
i am 70 sola-ing a formosa 41.
too old?? can you stand up? can you pull lines? can you row a dinghy? can you pull self up after a fall? can you prevent said fall? canyou stand on a pitching rolling deck and fill diesel tanks? can you adjust your own sails as wind changes? can you anchor and weigh said anchor with or without a windlass? do you feel safe at sea?
is all in the individual. no one else can answer your age related questions

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by zeehag

SNIP

can you row a dinghy?

SNIP

If the truth be known it is harder for me to stand up and pull the rope to start up the outboard than it is to row.

[ebsail]

I'm curretly 79 and on my 9th sailboat. The only problem is that my wife won't let me sail by myself. She said she didn't want to wait 7 years to collect my life insurance. Many younger people die suddenly. Go do whatever you want to now. You're young enough to do what you like for another 20 years

[Howler]

Agree with all the above and remember, sixty is the new forty. A book I enjoyed on the subject of maximizing life as we age is, “Younger Next Year” by Chris Crowley. Not a sailor’s perspective specifically, but some good wisdom and common sense on why continuing doing what you like is not only OK, but important to your future health and quality of life. The co-author is an MD who provides some (optional) scientific support.

[Glennwaus]

Four of us Aussie geezers, all over 70, sailed a Nauticat 44 from Seattle to Australia a couple of years ago. Piece of cake...and a helluva lot of fun!!

[sowwaninii]

My wife and I are both 67 and sailed our 45’ sailboat from New England to St. Petersburg. We were offshore the entire trip and let the weather dictate our schedule. It took us several weeks and only one overnight to round Hatteras. With a 38’ boat you likely have the option of going inside on the ICW.

[Bill Streever]

"Too old to sail": Four words that should never be uttered aloud.

"Too unhealthy to sail" is another thing, and "too incompetent to sail" is yet another, but never too old....

A guy in the Netherlands is trying to legally change his age, reasoning that if someone can legally change his or her name and his or her sex that he should be able to legally change his age. But you won't have to change your age just to go sailing along the US east coast and the west coast of Florida.

[Perfect Ride]

Appropriate exercise keeps us young. Sailing will help with that.



Spending time with older sailors and learning their tricks can be of value.



I have been with much older and physically handicapped in very remote parts of world and they were having the times of their lives.



The current weather tools help with keeping out of harms way so you can mitigate the extremes with proper caution.



Keeping the boat 'ship shape' will help mitigate emergency troubles at the wrong time.



Attitude is worth so much, it might be a better indication than age.


Enjoy!!

[jshugart]

Interesting question. I am 71 (wife 70), been sailing together since 1982. Just sold our #9 sailboat (a blue water yacht--Pacific Seacraft) because my wife said she "doesn't want to spend the night anymore on a sailboat or go on cruises and doesn't like when it gets rough." I would do it forever if she was willing and I don't have a buddy sailor, so sold it quite easily. But before it was gone, I bought a #10 Flying Scot daysailor (owned one for 4 years) again that can sit beside the house on its trailer to enjoy either working on it or going for a good sail...also good teaching platform for beginner friends and good for grandkids. I figure I can charter a cruiser in the BVI's if desired and race on OPB's and or sail on OPB's that have no one. Or I have arthritis and have metal joints all over (7 surgeries) but so what....can get around just fine, so what's a little pain for a sailor.
Good luck.....so never too old
Jim

[tjandoverguy]

I started ssling x 76 a year ago and I loved it been all over the bvi s and viMy second boat is a hunter 41

[Happ]

I’ve been sailing for over 50 years. When I was 65 I had a mild stroke. Five days later I was out of the hospital with a 99% recovery. 3 months later I had a mini stroke but was released from the hospital the same day. My last question to the Doctor was could I still get on an airplane the next day. He looked at me and said I could and then asked where was I going. I told him I was flying to buy a sailboat. At 67, soon to be 68 I just returned from Florida where I single handed my small trimaran in 2, 3 day Regattas.

Age is a chronological number. It’s how you feel. 10,000 steps a day, a good diet, and some gym time lifting weights keeps me going strong. Remember a body in motion stays in motion!

[KPowell]

I am 10 years behind you and just getting started in sailing. Bought an O'day 25 and taken 101. Held back by my location, only having about 1/2 a year to use my sailboat. Hope to retire in around 59-60'ish and eventually get a bigger boat and go cruising. How long can we do that?....everyone is different. But if you don't do it while you still can you will look back at you life someday and be disappointed you did not try when you could. This guy, Christian made to two solo trips to Hawaii and back in his early 70's:
https://www.youtube.com/user/cdw000

[Salt dog]

The key question that you should say yourself. Do you still feell safe on the boat.
I just turned eighty and have sold our Pearson 35 after owning it for the last 20 years. Issues of balance, going forward in heavy seas ,and lost of strength, should be considered.

[Shorty]

I am your age and have NO intention of stopping singlehanding my Sabre 362 any time soon. My friend sails his 362 @ at 91, not alone.

[Cest Nous]

I’m 73 and my wife and I actively sail the Great Lakes and live aboard our 36 foot every year from June through September. We start off and end each season with a 300 mile cruise to or from our sailing grounds in Northern Lake Huron. We have slowed down a little but plan to continue sailing into our eighties.

Some days that we would have sailed in the past are spent relaxing at anchor or in port waiting for better weather. If wind is too light for sailng ,we will start the “iron genny”. In short, we can and do sail when conditions are good and motor when when conditions aren’t great. We haven’t considered a trawler , because we don’t want to give up sailing when the conditions are right. What the heck, we can either sail or motor at about 5-6 knots..... how much slower is that than a traveler?