Growing old on your Wharram

[Ann and Neville Clement]

A few years ago we thought we might need to put this lovely boat on the market because we were feeling too olde for the life.  But then Nev felt physically better so we withdrew from that just in time.  There was a lot of interest and we had good offers too, but we still could sail and enjoy the boat!

 

Recently Nev had both knees replaced and we were again wondering if we should sell the boat and we even contacted a few people about it.  But since we left Providence, the boat's physical fitness program has caused Nev to regain a lot of his strength and it has limbered him up as well as those new knees can be (they can only bend 125 degrees).  He had rather poor balance when we left Providence, but now he is moving around a lot better and even carrying 5 gallon petrol containers like he did 4 years ago.  He gets in and out of the dinghy pretty well even though I must admit that he fell in the water last week but that was just caused by something that rolled under his shoe. First time for me having anybody fall in and I have sailed 70,000 miles now.  Guess it was just time. 

 

I am here to say that building your Wharram will take dedication, cost a bit, and if it is a bigger boat it will also take time.  But once you have the boat built, you really need to gently sail her around in a protected bay somewhere while you get acquainted and make modifications to both the boat and yourself so you match up right.  This will take about a year and it is what we call "newboatitis".  Sometimes the boat will zig and you will zag so there may be some nervous moments and maybe even some yelling while you get yourselves under control.  Wharrams are a bit excitable when the wind blows....

 

Then your cruising can begin and we call this next phase of getting acquainted "firstyearitis".  Once again, this may be a bit too exciting just at first while you learn to navigate a bit faster and make a few more adjustments to both the boat and yourself, and there could even be a little more yelling.  Nev and I had already sailed together over 10,000 miles in my old monohull including a trans Atlantic together, but we had some newboatitis and some firstyearitis in Peace IV and there was a lot of yelling too during the first several months.

 

But now we have over 50,000 miles and everything is familiar and handy and even with Nev making more adjustments to his posture and gait as demanded by Peace after his surgery to replace both knees, we are settling in again and the yelling has come and gone during this reacquaintance process.  We had not sailed Peace for over a year so she had some stiff cables, needed new halyards, engine overhauls, etc and we both needed to get stronger and quick on our feet again.

 

Post surgery, Nev had proper physical therapy several times a week for many weeks.  It was painful and tired him.  But Peace IV had an entirely different physical therapy program in store for him this autumn after he graduated from the doctor required physical therapy.  Peace's fitness program has been painful and he has been tired, but now I see him regaining strength and agility.  It is just amazing how boats and people join together in the cruising effort. 

 

I know this cruising life will not last forever because we are both in our 70s and Nev is pushing 80, but it was so lovely cruising through the Carolina tidewaters today seeing several white egrits and more blue herons in one large pine tree.  A very fancy Christmas kind of decoration.  Then the eagles were not out done and there were a bunch of them just around the corner looking fierce and beautiful too in the morning mist.  I believe that when you see a lot of beauty, it helps keep you contented and healthy.  It inspires you.  And keeping active keeps you healthy too.  Your Wharram will do this for you...  Just give her time and be willing to make adjustments to the boat and to yourself too.  Keep adjusting as you grow older together.  It is a wonderful life!

 

Ann and Nev

 

 

 

 

[Ann and Neville Clement]

Just come.  It will be a pleasure to meet you.  Ann and Nev

[steve martland]

I refuse to grow old! my wharram  will keep me young

[Peter Brook]

I agree.  Title of thread is misleading - content suggests stay YOUNG with your Wharram.

Well done Ann and Nev, inspiration to many!

[David Ryan]

Hello Annie and Neville!

It's David Ryan. You met me, my wife, two daughter (8 & 2 at the time) and our big black dog down on Manjack Key in 2010 when we were taking our first family cruise on our recently purchased Catalina38.

Well here it is 6 years later and I just pulled into Willoghby Bay Marina to tie up our Tiki 38 "Mon Tiki" after a spirited run from NYC to Norfolk on the northwesterlies we had Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meeting the to of you and seeing PEACE was certainly an inflection point in our family's history and I'm sure you've touched many other people's lives in a similarly positively way.

