On a more somber note . . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

I always gain insights from my solo sailing excursions aboard Urchin, mainly through virtue of being away from the electronic and social media and family distractions in my life.
Sometimes these insights are painful, since it's Tough being honest with yourself but they are at least, always thoughtful.
The ability to consider without extraneous distraction, greatly clarifies the thinking.
And sometimes, these experiences take a while to coalesce and bubble up to the surface.
 Two years ago on a BEER Cruise, then last year and this year on the FL120 and the two most recent Columbus Day Cruising Regattas made me realize:

I'm getting too old to handle this sailboat, safely.

This was both a startling and a harsh insight, but one that finally needed to be said aloud.
I've never underestimated the Human Capacity to Kid Ourselves, but it's a jolt to apply that to oneself.
"I was just tired from the long trip."
"Must not have had enough sleep, the night before."
"The winds were just a little strong to step/unstep the mast."

Now, whenever I go out on Urchin, I am always evaluating how everything went; what things I could improve, what things I need to studiously avoid doing in the future, things like that.
And after 45 years of learning and tweaking, that darn boat is Perfect and a joy to sail, every time I go out on her.
But this year's introspection and a few equipment failures led me to realize that lately, I have not been making improvements to make things easier to do aboard.
Nay, I have been doing things to make things possible to do, while aboard.
As aging-out has set in, I started having problems with my knees, going to Urchin's tiny foredeck to change my hank-on head sails.
Tried knee-pads and while that seemed initially to solve the problem, changing headsails in a chop with a lot of spray makes the kneepads slide around to the point of being not just useless, but an active hazard.
Another example: a tiller pilot failure made it difficult for me to duck below, or tend to other things (headsail changes, anyone?) and I didn't realize how much of what I considered an extravagant convenience, had now become a vital necessity.
Sure, for decades I had used a simple tiller lock,  but had discarded it in favor of the tiller pilot and it was clearly time to put it back aboard, as a backup.

Things got so hectic on the CDCR last month, I deliberately grounded on a sandbar in Biscayne Bay to give myself the ability to drop sails, stow gear as needed, to maintain some semblance of control and then motor the last bit back to the ramp.
I have always advocated using an anchor that is 5 pounds less than the maximum weight you can heave over the side.
That position is going to get some serious re-thinking, since I had to jerry rig a snatch block and my anchor rode around a jib winch, in order to retrieve my Simpson Lawrence Claw, that I have used (previously!) without issue for nearly 20 years.
Don't know exactly when it happened but somewhere along the line, getting out of my berth in the morning is now requiring finding a hand-hold somewhere, to pull myself vertical and they are (currently) non-existent inside Urchin's cabin.
Getting dressed or changed in a sitting headroom cabin is  more problematic than I remember, back when my kids were smaller and didn't have kids of their own.

So: Mobility.
Balance.
Strength.
Somehow, they all evaporated in the past 45 years.
Ever the rational philosopher, I thought: "NOW what?"
To me, there is almost no greater feeling than the way that hull feels, slicing through the water, heeled at 18º and propelled solely by the Elements.
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 I'm not willing to give that up, just yet, or the way she looks just before sunset:
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Ok, Charles the Engineer: Define the Problem, so you can Fix It.
OK . . . .
1)  Need a sailboat without head sails to change; side benefit is, you'll never again blow a critical tack.
2) Need a lighter mast, like maybe a third of the 60 pound extrusion I've been man-handling the past 4½ decades; shorter wouldn't be bad, either.
3) Need less rigging to fool with. Two years ago on a CDCR, a fourth of my standing rigging had some failure or the other, virtually cleaning out my spares in the tool box.
4) Need to deal with "overhead" in the cabin.  Need some arrangement that does not require bending at the waist, so much.
5) Need lighter, well, everything.  Anchors, lines, keel, trailer, you name it.

