On Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:13:26 +0000, Larry wrote:

Bruce in Bangkok wrote in
:

Larry, sorry I can't agree. when I lived in Maine I met a lobsterman -
81 years old and still fishing every day except Sunday. Had you told
Capt. Carter he was too old to fish he'd have laughed at you.


All these examples are quite admirable, but are the exceptions, not the old
goats walking the docks at your local marinas....to the peril of those who
must come retrieve them, exhausted and infirmed and unable to continue...or
worse....in that storm offshore when they've just pushed it too far one
more time.

We don't allow the blind to drive a car down the Interstate.....

Why do we allow the blind to drive a massive boat, just because he can
afford it?

I know some really nice people who have no business leaving the docks.

The point is that a blanket condemnation is not accurate. To true that
there are incompetents running boats who shouldn't but equally true is
that there are competent individuals, of the same age, doing the same
thing.

Heck, from your sea stories you must be approaching the magic age. If
you are going to get all brown and wizened and turn useless at 60 then
how about sending me your dual trace scope. And, I'll take the old
Mercedes Diesel too.... do try to get it overhauled though, before you
pass the old fellow's mark.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)