What do you folks think?

What would you folks do in this situation? My neighbors (also friends) have asked me if I would take their 73 year old father for a sail. He is on oxygen and has balance issues.
Now I plan on still sailing at 73, but I doubt that it will be on a Hobie 16. This is what I did:
I texted them the youtube video, "Hobie 16 sailing in SanFrancisco" which is a pretty calm example of sailing a hobie 16 and explained that there would be some moving around required and sitting on the edge of the tramp where balance would be an issue. I did not flat out refuse, but made it clear that I would be uncomfortable with it and it would not be appropriate for their dad in his condition.
If I still had my 23 foot monohull I would have taken him in a heartbeat, but I sail my hobie almost exclusively now. So I am looking for some validation here and am genuinely interested in the communities opinions. Thanks.

Most non-sailors have the idea that sailing is a very calm, slow, leisurely endeavor well suited to their 73 year old father. You can't hold them to blame for making this assumption as it's quite common. They don't know the difference between a beach cat and a sunfish, other than they look different.

I doubt he would enjoy sailing on the H16 - too much movement required and not really any good seating positions for a 73 year old on oxygen. You made the right call. Maybe you can find someone with a more suitable boat that wouldn't mind taking him out.

I think you did the right thing.

The only feasible scenario I could imagine is something like the small lake near me, which has no power boats, on a day with 5 knots of wind and one of his family members comes with you. Then you can cruise slowly around for a short time (assuming a 16 can handle 3 people), while they make sure he is OK and help get him on and off the boat.

mdgann - The fact that he's 73 yrs. old doesn't concern me. what concerns me is that he has balance issues and he's on oxygen. Also, he probably has no idea what he's getting into. I'm 73 (I'll be 74 in a few months) & my 70 yr. old wife & I still sail our Hobie 16. We just got back home from our usual 18 mile morning bike ride around Mission Bay & the boardwalk. I occasionally ride 68 miles from our daughter's home in Huntington beach. I take a lot of people out sailing on our H 16; including Bob Larsen-the former head coach of Track & Field and Crosscountry at U.C.L.A. & he's older than I am. It usually takes me a long time to get the boat uncovered & ready for trailering, getting the mast on the supports, get the trailer hitch on the truck, get the proper size gear for myself & crew, drive down to Mission Bay or wherever I plan on sailing that day, get the mast up, sails up, rudders & tiller set up............ It's very time consuming, so I plan on sailing for at least 4 hours. Don't forget that I have to de-rig & get everything secured for the drive back home again, clean things up and put away again. For some people/crew I can take them sailing for the 4 hours (11AM till about 3PM), but for others I usually take them out on 2 shifts of 2 hours each (11 - 1 & 1 - 3). I've taken my dad out for about 20 min. years ago when he was about 73 yrs. old. I've taken my son's father-in-law out for about 10 min. once. He was scared sh..less.
I'd plan on taking this guy out for 15 or 20 min. and have one, or several others, lined up for sailing with you the rest of the day. I think he's enjoy sailing with you on a Hobie 16 FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME & you'd feel good also for putting a smile on his face & doing your good deed for the day.
Have FUN!

Age is not the factor. I am 83 and still capable of rigging and sailing an H-16. I would not want the responsibility of taking someone out on an H-16 who has the physical conditions you describe. If something happened to him you would never forgive yourself. I have given rides to a lot of people over the years but never have been faced with that problem. I took out a good friend who was younger than me who had never sailed. When we came in I found that I had scared him badly and he didn't want to go out again. I was having a ball in a good wind, flying a hull while he thought the worst was going to happen. You can't be sure how people will react.

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Howard

It is very exciting and encouraging to see that there are some of you still going at it in your 70's and 80's. I am only 59 and in the back of my mind there is the thought of when do I hang up my butt bucket and call it a day. If I keep in shape, I may have 20 years or so.
I have introduced many many people to sailing over the years, but I think that in this case I am going to pass. I was trying to figure out how to rig up a seat with a back support for the gentleman and then got to thinking about somehow ducking the boom and it all blew up and I got a bad feeling about the whole thing.

You're the owner. You're the captain. You're the experienced sailor and the responsible party. If it don't feel right, don't do it and don't feel bad about not doing it.

Just tell him, based on your experience, sailing Hobie Cats has the potential to require a degree of physical exertion that you feel is beyond his capabilities. Taking him out could jeopardize both his and your safety.

sm

Find and rent a mono for a few hours.

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Sail Like you Have a Pair
Bluish gray 73 - 83 H16
Super Nice Yellow 84 H18

There are no sailboat rentals for the Great Salt Lake. What I may be able to do is find someone willing to take him out. It is a pretty small community of sailors as you can imagine. I have not had contact with anyone in the yacht club for many years, but that would be one avenue. Wish I still had my Ericson 23. It would have been perfect for this.