All these thoughts were churning in my mind, while I sailed the long trek back from a defeat in racing, toward the inevitable defeat of Aging.
Then it hit me:
I needed one of these:
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Saw a SCAMP at a Cedar Key Small Boat Meet a few years ago and while I had admired the boat, it never occurred to me that I needed one.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized it solved a lot of my current problems:
1) No foredeck issues; there ain't one.
2) No head sail change issues; there ain't none.
3) No standing rigging issues; there ain't none.
4) Mast is about 15 -20 pounds.
Length is about 12 feet, like if you chopped off the forecabin forward, on Urchin.
The cockpit and "veranda" (cuddy) is about the same length as Urchin's cockpit and main cabin.
Centerboard is 50 pounds, instead of 400 pounds.

Would need overnight shelter, but apparently, other people do too.
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Such a minimalist boat would force me to reduce the insane amount of clutter and glop I keep aboard my boat and maybe even, finally get organized.
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This boat solves most all my issues with safely sailing Urchin; maybe I needed to look into acquiring one.
A fiberglass version (preferred) is around $20k - $30k, depending on the bells and whistles you're willing to pay for.
Wooden kits vary from $7k to 10k again, depending.
While I'm not completely averse to building one, I've always averred that I prefer sailing on boats, to working on boats.
Hmmmm . . . . .
Checking around on-line showed that boats comparably equipped like mine, (a Jewel, if ever there was one!) are going for around . . . . . .  $3500.
Ouch.

More thought required.
It occurred to me that the problem isn't really with Urchin, the problem is with me.
I need to get back better balance, more strength, more endurance.
I don't need to fix/replace Urchin, I need to fix ME.

Then I thought about all the TSBBers who have aged out and/or are aging out. 
People Like Kruse'n, Travis Votaw, Norm L., Charlie, Jones, etc. and I wonder now, what advice or insights could you provide me?
How do I stop being a hazard to myself, out on the water?

Inquiring minds want to know,
Charles Brennan

[Norm L.]

I've spent 70 years on or around the water (and have the repeated skin cancers to prove it) so miss it. If I could justify it I'd buy something that floats and has a motor and is kept in a marina. Weekends sitting in the cockpit reading and listening to the slap of halyards on masts. It's soothing white noise to me. An engine to take me out on the lake where there is no horizon or land is just a distant smear.

But so far negotiations with my in-house banker have not gone well. In hindsight I'm still pleased that I donated the TS 16 but it would be nice to have it to sell towards a more useful floating something.

Like you, I realized that as long as everything goes well, I've got it under control. When they don't I also realized that my Vigor's Black Box has been the site of withdrawals and few, if any, deposits.

I love my family and don't want them to live through a CG search for me. I'd also love them if they bought me a Boston Whaler 16 or a Scout 17. 

[Brian N.]

Charles - I'm only 66 YO and I've realized at this point there is probably not a larger boat in my future (current Precision 16.5). I can raise and lower the mast and  set up/break down launch/retrieve in 45 minutes or so. A friend with a Rhodes 22 takes significantly longer and requires at least two. No "shame" in going down in size if that is what it takes to stay on the water (or even going to a power boat). When I have my 22 YO son along, he sets up in about 30 minutes, as I "supervise". The Scamp seems ideal for easy sailing and seaworthy.

Somewhat related - My wife and I are avid skiers for 50 years. Last year when we replaced our old equipment we realized we needed equipment a bit "softer" in flex and comfort. Hard to admit that our Hot Dog days are pretty much done. However, we always draw inspiration from 80+ Yo skiers that we meet!

Norm - Skin cancer is a serious concern. I've had patches of skin removed, but fortunately not malignant. Hats, long sleeves and sun block are your friends.

