I think that would be true of any boat, and I’m not ready to give up boating yet.
In our case, I used to be able to lift my tiny wife over my head pretty easily. I’ve lost a lot of muscle due to a long term illness, but I’m pretty sure that with some adrenaline to help, I could still lift her out of the water as long as I could reach her. The reverse is absolutely not true. For many reasons I keep trying to get her to buy life insurance on me, but so far she has refused. Some people can only learn the hard way. 
If I am conscious and we have an adequate swim ladder, I can haul myself up. But we will probably always be within a quick helicopter flight from San Diego, in the event I cannot get out but can still keep my face out of the water.
The bigger issue for me falling into the water is for my wife to get the boat back to me. I think having a simple rig like on the Nonsuch should make that much easier. She was very intimidated by the schooner.
Old timers notwithstanding, here is a cool video that a not-so-oldtimer uploaded to YouTube of what it looks like in the cockpit when you do a Hudson River gybe. The skipper is Paul Miller, who sails Sandpiper, an NS30U, on the Canadian West Coast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFIxxHZYqNk
As Joe correctly suggests, the less there is on the stern rail (or anywhere, really) to snag the fast-moving mainsheet, the better. As we all have learned, lines on our boats are there, first and foremost, to seek out ANYTHING, anywhere, anyhow to snag on. This gybe is totally do-able with practice. The idea really works - the boat turns faster and further than the boom can swing and, essentially, beats it so the boom runs out of room to stop with a horrible crash. However, it CAN screw up, big time (like, I suppose, darn near anything else).
The decision to do it is up to YOU !!!
Ernie A. in Toronto
I love my 33. much more cruising space below,. easy to handle. It’s only 3 feet more. but if you’re in the open ocean, the extra water length will be helpful.
Chuck Mitchell
NS33, #60
Cape Cod, MA
I agree with Ernie and Joe, that
- There should be nothing, nada, zilch attached to the pushpit rails
- Practice, practice, practice in light airs
- Like Joe, keep repeating the procedure often to maintain proficiency
If any one of those factors is missing, pull the mainsheet right in and gybe the boat with a tight mainsheet. Alternatively, turn 360º through the wind, but even then you will need a hefty crew member to pull the main sheet in as the boat turns.
Good luck
Bob Illingworth
Nonsuch Luck 30U #367 (GBR1262T)
Moored Titchmarsh marina, Essex, UK; cruising the rivers of East Anglia, and, the North Sea.
All good questions and answers. My experience with my 30C is:
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Install an electric winch. And do it while you are still young so that you can enjoy it for all of the years you have left. I pull up some of the sail by hand before we leave the mooring. Once we are off, I steer the boat into the wind and Barbara pushes the button to finish raising the sail. No muss, no fuss. And because it’s a Nonsuch, that is the extent of her duties until I come about, when she takes her book to the high side.
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Be very careful when you do the “chicken gybe”. Clear your aft rail of anything that protrudes above the rail, turn the boat slowly enough so that you can pull in the miles and miles of main sheet so that it doesn’t flop around looking for something to catch on, and/or have your mate stand in the back of the cockpit on the downwind side and pull the excess main sheet to keep it off the rail. If you have any concerns and no shame, you can go for the “super chicken gybe” which has you starting the engine for the maneuver so that if you get in trouble you will be able to steer the boat any way you want; I have used it in a big wind situation when no one can hear my engine anyway.
I loved my Tartan 30 and sailed it with my family for 25 years. The Nonsuch 30 allowed me to continue sailing while making my spouse comfortable on the journeys. This boat was big enough to sail comfortably with my son, his wife and his 5 and 2 year old for 4 days this summer. I am looking forward to being the old guy in the rear quarter birth as they begin to take longer and more adventuresome voyages. If you want to sail with friends/couples, you may find it to be too cramped and perhaps should look for a 33.
Good luck.
Ned Chester
Pipe Dream 30C
Portland, Maine
Brian -
This looks like a rare case of “threefootitis”, possibly, in reverse. I am a short guy, in good health, age 75, a bit … uh … portly, shall we say ?? I own a bad lower back and 2 bad shoulders. I sail an NS22. I also sail solo about 98% of the time (as no one will sail with me - actually, untrue, I just love to sail by myself). I sail on Lake Ontario and go out in all kinds of winds and reef early (as I must on an NS22 but, likely, unneccesary on a much bigger Nonsuch). My boat, on the scale on the haul-out crane, weighs 6000 lbs. I use to sail a wonderful and forgiving Carter 30 sloop and this 22-footer has close to the same space down below. I am confident that I’ll be able to sail my boat for many years, down the road.
An NS30 weighs, dry on paper, 10,500 lbs. An NS33 (3’ longer and about 7" wider) weighs, dry, 15,300 lbs. Out there, on the water, sailing any of these 3 boats is delightful. Sailing alone and leaving and (especially) arriving at your slip (or mooring), in a good blow, that’s where a heavy boat gets way heavier and things can get more daunting. Your topic deals with the quandry of having the right boat as you gently age and being able to sail it and be completely comfortable with it into your 80s and, hey, what the hell, even later.
Unless an NS33 fills needs that simply must be met (space for x amount of whatever), I’d compromise just a tad and get a boat that is 1/3 lighter, slightly smaller, cheaper and, I believe, just as much fun to sail (or even more fun) in all conditions. Barring a health problem, IMHO, an NS30 should fill the bill and be a just a little more manageable.
That said, you can’t beat a Nonsuch - any Nonsuch. Good luck with all of this. I envy you being able to sail pretty much all year.
Ernie A. in Toronto
Good Afternoon Brian,
Just returned from a nice morning/afternoon sail on the Patuxent. I appreciate your response and your thinking is right. I think your pursuance and review of the 33 is a smart thing to do. For that size boat I would guess it is about your best option for a decent boat to do the things you want to do..
Regarding the “old” talk, I realize my age and have not admitted to all my hurts and body restrictions. I just refuse to restrict myself from doing things because of age. Things hurt the same if I am sitting on my dead butt, sailing, gardening woodworking or whatever. So I choose to sail. Actually some of the hurts go away while sailing. I refuse to blame anything on age but we all know it’s there.
I do feel fortunate to be able to do the things I do, but I know the day I don’t want is coming. I am glad you made it through your illness and can look forward to some fantastic days on the water.
Cheers,
Butch
Butch Garren
Nonsuch 30 #196 “Whiskers II”
SIYC Slip 12
Solomons, MD
“Older Timer” definition -a human being that has lived long enough to start complaining that the police look too young, things aren’t like they used to be and at parties, if you can get to them, you talk about bad backs and gardening.
“OLD TIMER” Nonsuch Definition - a sailor that has owned a Nonsuch for 10 or more years, been a member of the INA the entire time and at least 85 years old, unless you in good physical condition in which case 90 plus years.
Mark Powers
I am in the same age group and have a 33. easy to handle, everything comes back to the cockpit, and once the sail is raised, easy to single hand. get autopilot if not equipped that way.
Chuck Mitchell
NS33 #60
Cape Cod MA