That's a bummer, Tom. My wife had surgery on her rotator cuff a month ago. The surgeon said it was a bad tear. She had arthroscopic surgery too. Aside from the pain, not being able to sleep lying down (hello to a recliner or "airplane-like" seat), she's doing much better with the pain. The bad news is that the surgeon said it was 24 weeks before he would let her ON a sailboat.

He said the danger of tearing the stiches and/or pins out fo the ligaments was too great. If you tear them out, then you have to have the surgery redone and you're in worse shape because of the reinjury. You really need a whole bunch of physical therapy in a gradual basis. When I told him of me doing "most" of the work, electric primary winches, etc , he said "NO WAY". You just have to put your arm out once in the wrong way to catch yourself when the boat pitches, sticking your arm out while docking or picking up a mooring, pulling on a line or whatever. He told me "don't fuck-up her arm or my good work -- we'll all be sorry."

I hope your situation isn't that severe, but DON'T MESS WITH THIS. You can strengthen a muscle -- but you can't strengthen connective tissue. I think you just need to let it heal. Do your physical therapy religiously, use the ice (or special shoulder "Game Ready" cooler", and get well. Otherwise, you'll could be living with some degree of imobility, a lot more pain, etc. for life -- and you'll not be doing a lot things with that arm.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/rotator-cuff-injury/DS00192