[Wayne Howard]

Last month, we had the boat out and motor sailed about as the winds were really fluky. Any way, we came back this week to pull the paddlewheel and close the engine seacock that we didn't do previously due to rain and having company with us. Before we closed the seacock, the Admiral wanted to run the engine. OK. No Problemo. Except that no water is flowing from the exhaust pipe and no gurgling can be heard either. Dammit. It was working two weeks ago. Pull the cover off the raw water pump and inspect the impeller. No missing vanes. Hmm. Pull the hose off the seacock to check supply. Nice flow into the boat but the hose clamp is about to fail. Rusted almost in two on the under side of the hose. Hey, I got spares. New hose clamp on the seacock. So water is getting to the pump and the pump looks good. Had the Admiral bump the engine to make sure the impeller was moving with the pump shaft. (Had that happen before.) Well, hell. The heat exchanger must be fouled. Remove the end plate. Mine does not have the rubber boot everyone else cusses. Zinc is shot. No Problemo. I have spares. Except they are spares for the oil cooler and don't fit the heat exchanger. (Actually, the Admiral looked for the spares and I really thought I had a set in the engine parts box.) Get out my metal coat hanger rod out device and check the top inboard 5 or 6 tubes. No issues. Put everything back together and start the engine. No water and no gurgling. I'm running out of cuss words by now so we stop for the night.

The next day, I find out that the hose clamp on the pump suction is MIA. This could be an issue if the pump is sucking in air at this point. Unlikely but I install a new hose clamp here while noticing sufficient water flow to the pump. I disconnect the pump discharge hose cause I want to test for a blockage by blowing air through the hose, heat exchanger, vacuum breaker and the exhaust elbow. Something on the end of the hose tastes NASTY. I think I poisoned myself but I can here air gurgling in the exhaust muffler so I'm calling it a draw. Told the Admiral to start the engine while I was holding the hose free. Yes, the water pump is working FINE! Slam the hose onto the pump discharge and tighten the clamp. This one is in good shape.

By the time I get done and look into the cockpit, the Admiral is smiling from ear to ear! Success!! Why? How? What was different? Sheesh. Ran the engine for about 20 minutes and it is running cooler than the last time we had her out. Yay!

So I'm crawling out of the bowels of the port side of the engine and notice the solar charger remote display is not on. HUH? The solar charger itself is displaying half characters and not moving. I call Xantrex Customer Support and I am # 10 in the queue so I leave my call back number with them. NO CALL BACK. The next morning I call Xantrex Customer Support and I am # 7 in the queue so I leave my call back number. NO CALL BACK. I talk to an authorized service center in Buda, TX and because it is not mounted in an RV, they will not service my charge controller. But the authorized service center in San Antonio, TX said they can do something with it. But we have another trip planned for the first weekend in November to stay several days on the hook to test run the 12v system before we take off on a long duration cruise. Will the ASC have it fixed by then? Can they fix it? So as a backup plan, I purchased a new charge controller from my favorite online dealer, (NOT WM), that I hope to return to them unopened and pristine. And it is already in transit to me. Plus 5 more zincs for the heat exchanger so we can find the 5 I know we have. Very Happy Very Happy

Finally got through to Xantrex and the solar controller is still under warranty and they are shipping me a new unit replacement.

[Captain Kidd]

Last month, we had the boat out and motor sailed about as the winds were really fluky. Any way, we came back this week to pull the paddlewheel and close the engine seacock that we didn't do previously due to rain and having company with us. Before we closed the seacock, the Admiral wanted to run the engine. OK. No Problemo. Except that no water is flowing from the exhaust pipe and no gurgling can be heard either. Dammit. It was working two weeks ago. Pull the cover off the raw water pump and inspect the impeller. No missing vanes. Hmm. Pull the hose off the seacock to check supply. Nice flow into the boat but the hose clamp is about to fail. Rusted almost in two on the under side of the hose. Hey, I got spares. New hose clamp on the seacock. So water is getting to the pump and the pump looks good. Had the Admiral bump the engine to make sure the impeller was moving with the pump shaft. (Had that happen before.) Well, hell. The heat exchanger must be fouled. Remove the end plate. Mine does not have the rubber boot everyone else cusses. Zinc is shot. No Problemo. I have spares. Except they are spares for the oil cooler and don't fit the heat exchanger. (Actually, the Admiral looked for the spares and I really thought I had a set in the engine parts box.) Get out my metal coat hanger rod out device and check the top inboard 5 or 6 tubes. No issues. Put everything back together and start the engine. No water and no gurgling. I'm running out of cuss words by now so we stop for the night.

