Slow Hand – End of the line

[High Wire]

Best wishes and thank you for all of your posts of your travels.

 

[Jim Mason]

Ted, thanks for your interesting posts and enjoyable conversations when you were in Crisfield. If you pass this way by automobile, give me a call. I still owe you lunch, because you bought last time.

All the Best
Jim

 

[Gulf Comanche]

I'm in the same boat as you, forgetting things, mild confusion at times, etc. Went to the neurologist, did an MRI, blood test, and a 4 hour quiz at the neuro's office. Bottom line at the last meeting, no dementia, just getting old, 74 in May. It's pretty weird but he said the best medicine for the brain is exercise, better than any medicine he could prescribe. So, onward.

 

[tpbrady]

Ted,

I think of you every time I walk by a Cherubini on the same float as our boat in Wrangell. We almost bought one 10 years ago before we bought the Nordic Tug. Good luck.

Tom

 

[BDofMSP]

Ted,

It was an honor to meet you twice - once when I actually knew it was you! I have learned so much about Lake Superior and Isle Royale from your cruises and posts, and that information really helped me last summer when I went to Isle myself.

I'm saddened that my easy chances to run into you are diminished but I won't count out future encounters - it's a small world. In any case, I very much respect your decision and can only add my thanks for all you've contributed to this forum. Your input is always insightful, reasoned, tempered, and most of all, helpful! And your voyage posts are inspirational and educational as well (I still think about the troubleshooting you shared in real time with us last year with your "electronic" issue - a master class in sequential elimination of possible causes).

Best of luck to you. I'm so glad you will continue to participate here. We're all richer for that.

BD

 

[mncruiser]

Ted,

It was great to meet you up here last summer! You’ve had a few lifetimes of cruising compared to a lot of people. Your posts on your rides around on the boat are like a good book you don’t want to put down. Thank you for all the effort you’ve put into all of it.

I’m excited to hear about what’s next! Also, you always have a boat ride token up here on Phoenix! I know you will be looking to come up and re-do the world’s best hike on Otter Island!!

Mncruiser (Sean and Family)

 

[Adopo]

Holy cow Ted, I just looked at the thread you did on the boat rebuild, and it is simply amazing! You had to be an engineer or similar profession I'm guessing. Something that requited lots of attention to details, and done right! You do have to know when to step back, but from reading your adventures, you certainly grabbed the brass ring and ran with it. No regrets. My wife and I have a motto, "Go like hell till you can't". Can't will happen much sooner than later, as we are all terminal.

 

[Turtle Blues]

Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and expertise. They are hard earned commodities. I am glad to hear you stay you plan to stay active in the form they are valued here.
Have had several friends convert to land crabs in their senior years. Most notable quote was "The motor home doesn't require an anchor watch, and overnight in WM parking lots is free.

 

[SteveK]

................convert to land crabs in their senior years. Most notable quote was "The motor home doesn't require an anchor watch, and overnight in WM parking lots is free.

Must remember this, hey honey wanna sell the boat and get a land crab and tour while free parking at Walmart.

 

[Andy G]

[QUOTE=Gulf Comanche;1222341 the best medicine for the brain is exercise,


My partner's area of expertise is the psychology of aging. Some of the tips I have picked up from her over the years.

1. Work at maintaining a good network of friends
2. Take on tasks/problems that require a different set of skills than you presently use
3. Take up dancing and cross word puzzles
4. Keep physically active. Swimming & walking are great, gentle on the body
5. Be inquisitive

She keeps quoting studies that show moving away from friends at a later stage of life often does not have good outcome as it is difficult to form close associations as you become older. Though, I think a lot of people do that quite successfully.

As a moto for successful aging I think Clint Eastwood summed it up pretty well.

 

[Seevee]

Ted,

Like the others, was great to follow your travels, boat improvements and skills. You're an inspiration to all of us.


Last time I met you in Tarpon Springs, you were young and vibrant..... it was 9 years ago and seems like yesterday. I'll bet you have a lot of that vibrancy left in you.


Your decision seems sound and wish you the best in your next venture.


Wanna take up flying? Have a plane for you.

 

[folivier]

Motorhoming can be lots of fun. We never could make trawling work for us for various reasons so skipped it and went straight to motorhoming. Had a great time traveling. Now we have a cabin in the Colorado mountains and sitting here watching the snow fall. Plan to go snowmobiling Monday then start closing the cabin until we return for the summer.
Enjoy as much of life as you can while you can!

