If you're lucky enough to live to 100, the years between 50 & 75 are your third quarter. That segment in life could be the waning of your physically agile years, so it's a good idea to stay active. It's also a good time to challenge your brain to keep things limber up there - by mastering something new. We decided to go sailing, and this is a chronicle of our journey.

12/3/12

Boat Yoga: Squeezing tall bodies into tight spaces

Don helping Dave Perry work inside the
port side cockpit locker
When we took delivery of Florian in the Spring, Dave Perry, the broker from Robinhood Marina visited to go over some of her particulars during her re-commissioning. With a little twisting and folding, he slid into the port side cockpit locker (above) which lead me to believe we'd be able to do the same thing. After several attempts, not so much.  We've learned pretty quick that trying to fold, twist & contort your body to fit into small spaces is a normal endeavor on a boat. It's a bit more challenging when you're tall, and both of us are just too long to fit into many spaces on Florian.  But that doesn't stop us from trying. We refer to these contortions as Boat Yoga.

Port side settee battery compartment bend
Shop-Vac stretch to the anchor locker in
the V-berth - a low cobra pose?
Port side cockpit locker reach-in
Squeezing into the bilge to sponge out water -
a modified sunbird pose?

Sideways in the engine compartment
- a marichyasana pose?
On the galley (kitchen) floor, replacing a
water accumulator - modified eagle pose
Accordian-man; trying to reach a hose under
the sink - a Natarajasana?
Folded in the head (bathroom) to upgrade
toilet parts - a tortoise pose?
Dangling in the Lazarette, hanging on with a foot to
reach exhaust hoses - Locust pose
Post Boat Yoga Reward: Bread & Whiskey :)
Our boat is 36 ft with a 10'8" beam. I imagine a bigger boat has larger spaces to squeeze into, no? Do you fit into the crawl spaces on your boat?