The next day, I find out that the hose clamp on the pump suction is MIA. This could be an issue if the pump is sucking in air at this point. Unlikely but I install a new hose clamp here while noticing sufficient water flow to the pump. I disconnect the pump discharge hose cause I want to test for a blockage by blowing air through the hose, heat exchanger, vacuum breaker and the exhaust elbow. Something on the end of the hose tastes NASTY. I think I poisoned myself but I can here air gurgling in the exhaust muffler so I'm calling it a draw. Told the Admiral to start the engine while I was holding the hose free. Yes, the water pump is working FINE! Slam the hose onto the pump discharge and tighten the clamp. This one is in good shape.

By the time I get done and look into the cockpit, the Admiral is smiling from ear to ear! Success!! Why? How? What was different? Sheesh. Ran the engine for about 20 minutes and it is running cooler than the last time we had her out. Yay!

So I'm crawling out of the bowels of the port side of the engine and notice the solar charger remote display is not on. HUH? The solar charger itself is displaying half characters and not moving. I call Xantrex Customer Support and I am # 10 in the queue so I leave my call back number with them. NO CALL BACK. The next morning I call Xantrex Customer Support and I am # 7 in the queue so I leave my call back number. NO CALL BACK. I talk to an authorized service center in Buda, TX and because it is not mounted in an RV, they will not service my charge controller. But the authorized service center in San Antonio, TX said they can do something with it. But we have another trip planned for the first weekend in November to stay several days on the hook to test run the 12v system before we take off on a long duration cruise. Will the ASC have it fixed by then? Can they fix it? So as a backup plan, I purchased a new charge controller from my favorite online dealer, (NOT WM), that I hope to return to them unopened and pristine. And it is already in transit to me. Plus 5 more zincs for the heat exchanger so we can find the 5 I know we have. Very Happy Very Happy

Finally got through to Xantrex and the solar controller is still under warranty and they are shipping me a new unit replacement.

I'm tired just reading that!

[Captain Kidd]

This boat solves most all my issues with safely sailing Urchin; maybe I needed to look into acquiring one.
A fiberglass version (preferred) is around $20k - $30k, depending on the bells and whistles you're willing to pay for.
Wooden kits vary from $7k to 10k again, depending.
While I'm not completely averse to building one, I've always averred that I prefer sailing on boats, to working on boats.
Hmmmm . . . . .
Checking around on-line showed that boats comparably equipped like mine, (a Jewel, if ever there was one!) are going for around . . . . . .  $3500.
Ouch.

Very thought provoking post, an issue I believe we've discussed here before. At nearly 68, an issue which I'm facing as well. I'm hoping the CIY 16 will be my answer for a long while. Not sure how long I'm going to keep the Hunter 18.5. I'd love to find a Hunter 19 which is water ballast and has a more accomodating cabin, one my wife highly prefers. The P165 seems like a possible answer as Brian has already mentioned. Seems the Compac Suncat is a popular option for downsizing as well.

I've seen already-built wooden Scamps for sale. There are enough in circulation that they do come up occasionally. Guessing you could get one for under $10k and maybe considerably cheaper. Many of them are on the west coast though. They are extremely popular with their owners (many of whom are senior citizens)! https://smallcraftadvisor.com/joomla_almond/index.php?option=com_aclassf&Itemid=&ct=&md=details&id=778

Building one is a horse of a different color. I just built the CIY (from scratch - not a kit) for about $4k and 650 hours stretched over 20 months, but I do enjoy the build process.

There's an answer out there for you. As you know, that has turned out to be stink-potters for quite a few folks.

