This blog is about seniors and healthy boating. It is dedicated to collecting ideas about boating and how us older people can enjoy boating while improving our health and well being. So how does hurricanes affect us seniors?
They tend to challenge us physically when the forces of nature overcome our physical abilities. For instance during hurricane Jimena a young man who was on a boat moored 2 boats over from us had one of his mooring lines chafe through. He jumped in the swirling waters, swam over to the buoy and attached another line and then swam back and climbed on board. Now I am not saying that someone my age (70) could not have done the same, but I know that I am not as physically able as I was 30-40 years ago. As a matter of fact 30 years ago while anchored in an atoll in the Tuomotos our boat was caught at midnight by a squall which dragged us up to a coral head. I attached an anchor to a buoy and swam it out to windward in 35 kts in order to pull the boat off the coral head.
This is just one example of physical challenges for us at any age. For seniors it is much more daunting due to our diminishing physical condition. We don't have the strength, endurance, coordination or reactions that we had in the past. But thankfully there is another side to this situation. We do have many other advantages over our younger counterparts. For instance we have more experience, more wisdom and increased caution. This physical wane can be compensated for by preparation, planning and practice.
Preparation; Equip the boat with labour saving devices like electric anchor and halyard winches, roller furling sails, proper davits for dinghy retrieval, autopilots, wind vane steering, bow thrusters and satellite communications for instant weather information. By using these devices prudently we can keep up with those younger than ourselves physically.
Planning; Plan ahead, think ahead. There is a saying that the success of a voyage is 90% determined before the boat leaves the dock. Make sure you cover all the bases by equipping, testing and refining both yourself and the boat.
Practice; You can buy all the goodies, take all the courses and make thorough plans but if you don't practice the skills you learned in the books and courses you will not be prepared to safely sail to your dream destination. All those goodies you spent all that money on will be worse than useless if they don't work as advertised. Try them out, put them through their paces in local adventures in all kinds of conditions to test them and test yourself. Do not leave until you and your boat are both ready. Of course I am talking about things that matter for the safety of yourself and the boat. Cosmetic item like paint, varnish, SS polishing, decorations and other non essentials can be left for later down the road.
Boating is a great life of us seniors. We can do it as well or better than those younger boaters by using our assets; experience, patience, practice, planning and determination.
For instance this senior was able to cope with hurricane Jimena by; heading for a reliable hurricane hole, maintaining a well equipted boat, gaining knowledge about hurricane preparedness, planning ahead, preparing the boat for the worst, having backup system ready to go if needed and being ready when it comes a little earlier than forecast. I had 3 separate chafe-free lines to the buoy instead of 1 before it started. Much easier than having to go for a swim during the hurricane.
Gary
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