 

[Lou_tribal]

Hopefully you will stay around on this forum so we can all benefit of your experience.
I wish I met you when you did the rideau and have the pleasure to see your boat that I find very nice.

L

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Wait, what?!? I haven't been online all week and now you're hanging up the hat, Ted? Well it's been an honor to have carried on our conversations, e- as they may be, and it has been an honor following your adventures. An inspiration really. My I be a fraction as successful. Looking forward to following your adventures to come. Thank you.

 

[cks]

Ted,
I guess it’s fair to say, For everyone there is a season….. I am grateful that I met you and you stayed at our Yacht Club as my guest. You have an absolutely beautiful boat- truly stunning. Who ever becomes Slow Hand’s next caretaker is lucky indeed.

Warmest wishes to you and your wife on life’s next adventure.

 

[chc]

Thanks for all the stories and cruising insights over time. It has been a joy to read and follow vicariously. I can see us winding down our cruising in the next few years. Hopefully we'll be able to back off into something else with grace and dignity. Enjoy your next adventures.

 

[Pascall]

Ted I don't know you, I'm a newbie here on the forum.
But now 3 pages later with very positive messages, this says a lot about the person you are!
I wish you a safe journey in this turn in your life.

As for getting older, when we made our choice for 30 years which boat we were going to build, we consciously took into account that when we would get older, the boat would still be manageable.
Lounge, cockpits, kitchen on the ground floor, two steps down to bedrooms, shower and toilet.
A few years ago I made 3 steps so that you can step from the cockpit to the deck more easily, small adjustment because we are getting older.
If we are allowed to experience it, we don't want to stop before our eighties.
We have a beautiful source of inspiration, my father-in-law and mother-in-law are still sailing and are 85 years old.

Regards

Pascal.

 

[Hippocampus]

Ted I will miss you. Found you to be a gentleman, knowledgeable and honest. Please run for office. You are the kind of person our politicians are not.

Wife and I are going through the classic steps for a boater. Blue water to coastal. Sail to power. Been blessed so minimal or no cognitive changes to date. Picked the right father and mother. Still the issue has been safety and endurance. Wife felt off the sailboat when it was on the hard. Broke her ankle in 3 places. Did a good recovery but her balance a bit off so unsafe on the foredeck in a seaway. Was taught to never jump off a boat only step but my dexterity is decreased. And my endurance. No more going without sleep or being functional watch and watch when caught in the snot. It was time to give up sail and blue water passages over a week.
Now on SD power. Doing ok but find I’m less redundant to write a check than do several days of boat yoga. Boating has become less enjoyable as I prefer being independent and usually trust my own work more than that of others. It’s now spring and the first year in a decade and a half I spent winter in dirt dwellings and saw snow. Don’t like it. Think RVing is just trading a boat for a land yacht. Folks I know who have one have the same maintenance, storage, planning issues you have with a boat. Unlike a boat you commonly deal with neighbors. That’s ok if you’re a marina type of person. Unfortunately I’m not. So probably won’t do that classic next step. Still I’m probably just a few years behind you Ted. Don’t know what we’ll do. Not a fan of Q tip land FL. But not a fan of New England winters. May end up winter traveling in warm places and having a center console in a slip for summers. There’s always something you don’t know when it comes to boating. Over the years have learned about HVAC, engines, watermakers, grp repair, welding, electronics and there’s still huge areas of ignorance. Yes it’s important to be constantly learning and unless you’re a total credit card captain boating forces you to learn new stuff.
There’s several conflicting factors. The need to have new experiences v been there done that. The need to stay active v it becoming harder and harder to do stuff that was easy in the past. I’m sure Ted you won’t go quietly into the night. Please continue to keep us informed about your transition as we all eventually will swallow the anchor and wish to do it gracefully.

 

[Irish Rambler]

Hi Ted, its been a pleasure knowing you through the TF. I respect you abilities in refurbing your boat and I suspect that like me 'near enough is not good enough'.
Some call us fussy old codgers but if its perfect its not wrong.
You have taken a well thought out rational decision and I wish you every happiness for the future. You've made some wonderful memories to look back on with pride.
Good Luck my friend, tonight I will raise a glass to salute you.

 

[Cartouche]

In 2014 I bought Slow Hand, a 2002 Cherubini Independence 45 coastal cruiser. She was refitted, repowered, and painted in 2014 & 2015. I made her the boat I wanted to cruise on. From 2016 to 2023 I cruised her on the East coast from Florida to New York, the Great Loop, the Great Lakes and into Canada. It has been a wonderful 8 years and 39,000 miles.

