Swallowing the anchor!

Fimacca

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Difficult choices. Although I had my dad doing balance exercises when has down. he improved within a week!
I joined him - and do feel improvement when dancing across the deck.

good time to sell. prices are high for decent, ready to go boats.........................
 

Neeves

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I don't normally stray far from anchors, life is too short - but what a depressing thread, can we have a bit more optimism please.

I have made the decision not to get old - there is nothing mentioned here to look forward to.

:)

Jonathan
 

Neeves

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Mind you I've just updated, after about 24 hours, the posts on the current ankr thread - maybe this one has more interesting comments posted - about which I should take more notice.

Jonathan
 

Zing

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Don’t do it. Only move onwards and upwards. Sell your boat if you have a better plan. That could be spending time on your stamp collection or your needlepoint, but I doubt it would do. A better option and which would take you deep into your dotage would be a small stabilised motor trawler yacht somewhere nice and gentle, maybe Greece or Croatia. That would be something to look forward to and would lift the spirit loads instead of depress it. A bit like finding an easier motorbike. How’s that search going btw?
 

scottie

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Did it three years ago
the boat went on the market expecting sale to take time but it basically sold on listings as the broker had a customer waiting
for me it was a combination of factors ie health both wife and I finance and age along with potential problems in the boat partnership so time to quit after a lifetime in boats
yes I miss it but was relieved not to have to look after the boat during Covid that would have been really hard as the boat was a real man shed my friend and I being there ever week and I would have been worried not getting there.
I was also pleased that the responsibility of becoming unable to contribute fully was avoided
it was time and am relieved that it’s done
 

Quandary

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I have given up twice now, first time on instruction from her indoors after a knee replacement, second when I could not tolerate the substitute mobo and now I own what is definitely our last boat. My advice is if there is the slightest doubt do not do it. Only upside to the mistake is that when I am steaming along on a close reach or anchored in Loch Moidart I now appreciate how fortunate I am to be still there and still alive, my executors can sort this last boat out.
However to be serious, I live in Scotland with the boat wintered ashore 2 mins. walk. from our garden in a club yard which costs about £300 a year for storage, craning in and out and mast stepping, I can walk or cycle to an alongside summer berth which costs me around £1k and can be rounding Ardnamurchan 7 hours after stepping aboard. If I was in Manchester or Birmingham I do not think I would bother.
 

Neeves

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I have given up twice now, first time on instruction from her indoors after a knee replacement, second when I could not tolerate the substitute mobo and now I own what is definitely our last boat. My advice is if there is the slightest doubt do not do it. Only upside to the mistake is that when I am steaming along on a close reach or anchored in Loch Moidart I now appreciate how fortunate I am to be still there and still alive, my executors can sort this last boat out.
However to be serious, I live in Scotland with the boat wintered ashore 2 mins. walk. from our garden in a club yard which costs about £300 a year for storage, craning in and out and mast stepping, I can walk or cycle to an alongside summer berth which costs me around £1k and can be rounding Ardnamurchan 7 hours after stepping aboard. If I was in Manchester or Birmingham I do not think I would bother.

Now that is a bit more optimistic! :)

Jonathan
 

mjcoon

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I have made the decision not to get old - there is nothing mentioned here to look forward to.

:)

Jonathan
Also solves the problem expressed by Woody Allan: "If I can't take it with me, I'm not going to go!"
(I failed to get corroboration, even with correct spelling "Allen".)
 
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oldmanofthehills

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Much depends on how sailing fits in with your life. I said I wanted small old open boat to play with when even more aged, and Navigator suggested we get it now to sit on our old BC clubs mooring so we can play with it now when too tired to drive to Cornwall.

I have no reason to swallow the anchor yet, but in the unlikely event that sailing meant seriously alienating my dear wife I would certainly if reluctantly make that decision.

So perhaps think of a smaller more manageable watercraft. A fishing Dory, a Drascombe lugger, or a simple workboat to potter abouyt the creeks in. Good luck with your decisions
 

oldharry

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I have a plan (well tbh, loads of) to go inland with a narrow boat when too infirm to sail. But plan A is to go with my boots on!
Actually, you will find Canal cruising has it's own physical challenges. Having assisted my late BiL get his Narrow Boat up the Caen Locks in Devizes, and many other long lock flights, I found myself more than ready to get back to the relaxation of sailing. You need to be fit to work the Canals.... those sluices and gates are heavy! There's a whole lot more to it than just gliding along admiring the scenery!

I too have just this year swallowed the anchor, taking advantage of the 'staycation boom' in second hand boat sales. Mrs OH's ill health means I need to be at home much more, and my fitness for single handing being not what it was. I've kept a very pretty little rowing dinghy for the odd excursion afloat, though I cant see using it much. And yes, I do find myself leafing through adverts to find another boat that I know I will not have time to use. But I cant find anything smaller that will substitute for my beautiful Trident - one of the best small sailing boats I ever owned!

I think it better just to leave it at that with the memories of many happy trips intact.

But in last nights gale it did feel odd not wondering what my boat was up to out on its mooring!
 

PhillM

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After selling Paean, I said I’d save up for a year or two and buy a bigger boat that meets the needs/wants of my new SWMBO. I lasted a whole week. I will save up .... honest... meantime Amber is being collected from the barn this week and work to make her sea worthy commences.

To the OP, I hope you find a way to stay connected via a club or friends who can take you from time to time.
 

TernVI

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Is really really really hard to do. Queue facetious comments about the size of the anchor , its flavour etc. I'm talking about giving up sailing and flogging the boat.

Trouble is that you have so much invested in sailing both emotionally and financially. The hard learned skills, the garage loft full of bits and pieces, the memories, the feel of the wind on your face, the friends, the collection of boat jumble rope lengths, the photos on the PC, the trophy or two for racing, .

Been agonising for three years now but the boat simply isnt being used, SWMBO has lost whatever interest she had, I'm getting creaky with poor balance. Still every visit to the club to potter with the boat draws me back in.
The trouble is, SE Wales is a bit full on, no nice creeks or harbours to potter around.
It doesn't exactly promote downsizing to a dayboat or dinghy or small mobo.
I reckon a cruiser on the non-tidal Severn and canals might be fun for a few trips, but it's not the same.
A mate of mine used to have a motorcruiser on a river, I really enjoyed the trips I did on it, once or twice a year.
I couldn't see it keeping my attention 3 weekends out of 4 like racing various sailing boats does.

In your position, I might consider a partnership/boatshare/syndicate for racing.
 

bitbaltic

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I have given up twice now, first time on instruction from her indoors after a knee replacement, second when I could not tolerate the substitute mobo and now I own what is definitely our last boat. My advice is if there is the slightest doubt do not do it. Only upside to the mistake is that when I am steaming along on a close reach or anchored in Loch Moidart I now appreciate how fortunate I am to be still there and still alive, my executors can sort this last boat out.
However to be serious, I live in Scotland with the boat wintered ashore 2 mins. walk. from our garden in a club yard which costs about £300 a year for storage, craning in and out and mast stepping, I can walk or cycle to an alongside summer berth which costs me around £1k and can be rounding Ardnamurchan 7 hours after stepping aboard. If I was in Manchester or Birmingham I do not think I would bother.
That’s more like it

swallowing the anchor is hopefully decades hence but my plan will be to sit on a by-then 70 year old Centaur in a drying harbour somewhere in Pembrokeshire to watch the sun go down figuratively and literally.

sailing is living and living is sailing

I saw a nice quote the other day: you live every single day and you only die once.
 
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