A Good Day Aboard

[Moonstruck]

I understand John. To some degree we're alike. We're definitely not where "I" planned to be, but life sort of got in the way. I have to assume that things work out the way the do or a reason?

OD

Here is a quote that has helped me to keep focus.

John Wooden — ‘Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.’

 

[Off Duty]

Here is a quote that has helped me to keep focus.

John Wooden — ‘Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.’

Thanks. I like that

 

[Tidahapah]

Yep agree with a lot of what has been said.
I built my boat when I was 45 and still working. It nearly sent me broke but it was my dream
have been full time/pert time live aboard ever since. I am now 66.
Retired in 2006 but after the GFC was back at work at sea 2008.
Fit enough to work and will keep going, that is the beauty of working 4 weeks on 4 weeks off and hopefully soon job share with more time off.

Had always promised myself a Nordy 46 or a 52 but after the last big refit am really happy with the magnificent vessel I have and know it inside out and it can go any where.
Bottom line is get out and do it you never know when it will end, have no regrets.
Cheers
Benn

 

[ancora]

Working in the engine room replacing an exhaust elbow that goes through the aft bulkhead. Had to remove the lift muffler and gen set muffler to get at it. A lot of work but as Ernest Borgnine said in the Wild Bunch, "I wouldn't have it any other way." On Super Bowl Sunday I will be 78 and still D.I.Y.ing.

 

[Moonstruck]

Working in the engine room replacing an exhaust elbow that goes through the aft bulkhead. Had to remove the lift muffler and gen set muffler to get at it. A lot of work but as Ernest Borgnine said in the Wild Bunch, "I wouldn't have it any other way." On Super Bowl Sunday I will be 78 and still D.I.Y.ing.

The periods are important there.

 

[dimer2]

The periods are important there.

Now that there is funny!

 

[Off Duty]

Now that there is funny!

X2 on that

ancora...good for you brother!

 

[Art]

I am very impressed with OP to this thread... as well as with every post thereafter!

For reasons, addiction is not a word or concept I throw around lightly. That said... I am highly honored to be counted among this truly incredible group of boat luven and marine enjoyen folks. And, yes, in this instance I am very happy to consider myself addicted to the joys of boating. It don't get no better than this!

We have health issues too... but we ain't bout ta quit boating till we either can't board no more or maybe simply can't off-board. Of course the latter is my preference. Stuck aboard our Tolly boat... oh gee wiz! lol

Here's wishing best health possible and many more great days to all my fellow boat luven enthusiasts!

BTW: Happy Boating Daze! - Art

 

[Troopergray]

Thanks john t for the thoughtful post. I had a stroke two weeks after getting my new boat to her home port. During the months of recovery it was the goal of returning yo my boat that kept me motivated. The first time back on board sitting on the cockpit looking out over the water was the first time I thought "I'm going to be alright!" Glad your back on board too.

 

[N4061]

Going to bee all right!

Thanks john t for the thoughtful post. I had a stroke two weeks after getting my new boat to her home port. During the months of recovery it was the goal of returning yo my boat that kept me motivated. The first time back on board sitting on the cockpit looking out over the water was the first time I thought "I'm going to be alright!" Glad your back on board too.

Glade to hear that you are doing well. We all need something to look forward to in life. Those who have discovered boating are just a little more fortunate.

John T.

 

[Portuguese]

Thank you for the post and God bless you. These are the stories and the posts that we need more often.

Most of us are not young boys/girls anymore and we need to leave worries behind. All my life due to my personality, I have been a very emotional guy in all aspects of life. This has severely reflected in my health and my body has sent some warnings.
Our family doctor, a well-known sailorman gave me the following advices written in a prescription sheet of paper and handed them to me. I have been following them now for quite some time:

1. After reaching 55 Y.O. nothing is so important and urgent in your life that has to be done now. The only thing that you need done now is to be happy
2. Don’t complain or worry about political and economic statements from other people. Everybody has their own agendas and reasons for their opinions, including you. This means that everybody has prerogatives, including you!
3. Early in the morning when you look at the mirror, make a promise of eternal love to the person you're seeing in it. Take good care of him/her. Visit your doctor with the frequency that you would like to visit you dearest friend.
4. Stay way of bread, fat, sugar and salt as much as possible, without fanaticisms. Do not watch comercials on TV or read them in papers or magazines.
5. For those who can control it, one finger of scotch/rum in the morning coffe and 2 glasses of wine late in the afternoon will help you to clean the blood vessels. Don’t let any fanatic keep you away from this rule.
6. Move your body, Walk, cycle, swim whatever suits you better. Don’t rule up this issue, don’t even make an sacred obligation. Let’s say 3 hours of movement a week to make your heart pump at 130 for 2.5 hours a week.
7. Smile, laugh be happy. Cultivate good humor. You’ll have time to be in a bad mood after you die
8. Last but far from least, look at the beauty of everything around you. Love all you do and do it to fulfill you and your partner. About her/him, make of your living her/his living, and live for each other.
Today Dr. Claudio is 75 y.o., he is still an exercising cardiologist working 3 days a week, sails every weekend regardless weather. Widow for 23 years now, Claudio just got re-married.