Cheers to both of you and to PEACE. She's a lovely and inspiring boat, and the two of you are lovely and inspiring people!

[Ann and Neville Clement]

Thanks, David,

     Very kind note from you.  Hope to see you again at Manjack and also hope you stopped in at Rebel Marine to meet all our friends there.  Did you buy or build your boat?  She looks great!  Ann

[David Ryan]

When we stepped onto the dock the woman who guided us in said "When I first saw you I thought you were PEACE and then she explained how Willoghby is one of your regular anchorages and and than  you dinghy into Rebel Marine. I will definitely stop in and say hi!

We built Mon Tiki as a USCG certificated daysailing charter. John Marple of Searunner to the additional engineering for us. We started at the beginning of 2012 and launched a week before Sandy. She's got a COI for 49 and this summer just past was our first summer of operation. (We actually did a 1 hour cocktail party with 44, but normal outings are more like 10-15.)

The interior is still pretty raw, and that's part of the reason for taking her south, to get somewhere more conducive to fitting out the interior than cold, damp Montauk winter. I don't know that we'll make it to Manjack this year, but soon and hope.

I made a short video from some footage I shot earlier this week on the way from NYC to Norfolk. You can see it here. I'm really happy with how Mon Tiki sails. Much more weatherly than I expected and a very relaxed ride up to about 8kts. She goes faster (we hit 14 on a big gust off of Barnegat) but mostly I can do without the excitement. I also think the interior is going to really work well for our family as I get it fitted out. Even in it's raw state I like the double much better than the double on our Catalina 38. 

You can see some sailing footage, including footage from this reason trip on our YouTube Account:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SailingMontauk

And lots of pictures, including build pictures on our website and Facebook account:

http://www.sailingmontauk.com

https://www.facebook.com/SailingMontauk

Ann and Neville Clement said:

Thanks, David,

     Very kind note from you.  Hope to see you again at Manjack and also hope you stopped in at Rebel Marine to meet all our friends there.  Did you buy or build your boat?  She looks great!  Ann

[David Ryan]

Oh! Here's a picture of Annie with our youngest daughter Emily on Manjack:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22110153@N03/2331305360/

She's 2 in the picture, she's going to be 8 in a couple of weeks.

[Bob Bois]

And Jonah just couldn't stay awake for an entire afternoon on Peace...

Hi Ann and Nev - we hope you guys are finding the warmth now....

http://wharrambuilders.ning.com/photo/jonahs-had-enough-fresh-air?c...

[Ann and Neville Clement]

One more cold night tonite, Bob, and then we will be warm after that.  These Georgia tide waters are twisty and the beautiful light greens of the marsh lands are set off beautifully by the darker greens and russet autumn colors on the slightly elevated oak and pine tree covered small islands scattered all around.  The inlets to the oceans are dramatic.

A special feature of these areas is a particular behavior of the dolphins which is seen no where else in the world.  It is called strand feeding and I hear Jacques Cousteau did a special on this activity.  We have seen on other trips and also on this trip, the dolphin actually herds fish up in the shallows and chases up after them right up on the muddy banks and catches them and then wiggles and slides through the mud back into the water.  I have seen the dolphins even try to catch birds this way.  All along the edges of the banks on can see scalloped marks where the dolphins have been strand feeding but these marks disappear when the tide comes back in.  It is noisy activity so at anchor, you can hear it and come out and see them doing it.  Most interesting.

We remember so well Jonah and Dante sailing with us looking for buoys and helping to navigate when they were small boys.  And the wonderful picnics we all had out on the foredeck with fresh tomatoes and basil from your garden and cheese and always the warm summer wind. 

It will be in the 30s tonite.  But soon we will be where it is warm and toasty for the rest of the winter. 

Love,  Ann and NEv

[Shaun]

Hey Guys,
We just received 7 or 8 inches of snow last night here in Santa Fe, please post some pictures from Peace in the warm places.
Shaun