A catsailor looks at 60

Oh, how I love this sport! 40 years now, and it's still providing me relaxation, beauty, and the big time rush of fully powered up hull flying. It keeps me active and fit, and OUTSIDE! I'm so hoping I got at least another decade unmitigated glee aboard these exquisite machines.

But I have seen my energy level attenuate slowly these last couple of years, and I'm no longer driven to be on the water every free minute that there's breeze. I can now be temporarily satiated with a couple hour session out on the main lake in the morning, and maybe Dayton Bay run in the afternoon thermal, and possibly a book or a guitar in my hands, hanging on the porch in between.

So it may be time to thin the fleet some. Not only is there less energy for being aboard, I'm particularly conscious this year of the amount time and effort are being expended maintaining/modding six cats. I love the work, but would like to spend a bit less time doing it. And with retirement on the horizon, I will certainly have less cash to throw at this endeavor.

So, help me out guys. I'd like to find loving homes for one or more of these fine craft. It's gonna be a bitch to let go of any of them, they all do something supremely well, and I've been horribly spoiled to have so many boats sprinkled around the northwest, allowing me a fix at a moment's notice.

I've placed an ad here on catsailor, and will soon have more detailed descriptions and pics on thebeachcats.com

Stealth F16
Bimare F18HT
Supercat 20
'Flight Risk' custom 24' x 14' cat

I'll still have the ARC22 and one of the SC20s as a high wind tool, so I won't exactly be suffering. Ahhh, what a passion!

Dave

I would be interested in the SC20 but you are too far away.

I'd love to have her go to you Craig, I consider you the king of the 20s. As a back up boat? I assume you have a functioning one now? Tall or std?

Dave

I am 76 and coming up on 80 and still sailing and loving it. I did thin out the fleet a bit, however.

Thanks Rick, that's encouraging! I'm hoping for more sailing and less maintaining.

Dave

I will be 69 in September and I am still sailing beach cats and have been since the mid 70's, although I sold my Nacra 6.0 and bought an F18. I am still not sure if that was the right move

How do you guys do it? Turned 60 in March and considering/ under pressure to sell the cat because i can't move the day after a decent sail or a race. Found out long term back pain is from having one leg 9mm shorter than the other and while exercises, stretches help, the soreness is putting me off taking to the water. Suggestions/exercise routines?

I take a ton of nutrients daily, which helps. Told I needed two knee replacement over 15 years ago. But, found a nutrient called Hyaluronic Acid that is a natural lubricant for joints and still sailing and playing tennis 5 days a week. With natural knees.
For general pains I have a machine that you stand on and vibrates the entire body. In ten minutes it will increase heart rate by 50 beats. Mary has low oxygen blood levels and when using it increases it by 10 points.
For back pain you can't beat an inversion table. $99 at Walmart

See a Dr. and get him to prescribe a physical therapist. The human machine is too complex to diagnose online.

Try yoga or at least a core exercise routine, not so much on the weights.

Much thanks will investigate HA.I have to be careful as some yoga and core strength exercises set off the pain not ease it. I do variations of the yoga pigeon pose and sideways knee lifts lying down to help ease muscle tightness, particularly in the glutes. I take Rose hip capsules to keep the background muscular pain bearable and am investigating DMSO/Aloe gel and MSM to try to reduce general pain levels and improve cartilage regrowth. I see a muscular skeletal specialist next week so hope she will come up with an effective exercise regime. The ultimate aim is get back on trapeze without hurting or race without paying for it that night.

See a Doctor! When you have pain your body is trying to tell you something.

fwiw, I messed up my knee and needed surgery. At the initial rehab eval. the PT went nuts! My right hamstring was just a mess, a tight contracted mess that wouldn't relax. I also had lots of lower back pain. A couple of weeks stretching out the ham string and the back pain is mostly gone.

I do get serious lower back pain after sailing the F16, I think it's from sitting on the hard hull. Stretching relieves that pain. However, when I sail a Weta, sitting on the tramp with my knees bent in a normal sitting position, no pain. Jus' sayin'...

Take after you have sailed, immediatly a heavy painkiller pill.

I was hooked on Vioxx, but its taken out the market because of the mortal rate.
The same manufacturer now has Arcoxia (take 90 mg pill). Its an N.S.A.I.D. and it works with me 36 hour/one pill.

No exercise needed!
In fact you are on an age where exercises can be as bad as the sport itself.