Regards
Portuguese

 

[janice142]

Now that's a prescription a person can LIVE with...

Thanks for the post.

 

[Art]

Thank you Portuguese for Doc's list toward long life. Here's my list!

SIMPLE / EASY DIET PLAN – – > 4 REST O’ LIFE!!

1st – Exercise at least somewhat every day!

FOODS TO HAVE:

- Vegetables – Any Kind – But, No Pesticides
- Fruits – Any Kind – But, No Pesticides
- Rice – Brown Only
- Legumes
- Potatoes – Twice Monthly
- Pasta – Twice Monthly
- Lean Meats – Once Weekly – Any Cut – Pork, Beef, Lamb, Venison... Etc – Except, No Liver
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Red Sauces
- Health Conscious Snacks – Dried or Whole Fruits, Nuts... etc

DRINKS TO HAVE:

- Water – Good Source, Plain or Carbonated - All Day Long
- Natural Juices – Pure Fruit and Vegetable Juices – No Manmade Additives – No Pesticides
- Any Juices – Preferably Natural Ingredients – Diluted 1 Part Juice / 5 Parts Water with Ice for Tasty, Refreshing/Hydrating Drinks
- Good Content Health Drinks
- Coffee / Tea – No Additives
- Limited Amount Wine / Occasional Beer



FOODS TO NOT HAVE:

- Mayonnaise
- Butter
- Sugar
- Salt or Pepper
- Seafood – Unless Proven Non Radioactive
- Ice Cream – Unless Proven All Natural Ingredients – Then Occasionally
- Milk
- White Sauces
- Potato Chips and ALL Other Non Health Conscious Snacks
- Fast Foods – Burger King – Etc...
- White Bread – Whole Wheat OK Occasionally

DRINKS TO NOT HAVE:

- Juices With Unnatural Additives
- Sodas – Any Kind
- Hard Alcohol

 

[janice142]

Art must be a youngster. I'm over 50 and after the half-century mark I figure that any preservative is a good thing!

 

[Portuguese]

...I agree with many things on Art's recipe but, radioactive fish? As long as it does not come from East Africa…

 

[Art]

...I agree with many things on Art's recipe but, radioactive fish? As long as it does not come from East Africa…

Japan meltdown nuclear reactor from couple year ago is still sending radioactive waste to CA shores. Bummer!!

 

[Portuguese]

yes I am aware of it!
But if Japan's fleet is fishing as far as Uruguay, Argentina, and Africa West Coast, what are the probabilities that you and I eat Japanese seafood? (meaning seafood caught near enough to suffer Japanese radiation). Does Pappadeux still selling those delicious kiwi mussels? Those I'd stay away! Still, I am more afraid of the nuclear waste dropped in coast of Somalia, which generated the piracy wave that we all have been reading about.

Anyway, I always check my catches’ passport looking for weird stamps in it. If they have been out very far from Brazil, I release them!

Regards

Fernando

 

[Art]

yes I am aware of it!
But if Japan's fleet is fishing as far as Uruguay, Argentina, and Africa West Coast, what are the probabilities that you and I eat Japanese seafood? (meaning seafood caught near enough to suffer Japanese radiation). Does Pappadeux still selling those delicious kiwi mussels? Those I'd stay away! Still, I am more afraid of the nuclear waste dropped in coast of Somalia, which generated the piracy wave that we all have been reading about.

Anyway, I always check my catches’ passport looking for weird stamps in it. If they have been out very far from Brazil, I release them!

Regards

Fernando

Hi Fernando

It's a probability for us in SF CA that some if not a lot of the seafood harvested here contains radioactivity. Much seafood eaten here is caught here. It's not the catch via Japan's ships that concerns me... but rather, the catch here on our coast that could contain migrated radiation coming from Japan's meltdown via ocean currents.

I’m not a paranoid type fellow on most counts... but... Regarding possibly radioactive seafood consumption; I’d rather error on the side of caution!

 

[Portuguese]

...And you do it the correct way. Yours is by far the better way.

Cheers

 

[BallardPilot]

Excellent post, and so timely.

#1-
We were with family on Sunday for the NFC chanpionship game- as usual, we were eventually asked about living onboard; "doesn't it get cold", "don't you feel cramped", "is this your version of a midlife crisis?", and so on.

