With the right equipment on their boat, reasonably fit sailors can continue to enjoy wind and water until they are among the oldest of the old. By Lawrence W. Norton After 23 years of summer sailing in the Pacific Northwest, my wife and I decided recently to sell our 40 foot sloop and retire from the sea. The reason for this decision is our age. We are in our seventies. Everyone knows that folks this old should not risk suffering a heart attack in a remote anchorage along the Inside Passage or falling overboard into the frigid waters of Puget Sound. Everyone is right, of course, but that does not take away the sellers’ remorse that began the day we sold the boat.       One way to deal with our loss is to fantasize about finding a sailboat that answers the needs of elderly sailors who want to cruise without facing undue physical challenges. We are not power boaters at heart. The allure of sailing is still in our imagination. While we cannot deny the reality that sailing is age limited, we seek ways to prolong our enjoyment of a cruising sailboat. Our wish is to make currently hard functions easier. Easy Boarding Unlike powerboats, sailboats are hard to get on and off. Older sailors are vulnerable to injury when boarding and disembarking. The explanation is two-fold. First, freeboard puts the deck several feet above the level of the dock. Second, aging affects agility. Gerontologists have conventionalized the term frailty to describe the diminished physical capacity of seniors. Signs of frailty include muscle weakness and poor balance. No wonder that old folks need safer boarding procedures.       The worst circumstance is bringing a boat into its slip while the wind is blowing. A light displacement hull makes this maneuver even more hazardous. Having to rapidly dispatch a septuagenarian over the side of the boat and on to the dock to secure a line or two before the boat careens into its neighboring boat in the slip is downright dangerous. Bow thrusters help to hold a boat against a dock but the essential need is a handy, strong, reliable gunwale mounted ladder that safely delivers an older adult to the dock. Such a ladder might be stowed by incorporation into the lifeline gate. It can be deployed by simply swinging it over the side. It should have wide steps that extend to within a foot or so of the dock. Above all, it must be rigid both in fixation and in construction. In conjunction with the ladder, a midship deck cleat is helpful. A line fixed to this cleat and carried to a corresponding dock cleat can control the boat until help arrives.       Getting into or out of a dinghy is another risky event for the elderly. Our dreamboat will have a proper geriatric transom to facilitate these moves. Nothing can beat a sugar-scoop stern with easy access from the cockpit to a wide transom step just above the waterline. It helps to have a hand hold when moving from boat to dinghy. A radar arch that doubles as a dinghy davit can provide this. Easy Anchoring Ease of dropping and retrieving the anchor is critical for retired sailors. A heavy anchor and its rode need to be handled mechanically not manually. The answer is an electric windlass that can be operated remotely from any location on deck and a deep anchor well. The importance of the latter cannot be over emphasized. Chain and rope should drop by gravity into an unfathomable well without being snared by the hawse pipe and without the need of human arrangement. Most production sailboats don’t have deep anchor wells. Such boats are for young people.       As a kelp or mud covered anchor comes aboard, an electric-powered fresh or sea water spray should be at hand to clean it. Pulling up buckets of ocean water to lavage the anchor and its well tests the limits of senior strength. We also need a simple yet foolproof means to secure the anchor in its roller after hoisting, a restraint devise that can be engaged and released without forcing a foredeck crew member to bend over or kneel down. Chronic back syndromes and knee prostheses don’t permit such contortions. Easy Sailing Managing the sheets of a big genoa, even with the help of an electric winch, can be hard work for an older sailor. A self-tacking foresail is the answer. The sail will be roller-furled, of course. Because the foresail is smaller, the mainsail will be bigger. A vertically battened main with in-mast furling seems ideal. Some sort of boom control during downwind sailing would be welcome. It shouldn’t involve too much deck travel to rig. The goal of the frail sailor is never to venture onto the foredeck while under sail. Before leaving this idea, we should state our preference for jacklines made of webbing rather than cable. Old folks tend to trip more frequently over round than flat lines. This fact comes as no