"Roger Long" wrote in
:

The paper reports that it was the
third time he had required assistance in 36 hours so I don't feel
quite so bad about checking him out. If the USCG didn't notice
something wrong the first two times, I probably wouldn't have been
able to justify getting them involved just by making a close pass.



CG screwed up. They should have confiscated his boat on the 2ND call and
put him before a judge to have his competency tested by a shrink.

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'm 62. I don't give a **** how "fit" a 60-year-old is, in his
mind....Jack La Lane shouldn't be out sailing alone over 60....maybe over
50!

"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.

--
Roger Long

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
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

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
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Jul 26, 7:09*am, Larry wrote:

I'm 62. *I don't give a **** how "fit" a 60-year-old is, in his
mind....Jack La Lane shouldn't be out sailing alone over 60....maybe over
50!


I can not disagree more! I am a liberal Democrate and belive that
govenment intrusion is not a good thing. To simply mandate an upper
age limitt is simply ignorant. I looked at the "special-better than
the rest of us" web page roger created for RBC. Looking at the pics of
the authors here Id say youre right. All over 50 ... white ..... and
pudgy to dangerously inable and feble. even though Roger claimes to
have the back of a 30 year old.

I say performance based licensing is the answer. Get an ocupational
theropist and a HRM guy to do a task analysist on sailing. Then create
a physial/mental agility test. In its most simple terms [eye test,
can you run 2 miles in 12 min, do 50 crunches, lift 80 lbs to yor
chest 30 times in 3 min. etc. that sorta stuff] Dont pass. Dont go to
sea.

But to say no sailing after 50 is bull****.... well that is unless you
live in select areas of the USA where 50% of the population is OBEASE!
Old fat ****s and people without a clue have no business off shore.
Keep them on inland and western rivers and let the county/city water
cops take care of them

Bob

Bob wrote:
...Old fat ****s and people without a clue have no business off shore.

As far as people without a clue, I tend to agree with you though on the
other hand, I think that people have a right to commit suicide any way
they choose as long as they don't activate their EPIRB and risk other
people's lives in doing so.

However, as an old fat ****, myself, I disagree with that part of your
statement. My wife and I have made 3 ocean crossings of 20-30 days each
as well as numerous shorter passages, logging something like 30,000 nm
on our boats. Further, we'll be back out there again as soon as family
matters permit. Since we've got hank on sails, we've done our share of
sail changes out there on the end of a bouncing bowsprit and all the
other tasks the cruising life includes.

Cruising is not an aerobic activity. Prior planning, common sense, a
knack for fixing things and a willingness to do whatever it takes at
times are far more useful than the ability to "run 2 miles in 12 min, do
50 crunches, lift 80 lbs to yor chest 30 times in 3 min. etc". If you
don't understand this then I submit that I am probably far safer out
there than you are.

My days of physical prowess are behind me, but I've still got a lot of
years of great cruising ahead of me. It may take me a little longer to
get to the top of my mast or to haul my anchor with my manual windless
than you, but it's not a race.

Hopefully, someday we'll find ourselves in the same anchorage and we can
meet face to face and enjoy a sunset and some sushi together.

--
Dan Best - (559) 970-9858, Fresno, CA 93704
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean" http://triciajean192.home.comcast.net

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:47:17 -0700, Dan Best
wrote:



Hopefully, someday we'll find ourselves in the same anchorage and we can
meet face to face and enjoy a sunset and some sushi together.

I was with you until you said "sushi."

--Vic

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:47:17 -0700, Dan Best
wrote:



Hopefully, someday we'll find ourselves in the same anchorage and we can
meet face to face and enjoy a sunset and some sushi together.

I was with you until you said "sushi."

--Vic


He was trolling... oops.. sorry for the intended pun.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Vic Smith wrote:
On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:47:17 -0700, Dan Best
wrote:


Hopefully, someday we'll find ourselves in the same anchorage and we can
meet face to face and enjoy a sunset and some sushi together.

I was with you until you said "sushi."

--Vic

I agree too. But, there's nothing wrong with sushi....as long as you
cook it right :-)

Keith

I see you use a portabote as a dinghy. What are your thoughts on it?
Thanks
Gordon