I offered the family passes for the boat show, and Bob (who has a love of boating, and really wants a boat capable of overnighting) stated that "I'll get a boat when I retire".

#2
Our marina manager and I were talking late last year about life onboard, as his oldest had just jumped ship and abandoned the nest.


My question/answer to both was the same-
"Are you promised tomorrow?"

Bob's answer was that he needed to retire first.

The marina manager is moving aboard in 2 weeks. He got it.

This quote is from a gentleman that has proved remarkably helpful in my decision to get my feet wet and take a chance on a boat. You're never ready. If we wait till we're ready, we'll be living our dreams underground.

I took the plunge, and can't wait to close!

 

[FF]

IF ,you are what you eat.

And you eat food preservatives ,

why would it not be a great diet?

 

[N4061]

Post Update

I'm pleased to see all the responses to our original post even though the later posts have drifted off subject. To help bring us back to the boating and aging issue I thought the following may be in order. Last week I made my second trip to NY to check on my dad who is fighting dementia in addition to other health issues. While it hurts to see him in this state I can only think back to the great 84 year run he had. Up until only a few years ago he was still driving and playing racquetball. He worked (part time) up until he was 75 and loved it. Of all the memories I have growing up, the ones I cherish the most are two us taking our little 16' outboard boat out for a day of fishing on the great south bay on Long Island. It didn't matter if was summer or early winter, we just went had a great time.

Now that I'm pushing mid 50's and thinking about retirement I cannot help but wonder how many more good years I have left and feel as though time is running out ever so quickly. All the big and fancy things I once strived for are no longer that important and downsizing (house, boat, cars) is more appealing.

As others have said on other posts, many of us are not young that play in this trawler game and finding the right boat that meets 90% of our true needs is really all we need.

Safe travels.

 

[caltexflanc]

As others have said on other posts, many of us are not young that play in this trawler game and finding the right boat that meets 90% of our true needs is really all we need.

Safe travels.

Great points. That's one of the many reasons I urge people to charter before buying. If your goal is to get out on the water, do it now as much as possible. We have seen so many people diddle away time looking for the right boat, and/or diddle more time getting it just right, and then wham, life happens and no, or very little actual boating takes place.

 

[psneeld]

I decided to chuck the Washington Defense Contractor crowd....came back to where my kids were...started working in the marine industry and poking around.

It led to my travels as a delivery captain, experience in just about every nook and cranny of boat maintenance, a lot of commercial captaining for barge pushing and scientific work...and then ultimately assistance towing that is an on-call job allowing me to work on my trawler quite a bit and then take the 4 winter months off to cruise.

Many friends and acquaintances think it's the perfect semi-retirement set-up and it's hard to argue.

Don't make a lot...don't spend a lot... and I'm on the water all year doing something even if it's just living aboard 5 slips down from my towboat.

health is good with very little stress and in another couple years I'll drop back to even more part time work to free up time in the summer to cruise a bit too. I figure I have 15 years of solid cruising left till I'm 75 and from there it's all what I'll consider gravy.

 

[kulas44]

I agree with the no alcohol thing. My uncle was a self made GoZillianaire in the oil biz. Didnt even graduate highschool. worked his entire life in the oil field. Pioneered offshore drilling in the GOM. designed the first drilling barge and later the drill ship. Took the FIRST drill ship from Houston to south africa (around the southern tip) for BP before aparthied. But alas, his life was cut short by alcohol. He was a heavy drinker, having more than a few every evening. He had a weakness for Jack but was not apposed to drinking another mans poison. It finally killed him at 92 years old. His wife at the time was 57. I'm told she was relieved to see him go. Apparently he was very demanding.

 

[GFC]

Reading all the posts in this thread (including my own from many moons ago) has been like a revival for me. The medical issues I faced when I posted before have not left me, but since then I've decided that I will not let them get the best of me.

One of the things on my bucket list is to take my boat around the coast of WA and spend an entire summer cruising the San Juans and Canadian waters. My wife's mother is 98 years old (to be 99 in December). While she's alive we won't make that trip because we don't want to be away from her for long periods.

I have promised myself and my wife that once her mother has passed, the following summer we are going to make that trip, come hell or high water. Life is just too damn short to put off doing the things you have dreamed about for many years.

We will do that trip, and I'll take tons of photos and post them on here so those of you who will never be able to experience the beauty of the PNW waters will be able to join us on the cruise. That country is just too beautiful to not share with y'all.

 

[Pgitug]

As the doctor mentioned, I have never had a patient on the table that said: If only I had worked another week.

 

[markpierce]

Enjoy life as you can.

 

[Nomad Willy]

GFC,
Hell is not here but high water comes twice a day.

 

[GFC]

Well put Eric.