So what’s happened? I’ve gotten old, less steady, making mistakes, and forgetting things. My cruising (over 98%) has been solo. While it would have been nice for my wife to have joined me, she’s not a boater, and I wouldn’t force her. She was kind enough to tell me, “Follow your dream and have a good time”. While 2023 was probably my best cruising year, I found myself making small mistakes and forgetting stuff. This isn’t good when you travel solo (nobody else to blame) and maybe worse if a guest can’t run your boat.

Imagine the quarterback who wins the super bowl or maybe two in a row at the end of his career. Instead of retiring on top, he stays for another season or two for that one last glory. It almost never happens. Instead, he was the washed up quarterback that stayed too long. I’ve decided to retire and sell the boat after a great season instead of being the lead story on the evening news or the old guy with the dock queen that hasn’t moved in 10 years. I’m really hoping that a person or a couple with a passion for cruising will buy Slow Hand and continue the adventure.

The wife will be retiring in August, so another adventure begins. I have some friends that are foolish enough to invite me along on their cruises. I will still have my Trinka dinghy to go exploring with. There might even be another boat to weekend play with. And make no mistake, I’ll be hanging around the forum to tell you all, “This was how it was done in my day”.

If you want to discuss the above or comment on anything relative to Slow Hand, this is the thread to do it on.

Here is the boat listing thread:

2002 Cherubini Independence 45, Fort Myers, FL $350K

Ted

Was an impressive site to see when you were in our Marina (Kingston Marina) Fueling up in 2022, prior to heading up the Rideau to Ottawa. Enjoy your next adventure

 

[rgano]

I am most gratified to hear you will be hanging around and not just disappearing over the horizon. I think you will enjoy the transition. I know I did, and I look forward to your perspective on running a smaller vessel.

 

[Bigsfish]

Ted we discussed this a few months ago and I think you made the correct choice. Usually I follow you but not when cruising as my boat wouldn’t go that slow and now I got out a half year before you.
Ever since I was a pup on this forum I soon learned that some that post could be followed without question and you were at the head of that list. You were always a wealth of knowledge even when sampling your craft beers. More importantly you freely imparted your knowledge to those of us idiots who read these forums. Thanks from all here I can’t imagine a better, nicer member. The best thing I found in selling Gotcha is all the extra time and money I now have but it is hard not to have boat after having one for over 70 years. Best of luck my friend.

 

[Kit_L]

It's my birthday today; apparently I have seen 71 summers. Like you, I single-hand my boat most of the time.

I salute you, Ted, for having the awareness to recognise when physical strength and coordination are waning, and choosing to leave the cruising life at the top of your game.

If exercise is the best way to ward off dementia and other things of that ilk, I am off to do some chin-ups now. I have found that it's necessary to prioritise exercise as one gets older.

Best wishes on the next adventure, and I am very pleased that you will still be around here.

 

[fryedaze]

Thanks for taking us along Ted. From Slowhand rebuild to all your cruising adventures. I feel lucky we ran into you a couple times and I could stalk you over the years. Always enjoyed seeing the beautiful Slowhand in Crisfield. Your advice has always been valuable, with a no nonsense way of putting things.Many of us dream of doing adventures like you did. Just know Ted, you sure did it right

 

[Port Fierce]

Ted
We were lucky enough to have met you in the first month of our journey, cruising on the Erie Canal. The time spent with you was enjoyable. Your advice and insight have been invaluable. We wish you the best in your next adventure. Hope to see you around Florida sometime.
Best wishes,
Paul and Jo-Ann Berg
Moonstruck

 

[JDCAVE]

Wow Ted! Some lucky Someone will be getting a beautiful vessel! Good luck on your future travels. Pleas stick around the Forum and continue to contribute your useful advice.

WRT TT’s question: Ive really slowed down once I reached 65. I dislocated my shoulder, the one with the rotator cuff repair and I have little strength in that arm. I’m waiting for a hip replacement and walking up and down the dock, up and down from the boat deck, and in and out of the engine room is a chore. I’m not looking forward to going up on the hard. I need to sand and bottom paint and possibly do some blister work. Not looking forward to it.

We are going north this summer. We may have a year or two after that, but the work and the boat expenses are getting to be too much. $24,000 last year.

Jim

 

[Phyrcooler]

Like others, I have appreciated the knowledge that you have shared here. More than that, I must say I followed your refit/rebuild with more than a bit of envy… and looked forward to each update. She’s a hell of a little ship. Your changes and upgrades were well thought out. Someone will be getting a great boat.

