Winston29
Active Member
I love my 14.2, but as I age, I find my already "dodgy back" just isn't up to the challenge that sailing a dinghy creates.... Hiking-out is completely out of the question!
Heck, sometimes (often), just sitting on the rail or bench for too long is enough to set off my back and ruin my life for a month..... or two...... And I'm not retired, so I can't just go sit at home and wait for it to get better. I have to go to work!
That's why I spent so much time trying to design a harness system for the boat. So I could sit with my back supported, like sitting in a chair. Alas, my efforts have proven less than efficient or practical. My trapeze rig was a complete failure. I'm still trying to perfect a system utilizing adjustable-length lines, strung across the cockpit to a wakeboard harness I wear, but designing something that isn't too cumbersome, won't pose an entanglement danger, or that won't get tangled in the sheets, isn't going so well.
I knew going in that it was a possibility the boat would hurt my back. I agonized over it for months. But I really wanted to sail my own boat in the same waters my dad took me on in his boat when I was a child....... And I have, and it was great, but I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. Maybe if I only sailed once a month, but I'd really like to get out on the water every weekend.
Since I'm not ready for the expense of a keelboat, I'm thinking a Hobie Adventure Island might be the trick. I've kayaked for years with no back issues at all, other than lifting them, and I've always had a thing for multihulls, esp. trimarans.
And while not a true sailboat, it looks like a blast to sail in strong winds! Stable as heck, too! I love the way you can furl the mainsail to de-power the rig, should conditions get too rough or when landing at the dock. And the "Mirage Drive" means I always have a way back to shore if the wind dies.
It's just too bad we're about to find ourselves in another crushing recession and boat prices (selling them, I mean) are going to tank. I've got a small fortune invested in my Capri, having replaced and upgraded every single component and part on the boat and trailer, so there's no way I'm putting it on the market right now. Not unless I found someone with a late model Hobie AI who wanted to trade me for it.
Not really the best time to be dealing, face-to-face with strangers right now, anyway.
Sorry for the lengthy post. It's late and have no place to be in the morning and have been in isolation for over a month, so I'm up, bored, and looking for something to do.
Thanks for listening.
~ W
Heck, sometimes (often), just sitting on the rail or bench for too long is enough to set off my back and ruin my life for a month..... or two...... And I'm not retired, so I can't just go sit at home and wait for it to get better. I have to go to work!
That's why I spent so much time trying to design a harness system for the boat. So I could sit with my back supported, like sitting in a chair. Alas, my efforts have proven less than efficient or practical. My trapeze rig was a complete failure. I'm still trying to perfect a system utilizing adjustable-length lines, strung across the cockpit to a wakeboard harness I wear, but designing something that isn't too cumbersome, won't pose an entanglement danger, or that won't get tangled in the sheets, isn't going so well.
I knew going in that it was a possibility the boat would hurt my back. I agonized over it for months. But I really wanted to sail my own boat in the same waters my dad took me on in his boat when I was a child....... And I have, and it was great, but I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. Maybe if I only sailed once a month, but I'd really like to get out on the water every weekend.
Since I'm not ready for the expense of a keelboat, I'm thinking a Hobie Adventure Island might be the trick. I've kayaked for years with no back issues at all, other than lifting them, and I've always had a thing for multihulls, esp. trimarans.
And while not a true sailboat, it looks like a blast to sail in strong winds! Stable as heck, too! I love the way you can furl the mainsail to de-power the rig, should conditions get too rough or when landing at the dock. And the "Mirage Drive" means I always have a way back to shore if the wind dies.
It's just too bad we're about to find ourselves in another crushing recession and boat prices (selling them, I mean) are going to tank. I've got a small fortune invested in my Capri, having replaced and upgraded every single component and part on the boat and trailer, so there's no way I'm putting it on the market right now. Not unless I found someone with a late model Hobie AI who wanted to trade me for it.
Not really the best time to be dealing, face-to-face with strangers right now, anyway.
Sorry for the lengthy post. It's late and have no place to be in the morning and have been in isolation for over a month, so I'm up, bored, and looking for something to do.
Thanks for listening.
~ W