On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:50:17 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote:

"Larry" wrote

Of course, we COULD have some SANE laws that says NOONE OVER 60 SAILS
ALONE......which is fairly obvious, but we'd rather risk CG sailor's lives
than screw with the elite's right to be stupid.


I can't believe you're suggesting someting so draconian and restrictive;
especially in view of other comments you have made about government
intrusion in our lives.

There are plenty of 20 year olds who shouldn't be sailing alone for medical
and other reasons and many 80 year olds who are safer than most sailors out
there. Long before an arbitrary cut off date for single handing like that,
I would advocate medical testing and licensing. I don't advocate either.
The FAA medical system for private pilots is a joke that wastes millions of
dollars a year, keeps healthy pilots out of the air, and lets dangerous ones
fly. I doubt the gubmint would do a better job with boaters.

If 60 plus citizens shouldn't be sailing alone, they shouldn't be driving
cars either.

I plan to be sailing well into my 80's, often alone.


Ditto to everything Roger wrote.

I'm 62 and have been sailing since I was 8. Mostly single handed or
with another person who was really no help. Several years of longterm
live aboard cruising. I guess if you added them all up it'd be close
to 10 years.

Yes, I have "slowed down" a bit, but not all that much. The biggest
difference is that after a lot of physical effort and/or lack of
sleep, it takes a little longer to recover - like 2 or 3 days instead
of the next day.

Wife and I went out sailing last weekend. Almost record temperatures
of 101 deg. The main halyard fouled on a block up past the spreaders.
I had to go up and free it finally in about 15 kt winds. Now, when I
was 20 I probably would have gone up the mast steps like the
proverbial monkey. Now I just took my time going up, took my time
getting things free and took my time going down. Okay, so it took me a
few minutes longer but a lot less effort. Had I been as wise at age
20, I would have done it the same way.

To paraphrase some football player. In bad conditions offshore, it's
like fighting with a 600 lb gorilla. You don't stop when you get
tired, you stop when the gorilla gets tired. If you can't fight that
gorilla then you don't put yourself in a situation where you might
have to. I've fought that gorilla quite a few times over the years.
I've found it to be a lot less effort using my brain instead of my
brawn. For instance, see a squall line off in the distance that MIGHT
be heading my way. Reef now. Maybe 9 out of 10 times the storm went
on, but it's worth it for the 1 time it didn't. A lot easier, and
smarter, to easily reef than to fight it AFTER it hits you.

'Valkyrie' is our home and we plan on living aboard and cruising for
as long as we can, hopefully into the 80's.

Re flying. My dad rebuilt airplanes so got to fly all kinds of neat
old planes. He gave up flying at age 87. The only reason was his
vision was failing. He could still easily take and enjoy aerobatics
with me at the stick.

Rick
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