Should I take on Project Boat at the age of 70? (Swan Song)

saltylegs said:
Go for it if it gives you pleasure.
A friend sold his large motor sailor a few years ago and down sized to a 24 footer in need of a bit of work, he has it looking nice now. He's 88 :encouragement:
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When I was in the WOA they had a member who joined them for cruises in company every summer, singlehanding his Centaur from the Solent to Brittany and the Channel Islands. In the last account I saw he was 93 ...
 
i'm 53 and have just taken on a project boat.bet yours is finished before mine! Go for it,and enjoy it, we all need a focus and having a project gives you a reason to get up in the morning and keeps the mind active.
 
PCUK said:
Never mind how much work is involved. If you want to do it then go ahead. If you don't do it then you are already half dead. Ignore the tw*ts on this forum who think age is years related and get on with it.
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Well said!!
 
Whilst not as unthinkingly gung-ho as some on this site and with 7 years more of experience of entropy:-
Be aware:-
1. That you're just entering the accelerated period of stamina, sight and suppleness loss.
2. That making-it-up-as you go along is far less an option than it used to be.

So, by all means go ahead - allow at least 3 times as long as it did when you were 65, plan and prepare everything meticulously and don't get frustrated.
A project like that is the best way of keeping further entropy at bay.
 
charles_reed said:
So, by all means go ahead - allow at least 3 times as long as it did when you were 65, .
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I had a chuckle to myself when I read that!

"The nation fell in love with the 61-year-old potato farmer who came out of nowhere to defeat the nation's best long distance runners. ( 1983 Sydney to Melbourne ultra-marathon 875km race.)

He became famous for his shuffle running style and for wearing gumboots and long trousers while training more than 30km daily at his Victorian farming property."
 
I know the feeling about 'is it worth starting that at my time of life!!' A suggestion would be to work in stages. Possibly target jobs that would quickly make the boat more sellable ( just in case you pop your clogs !!) As allways avoid spending on major items that can be bought when she is ready to use ( nav gear,sails etc.)
Then, speaking as your senior........just go for it!!.
 
I would be tempted to find another project that will pay dividends (in enjoyment) quicker and have less risk of you losing interest in it.
That looks like a lot of both work and materials. Some think that needs more TLC than replacement will surely be a more appealing prospect?
 
If it all goes pear shaped, so what?
Gets you out of the house or from under the missus ooer?

I would suggest that some boats are much easier to work on than others
Might as well put that 12months@5days a week ( realistic IMO ) into something really a bit special ...

Working on it very close to your boys saves a lot of precious commute non productive time too of course..
 
coopec said:
"The nation fell in love with the 61-year-old potato farmer who came out of nowhere to defeat the nation's best long distance runners. ( 1983 Sydney to Melbourne ultra-marathon 875km race.)

He became famous for his shuffle running style and for wearing gumboots and long trousers while training more than 30km daily at his Victorian farming property."
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I remember him! I was a kid when he won that major race.

Here is a link:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/03/1067708126175.html

On the boat, I would say no. Buy one that you can use. I bought one and it was a load of work that I could have done without. Took 5 years and I was in my 30's then. Go sailing instead!
 
charles_reed said:
Whilst not as unthinkingly gung-ho as some on this site and with 7 years more of experience of entropy:-
Be aware:-
1. That you're just entering the accelerated period of stamina, sight and suppleness loss.
2. That making-it-up-as you go along is far less an option than it used to be.

So, by all means go ahead - allow at least 3 times as long as it did when you were 65, plan and prepare everything meticulously and don't get frustrated.
A project like that is the best way of keeping further entropy at bay.
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Well, approaching 70 and having just come out of hospital after a minor operation (but one requiring a full anaesthetic nevertheless), I'm inclined to agree with Charles -- by all means go ahead, but allow for a much longer time than you would have when you were younger.

Mike
 
carl170 said:
On the boat, I would say no. Buy one that you can use.
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For some of us, restoring a boat is just as much fun as sailing it. Same with old cars; I enjoy my Triumph Herald far more, having rebuilt it completely myself, than I would enjoy one I had just bought. Other people may feel differently, and that's fine, but we shouldn't assume that the only pleasure in owning a boat is sailing it.
 
My parents are just completing a re-fit of a 26ft boat at 80 and 78 years old, both have heart problems.
If I had a hulk to dispose of then fine, I would rather that than see them stuck in an armchair!
Go for it!
 
Many thanks to all who have replied.

I have taken on board all of your thoughts but the one which did give me a jolt was the one about being already half dead if I was worried about popping off halfway through the rebuild. To be fair, I have had four (big C) biopsy's over the last 30 years for liver, nose, bladder and prostrate issues all of which were clear but does remind one of one's own mortality.

Going back to the boat, my feeling is that even if I got it for next to nothing, I doubt if I would break even at the end of the day especially if I find that the lump of "Green Death" is beyond salvaging due to corrosion of the water jackets.

So! ..........................................its a no from me and will look for something a bit less challenging.

I think my problems was that I wanted to prove at the age of 70 I could still work on such a project but as Charles Green pointed out, "things aint what they used to be" Thanks for reminding me, now where's my specs.

Regards
 
NO, don't start UNLESS you can park it in your garden and work on it. If you have to travel even a few miles then you won't finish it. Oh and you'll need a small person helper to get into all the places you can't. Just go sailing in your other boat.
 
I think the answer is: if you have to ask us then obviously you have some doubts about your current ability and therefore you should not start. But as someone has said "age" has little to do with years. Some 70 year olds would delight at the challenge. How many people could circumnavigate solo as Chichester did at the age of 66 years?
 
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cavitation said:
So! ..........................................its a no from me and will look for something a bit less challenging.

I think my problems was that I wanted to prove at the age of 70 I could still work on such a project but as Charles Green pointed out, "things aint what they used to be" Thanks for reminding me, now where's my specs.
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I think you are being wise to discard this particular dream. Like you, at the age of 70, I bought a boat that needed work but nowhere near as much as your considered project. And importantly, it was in a sailable condition so I could enjoy it while taking my time to work on all the minor projects on board .... ones that escalated as such things do.

After three years of work, in 2008, I slipped the lines for a single-handed cruise down the Adriatic in a boat that fitted all my requirements, a wonderful experience; now, aged 79, I look forward to this year's adventures.

Nothing wrong with a project boat at the age of 70, just keep a sense of proportion of what is possible and potentially enjoyable.
 
JumbleDuck said:
For some of us, restoring a boat is just as much fun as sailing it. Same with old cars; I enjoy my Triumph Herald far more, having rebuilt it completely myself, than I would enjoy one I had just bought. Other people may feel differently, and that's fine, but we shouldn't assume that the only pleasure in owning a boat is sailing it.
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Like you, I know some of us enjoy working on stuff nearly as much as using it.
Between 2000 and 2010 I restored and raced a J24, restored a Triumph Vitesse convertible, built an 18 foot gaff rigged yawl and am now enjoying the Sigma 33 I restored.
You know what they say, "whatever floats your boat" :encouragement:
 
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