surprise. Lower limb proprioception, the ability to sense where your feet are, tends to decrease with age. Easy Cabin Access Moving from the cockpit to below decks is fraught with obstacles for the elderly. A prominent bridgedeck is one of them. The necessity to first step up before stepping down is intimidating. Unless a bridgedeck serves an ?important structural function, why have one on a coastal cruising boat? Certainly, protection from aft flooding is not a concern in coastal sailing. Once past the bridgedeck, a sailor who is not gifted muscularly faces a precarious descent. Companionway stairs are notoriously steep and threatening. They must be flanked by strong railings bilaterally. The steps themselves can be rounded gently but their surface should provide traction.       When the time comes to close the companionway hatch, a senior sailor cannot be expected to insert heavy hatch boards. A plexiglass hatch cover can slide over the top of the companionway but boards made of this material are simply too heavy to go in or out twice daily. Better to have opposing hatch doors that can be closed with little effort. The ultimate wish for the companionway hatch is a screen that is self storing. Easy Maintenance One of the most challenging tasks an older sailor faces is moving heavy companionway stairs to access the engine compartment. Happily, hydraulically lifted stairs are commonplace in new boats. While this amenity makes engine inspection more humane, it doesn’t always help when you want to approach distant engine parts that require touch. Of all the periodic chores that auxiliary engines demand, none is as aggravating to geriatric crewmen as changing oil. Fussing with dipstick suction to empty the oil pan is archaic. Some engines come with pumps to empty the crankcase. Why can’t all manufacturers build these into their blocks?       Any maintenance that puts old sailors on their backs or knees is to be avoided. We realize that lying prone or supine on the cabin sole is occasionally necessary and recommend that such work be done lying on a cushion or kneeling with knee pads. A low stool makes some low level jobs less tiresome. Easy Living Bending down to use the refrigerator is a frequent complaint of the sailing spouse. Recognizing weight considerations, isn’t there a way that a front opening fridge on a sailboat can be positioned a little higher? Even one foot of elevation would help. In the same vein, an electric flush head is more convenient in terms of bending over than a manual flush. A geriatric dreamboat would certainly have a double berth that can be made up from either side. Pullman bunks are to be avoided.       Cruising along the Inside Passage can be a wet experience. The reference is to rain, not spray. A dodger and cockpit cover are essential for seniors who value dryness and visibility. Sailing to Alaska convinced us that the single greatest lack in our boat’s equipment was windshield wipers. Only a hard dodger can adequately accommodate electric wipers. Amp hours expended in the use of wipers is simply power well spent. A removable cockpit cover can be connected from the dodger to a radar arch. Some folks our age might opt for a permanently enclosed cockpit. We prefer to enjoy the full benefits of sunshine when it is available.       Many other aides to easy living that please the older sailor could be discussed. These include a generator, watermaker, autopilot and the like. We propose two other pieces of equipment that have special value. The first is a battery powered, dedicated GPS mounted near the helm. When activated by a breaker in the salon, it should display latitude and longitude in large numbers. The reason for this addition, when GPS may be available through other instruments, is for a spouse like mine to know immediately where she is if I become incapacitated. Once she has this information, she can utilize the second piece of equipment, a hand held satellite phone. With a precise location and a means of getting help, my mate can obtain assistance no matter what happens to me. Knowing this makes us, our children and anxious boating friends less anxious.       Sailing is indeed a lifetime sport. Just how long that lifetime should be is another issue. With the right specifications on their boat, however, reasonably fit sailors can continue to enjoy wind and water until they are among the oldest of the old. Moving from the cockpit to below decks is fraught with obstacles for the elderly. A prominent bridgedeck is one of them. The necessity to first step up before stepping down is intimidating. Cruising along the Inside Passage can be a wet experience. The reference is to rain, not spray. ?A dodger and cockpit cover are essential for seniors who value dryness and visibility. ...back to 48° North title page.