[Jim B., CD-25]

I used to chuckle when my Irish Mother would say, "Getting old isn't for sissies."  Not as funny since I have passed 70 years on this Earth.  We went from sailboats to a great powercruiser: C-Dory.  It took us coast to coast to coast.  Then, driving commercial boats took most of the fun out of recreational boating and boat cruising.  I had tears in my eyes when we sold that one.  Then, we bought a small pontoon boat for local sight-seeing and dolphin watching.  It lived at the dock right off the deck of our house, when we were home.  Two years ago, I got tired of maintaining even that.  No tears in my eyes when that one sold.

Right now, we are in the Phoenix, AZ, area.  In a week, we will be moving into our new home here.  Yep, from an island boy to a desert dweller.  I know there isn't another boat in our future.  My balance is good, but my back is weary.  Moving from one state to another, doing the packing (into moving pods) ourselves is exhausting.  Those pods will be delivered to the new house in about 10 days, and I have to say I am not looking forward to that task.

It's been a couple weeks since we left the Tropical Tip, and I already miss being "right there on the water."  We're in the desert to be close to our kid and son-in-law... no regrets about that.  After a multi-year lobbying on their part.  When Joan got onboard with that idea this past winter, I knew my days on the water were numbered.

Mom was right: admitting to myself has been harder, though.  I can read an actuarial table, and I understand the statistics.  It is better for us to be close to the kids at this point in our lives.

Reading your thoughts on what boat would best suit you, it made me think about the Com-Pac SunCat we had.  It was my last sailboat and a breeze for a 50-something guy to set up solo.  We had that concurrently with the C-Dory for a few years, mostly because it was hard for me to give up the idea of "being a sailor."

Good luck with the decisions, Charles.  It's an old joke: "If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."  Never thought I'd live long enough to need replacement body parts.

Best wishes,
Jim

[pgandw]

Charles, I don't pretend to know all the answers.  Currently 69, I understand what you are saying.  2 years ago, desperate to get back into sailing after living in Colorado Springs for 14 years, I bought a Stuart (formerly made by ODay) Mariner 19ft.  It was about the only boat stable enough to take DW day sailing, small and light and shoal draft enough to fit on a boat lift in our new-to-us North Carolina home.  And it had to cost less than $10K all up with trailer and motor, which the Mariners did but Sun Cats did not.

45 years ago, I had bought an ODay 25 new, and trailered it anywhere from Key West to Ontario.  But I was young and strong then, and I could manage the boat and the family.  There is no way I could do that today.

Along the way, I learned from older helo pilots that the 1st body part to give way would be my back.  Igor Sikorski must have been an orangutan because the reaches for the various flight controls never came close to matching my body.  Along with the vibration, the contortions were likely to cause me back pain later in life, like all the older pilots.  So I occasionally pursued a daily stretch program, coupled with walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming for aerobic fitness.  So far, I have had nothing severe except my heart surgeries (congenital defect).  But my agility, stamina, and strength are far from what they used to be, especially after not stretching and exercising for a few days.  Cannot say enough for stretches and modest exercise.

You are way ahead of me on fitting your boat out for single handing.  The mast on the Mariner is very awkward single handed - it takes a gin pole and winch for the 25ft, 35 lb mast.  It's almost easier to get a hand from the crowd at the launching ramp - with 2 the mast is very, very easy.  All the 2nd person has to do is hold tension on a line tied to the jib halyard while I walk the mast up/down and pin/unpin the forestay.

Some other benefits of the Mariner - it's big and stable enough not to need to always be on the windward rail.  The Mariner will also heave to with jib sheeted to windward and rudder to leeward.  And this provides a lee from the jib in which to hoist the main.  Heave to, hoist or lower the main, and perform other chores as needed/desired.  Then when ready sheet in and go.

I am at the point now where the Mariner (and a few other similar size boats) serve me well - not too cranky, doesn't require amazing agility (remembering my Laser and 470 days), yet sails reasonably well.  And still fits on the lift.  It has a cockpit big enough for 4 comfortably, and a tight cabin suitable for a night or 2 for 1-2 people.  Yet I can single hand with the tiller extension/tiller clutch, with all sheets reachable.  I really got lucky buying the Mariner.

just my experiences, yours may differ
Fred W
Stuart Mariner #4133  Sweet P
Yeopim Creek, Albemarle Sound, NC

[Krusen]

Boatless KRUSE'N    Currently 89 

Where to start......