Accept that you are an old fool trying to do some sport and that you are overloading your body ("surcharge").
So what !!!!!!!!!!!! they have pills for that.

Just a few comments on aging and sailing,
I'm fast approaching 70 and like to think I'm still competitive, but I can't tack as fast and going to the wire takes a little more time.
The northsea junkie has got the right idea ,I take an Aleve before venturing out and it helps.I also use a steady exercise program of cycling, and gym work in the winter, to stay in moderate condition.
That said I race against an 84 year old in our fleet (6 A boats) who sets the standard in light air sailing here.

1. After intense workout on Mountain bike or spa,
I take Glutamine. Found out about this basic amimo acid form a High School student at the spa,
apparently HS football players supplement of choice to mitigate the achy feeling the nest day... Google Glutamine.
2. After a tough day on the F16, I will get a pro message, and no or little achy the next day.
3. Like PEP said above listen to your body to avoid major damage.

it would seem that conditioning becomes more important as I age. I get out of shape much faster. I've been lucky to avoid most sport injuries so hopefully my latter decades will be less painful than others..

You suck. Quit gloating.

nerd-type hermits do have their strong points.

bazinga

Yes, yoga is good.

None of the women in my local Yoga class ever looked that trim n terrific.

Several guys on this site practice yoga. Invest a little time learning about core exercise, being in good shape doesn't necessarily mean big muscles.

I'm in Shape!

Round is a shape!

Hey that's my line!

I know, I was wondering why you weren't using it!

Hey, what happens if a Round guy try's to do Yoga? I mean, do you just roll around like a beach ball or what?

Downward Dog leaning...tipping...tipping...

Ahhhh!

You coming up to Eustis?

I am already in Eustis with my Wave. THought the regatta was Fri thru Sat, so got her a day too early.

Can't make Eustis. Still, you'd be amazed how much difference a few strethces makes to you lower back, particularly hamstrings.

And yes, there are some exercises where I'm supposed to be lying on my back but manage to capsize!

I'll be leaving Sebring about Noon, I hope, be up there around 2pm. At least that storm in the Gulf is petering out and we shouldn't get any rain from that, but not much wind either. 5 is what I'm seeing on the forecasts.

Sailing without wind is like drinking non-alcoholic beer, or decafe coffee!

What's the point? But I'll bring extra, real, beer.

They had a Duck Dynasty episode about that. It was hard to watch...

Heck, I didn't even know they made camo tights

Oh sure! Been makin' em for awhile.

Its been an interesting couple of weeks as pain management specialists argue whether i have one leg 9mm shorter than the other and dicker over exercise options. What is great is simple exercises you would never believe could be effective which have so far greatly reduced my pain levels. The downside is, in a moment of madness, i sold my cat to an out of the blue caller and being boatless is driving me crazy.

I felt the same way and a little foolish that I had suffered for years: simple stretchs of my hamstring dramatically relieved my back pain.

Pretty soon you'll feel like shopping for a new boat!

it is a real puzzle making your way around chiropractors, physiotherapists and doctors just trying to sort the pain management issue before you strike an enlightened practitioner who can get to the source of the problem rather than dole out pills, or continually drain your wallet.

Don't forget to consider your bed... I just spent a week at the Buzzelli lifting Tornado hulls, raising and lowering a mast (although surprisingly light carbon beauty), and doing plenty of things that could have but DID NOT hurt my back. I came home and slept for ten hours (drove straight through to Toledo yesterday) and woke up with lumbar pain. Will not sleep on that mattress again - fortunately I have a sleep number mattress on the bed in the spare bedroom. I will be 60 in less than two weeks. Same applies for neck pain except it is the pillow - can make a huge difference. Finally, my experience is that sheets can make a huge difference in exacerbating tendinitis in elbows and shoulders. The smoother the better and vice versa; flannel is worst and satin is best.

Great idea? Satin underwear?

I had a great sports massage therapist help me track my back issues and they were on time delay to major events...almost exactly two weeks after sailing a big event I would have an issue. The trick for me was to try to eliminate the idle time after those events - staying active immediately after has prevented the muscular knotting/spasm issues.

Are you saying you were inactive at some point. I don't believe it.

Well at 61 I'm getting back into cats with both a 16 and 14T Hobie. I must admit that getting dumped by the 16 in high winds left some marks. Regardless I'm training youth in residence to sail and crew. This seems like at good thing. One thing I can say is I no longer long for heavy winds.

There have been a few days where mobility was not an option!