Best wishes to you going forward.

 

[janice142]

No such option for me. I will spend the last of my days on my boat.

Daddy died aboard our 40'er... it is doable. Now he had intended to build a houseboat for when he got old, however age caught up with him and that never happened. He stayed aboard the sedan cruiser he built in the 1950's.

Daddy's boat:

Here she is in the 1990s. We sold her in the early 2000s... like Ted, it was a fast sale. Mother put a sign in the starboard window on a Saturday. A broker contacted her on Sunday. Listed on Monday. First appointment that afternoon. We had a second interested individual scheduled for Tuesday. The Tuesday guy offered all cash/no inspection Monday night. We had already signed a contract on Monday. Cash in the bank account on Wednesday, so five days. It was a hot market and the boat was fabulous!

Because of that I experience -- Daddy having been aboard until the end, I have been adapting Seaweed to take me until forever aboard her. Excluding the tuna door I have accomplished all I set out for originally some 16-plus years ago. My Seaweed is not the boat she once was. She is however 41 years old.

I can safely live aboard her at anchor without issue. Sufficient power is provided by 460 watts of solar, a wind generator and a small Yamaha 1000 generator. Due to lacking the upper body strength you fellows have, I opted for a 1k genny. (I am unable to pull start a Honda2k UNLESS it is warmed up -- the compression is simply too much for me)

In the meantime this past year I have spent doing the normal things you do aboard a vessel built 41 years ago: replaced everything except me! Well, actually that includes wiring. All my AC is new and upgraded/more appropriately sized for today's needs. Four decades ago we did not have the power hungry devices of 2024.

A bad fall into a bilge took me out of commission for a couple years. I lost my confidence. Just about the time I was back to my old self, Covid happened. The enforced isolation did nothing good for me personally and I HATED it.

Last year a neighbor took a fall too. Both of us made the EXACT SAME ERROR. Both of us were injured badly too. Here's what went wrong: we both walked inside a boat from outside where it was bright and sunny. We both stepped into an open hatch and fell into the bilge.

Lesson learned: ALWAYS close the hatches even if only for five minutes. We would both like to think we are smarter than to step into a hole, but alas, we are not! Seriously, I believe we were blinded by stepping out of the sunlight and neither of us stopped a moment to allow our eyes to adjust.

I did write an article which might amuse and warn you of the stupid stuff that can happen when we are just a smidge too confident in our capabilities:
Rules for Life article on janice142

There are a lot of things we can do to make our life safer aboard our homes...

 

[dannc]

...
A bad fall into a bilge took me out of commission for a couple years. I lost my confidence. Just about the time I was back to my old self, Covid happened. The enforced isolation did nothing good for me personally and I HATED it.

Last year a neighbor took a fall too. Both of us made the EXACT SAME ERROR. Both of us were injured badly too. Here's what went wrong: we both walked inside a boat from outside where it was bright and sunny. We both stepped into an open hatch and fell into the bilge.

Lesson learned: ALWAYS close the hatches even if only for five minutes. We would both like to think we are smarter than to step into a hole, but alas, we are not! Seriously, I believe we were blinded by stepping out of the sunlight and neither of us stopped a moment to allow our eyes to adjust.

Excellent advice about the hatches. Sometimes when doing a chore, one has the choice of trying to do something fast to save time or take a short period of time to remove/minimize one's chance to get injured. I have been really good at looking at a situation, seeing the possible problem that would/could lead to an injury and realizing that it will only take a short amount of time to make it so I won't get hurt vs pushing on with the work and running the risk. The time it takes to prevent an injury is FAR less than the amount of time one will loose getting injured, healing, and getting the work down that was not completed due to the injury. Of course, sometimes one can get an injury which cannot be healed back to normal.

Course, I messed up about six weeks ago, saw the problem, knew the problem, knew what needed to be done to prevent a problem and did not do it. Maybe the injury will be healed in another six weeks. Moron was I. The mental pain of avoiding the simple step that would have prevented getting hurt was worse than the pain of the physical injury. I was very lucky since the injury could have been far, far worse.

Love the I'm Fine cartoon!

 

[Portage_Bay]

Open hatch injuries. It doesn't take much to get seriously hurt. I personally know of 3 open hatch falls. Two resulted in serious injuries, a shattered ankle and a bad laceration. One in bruises and pulled muscles, that was me stepping backwards into a hatch I left open . Please be careful everyone.