The best answer is at the end of this message. 

I sailed up until Covid came, but not often.  Like you, I had gradually modified the Mac 22 to make it solo sailable, and that took me to 84 years.

Tiller Pilot
Roller furling jib, wire luff hank on, just twist the luff with a dinghy device.
Then a boom foot, self tacking fractional jib.
Quit using the V berth, built a set of plywood pieces that allowed cross wise berth amidship.
Mainsail downhaul and set of cam locks for the main and jib halyards
Cabin top winches.
A generous size grab hold at the aft end of the V berth for returning to the cabin after a trip up there.
With no cushions, sliding in and out was much easier.
Main value of entering the V berth is foredeck hatch ventilation, closed by simply pulling a string.  Gusty wind also closed it.
Next, clearing any foredeck issue without going on deck, everything is in reach while sitting or kneeling in the berth.
Block and line rig to recover the anchor to the cockpit, anchor never set from the bow.
Mid boom sheet mod, can be adjusted from inside the cabin.
Tiller Pilot remote control just inside the cabin for steering in bad weather.
Rain coat for the Tiller Pilot push rod, so it was never exposed to rain or spray. 20+ years of faultless service attests to the value of this mod.
2 part tackle for rudder blade up, AND  down.
Clutch winch for centerboard, ratchet winch went to the trailer.
Raising or lowering the mast remained a 2 person task.

NOW, WHAT I DID WRONG
I sold my Neptune 16, thinking that I would sail more with more comfort.
Similarly, I thought that I would find more companions to sail with me.
The reality is that the percentage of launches per year with crew dropped.
The increased difficulty in preparing and launching cut my actual trips per year reduced by half.
I sold the Mac 22 last fall, for good reasons.

I should add that I developed a strong bias against wood boats in the 1950's, when I owned a Lightning built in 1937, in poor shape, but structurally sound.

IF I still had the Neptune 16, with 4 HP outboard, and remote controllable Tiller Pilot, I could still sail safely, but just barely.
The mast was lighter and much shorter, easily raised.
The jib had a wire luff, and was dinghy furler compatible.
The main had mid boom sheeting, so adjustable from shelter.
All the halyards, downhauls, and furlers came to cleats on the cabin wall
My variation had an aluminum plate centerboard, with an aqua dynamic faired lead, 2 inches thick lower 2 feet , for exceptional ballast, and pointing efficiency.
With the hatch board in and cabin hatch open, I could dress standing up, with privacy.
It lacked an electric system, but modern solar tech is a solution for that,
The cockpit was self bailing.
The centerboard raised flush, for beaching in inches of water, with the cockpit floor 18 inches above the sand.
It had a fixed backstay, to grab when entering or leaving over the stern.
On shallow beaches, no ramp, I launched and retrieved with the trailer wheels in a foot of water.  Walked the anchor out to 2 feet of water, set it, and pulled the trailer out from under the boat.
Reloaded by simply winching it back on.
Quarter berths were 7 feet long, putting you about midship for comfort in wave action,
"V berths" were purely storage space.  She sailed well when down by the bow.

16 FEET SEEMS TO ME TO BE THE BEST COMPROMISE FOR LIGHT WEIGHT, EASY TO HANDLE, AND ENOUGH SHELTERED ROOM FOR ANCHORING IN A STORM.

WW Potters at 14 feet do well, too.  Their hard chine makes a better ride anchored in a storm, the Neptune rolled badly unless the center board was down, and it clunked too much for a good nights sleep.

A local guy sailed his 14 into his mid 90's, without a motor, just oars.  He had an equally aged wife, who did not sail with him, so he picked up random cute young ladies to sail with him.  Don't get any ideas, Charles, they were not interested in him, just the Potter and a first chance to sail!

Charles, since you are a little shorter than I, a foot or two less length may be a fine fit.
With the Neptune, the Covid years would have been sailable, as it was so easy to rig and launch.

The real bottom line, though, is I, like you, decide from day to day, that another activity needs to end, or get a redesign to adapt to my just discovered limitation.  Yesterday, I found that I can just barely climb into my pickup bed, and should use a ladder in the future, but dang, getting out a ladder just to wash the rear window seems a bit much.

Maybe the real plan for both of us is to find someone with a sailboat, that needs some crew to keep him sailing into his old age, and willing to have a geezer on board.  My last 3 times out were of that category, and much enjoyed by both of us.

[Norm L.]

Brian, I see my dermatologist twice a year and we talk about his European vacations that I subsidize. My wife wants me to put on sunscreen if I look out a window on a sunny day.
About a decade ago I wrote an article for the company on outdoors exposure and skin cancer and send it out to everyone each spring.

If I remember correctly, when you are 20 to 30 years old you are bullet proof. But I hope it does the young guys some good.

[Frank B.]

Pushing 77 I ask that question on a regular basis.  I do have some advantage in that my boat stays in the water, so other than the every three years of maintenance out of water, I don't have to lower/raise the mast and set up for tow/launch.  I do have a very good mast raising system that makes that a fairly easy one man job.  However, what have I done to stave off sailing retirement:

1. Roller furling, in my early days would not consider it, now would not be without it.
2. Stay off the foredeck if at all possible, set up before you go and live with what you've got.  For instance if I know It will be light air on a broad reach to run set up the asymmetrical before I leave the dock raising it in a snuffer.  If I guess wrong, snuff it from the cockpit and go with nothing.  And yes it would be nice to have that poled jib running wing and wing, making 6 knots in heavy air but roll it up and settle for 4.5 knots rather than go up and set that pole. 
3. Tiller pilot, absolute necessity.
4. Winchers, certainly not as good as self tailing winches, but cheap and helpful.
5. My anchor, while having no winch, is on a roller, a Lewmar CQR it is small but has never failed nor is it hard to break and retrieve.  My other anchor is an aluminum fortress.

What I've considered but have not done YET:

1. Convert the end boom mainsheet to mid boom.  Keep all the sailing controls in front of me and in the cockpit.
2. An improvement to my reefing method. I don't have to go to the foredeck to reef but still have to stand up on the bridge deck and hook the reef point at the mast and tie the sail to the boom.  Must be a better way.

The things I've done to the boat to make live aboard age friendly are too numerous to mention.  A lot of it has to do with "reachability" and lack of clutter. That said the lack of standing headroom is becoming hard to accept.

I'm in that phase where I prove I still can be actually doing it, a lot more slowly and cautiously than in the past.  So far I've surprised myself. But the day will come....

I think I like being on the water as much as I like sailing, so maybe it is over to the dark side.....something slow and comfortable.

As it stands now, my wife will always tell me as I leave the door to wear my inflatable.  And if she sees the wind is up she will say, you now the heavier one that has that ring for the safety line.  I do it now.

[Steve H]

In the words of Wavey the crocodile,

"Hey, evabody! Whatado?

It's been some time since I've visited here, and longer since I've posted.
Leave it to CB to drag me back.
A few minutes ago, I decided to avoid the TV news by getting online, and checked in here, only to find
that Mr. Brennan is thinking about a SCAMP.

DO IT!

I won't belabor it, but I sailed the heck out of #6, "B. Frank".
The boat's got game; think of a VW microbus with a Porsche mill, koni's,
and fat tires on fat rims.
Move the trailer by hand, tow it with anything, set it up and go.

DO IT!

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

Krusen, how about a long-handled squeegee for that truck back window?

Charles, I recommend tai chi for balance.  You know what you can do for strength and endurance.  It's just up to you to decide whether or not you will do it.

I can see myself in a few years...

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

Hey there, Steve!

[Tom--Pensacola]

Really interesting message thread...