Boats and Girls, Mythbusters.

capnsensible

capnsensible

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Dunno why some people think saily about is a bloke thing.

Just had two lovely weeks with two charming Viking girls. Sweden.

Im am enchanted to spend the next week with a lady from England, a Lady from Scotland and a Lady from Ireland. I have pointed out that there maybe a place that wont let us in without a Thai.....

Happiness, whatever the weather. :o

So what about sailor girls you have met? Or ladies on the forum, can you tell your story?
 
A couple of years ago we won our class at the IRC nationals in winds of 30 knots. Crew of 9, with 6 girls. Our crew work in that breeze was the difference. No egos, just one fantastic team.

And when I used to drive corporate boats on a jolly I had a simple rule, if none of them had ever sailed before the girl was doing the driving, as a rule they were much more likely to be good at it.
 
I’ve sailed since I was 8, SWMBO only started sailing when we got together 15 years ago. But she’s a far far better sailer than I am, I’m more theoretical, she’s totally intuitive.

On passages, we run 3 hours on / 3 hours off watches. I tend to get the sails set pretty good and as long as we’re heading in roughly the right direction at a reasonable speed, settle down with my book, of course taking a look around every five or ten minutes.

Ten minutes before watch change, I wake her up with a cuppa, give the hand over chat and head below to catch a few zzzzzzz. And then I hear the dreaded words from the cockpit…..

“Come on my darling, let’s get you sailing properly”.

Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack goes the winch…..right above my head.

Wrag, wrag, wrag, wrag, wrag, wrag, wrag goes the sheet as it’s eased on the drum…. right above my head

Then a short spell of silence but as I just start to drift off…..

Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack goes the winch…..right above my head.

And so on for three long hours.

Then just as I seem to have finally moved into REM sleep, she comes down with a cup of tea for me…and tells me gleefully…

“10 minutes to watch change! Guess what? I covered nearly a mile more in my watch than you did!”

Oh good, only another thousand miles to go.
 
A few years ago, I knew 23 year old girl from Essex who lived on a boat. However, I shan't tell the entire story incase her father, also a sailor, reads this.

A lady bought my last boat, kitted her out for serious offshore work, and left for Iceland.

A few weeks ago I had a few beers with Kass Schmitt, who is departing on the Ostar later this month - follow here, http://sailingwithzest.com

I met a couple in Eyemouth in 2009, and presumed the boat was the chaps, as you would. Got promptly corrected. He knew nothing about sailing, but got dragged around by his sailing mad wife. She was a such a nice woman. He was a lucky chap. I no longer presume anything after that.
 
Did a course years ago with Hannah Harwood in the Solent. She was later to be part of the crew on Tracey Edwards' round the world racing boat.

Been in awe ever since.
 
My dad can't really be arsed with sailing and would rather have a motorboat.

(A tasteful motorboat, mind you, with lots of brass and varnish)

Mum won't let him. Sails or nothing.

She's the best helm among us too.

Pete
 
I don't know either!

I've sailed since I was 13 (Norfolk Broads and inland) but admittedly not that often until I was in my mid-twenties. Dinghy sailed at uni. Chartered with mates for weekends in the Solent and out of Ipswich. DS theory about 15 years ago DS practical about 10 years ago. YM theory 2 years ago. Bought my first boat just over 5 years ago. HWMO has not (until very recently) been interested whatsoever. However, by the year end, we will be living aboard and saving up to actually GO somewhere...

Am still on steep learning curve and happy to ask questions all the time - see my daft questions on here! But if you don't ask you don't learn and I'd rather try to learn from other people's mistakes than continue to learn from my own.

I have one or two good male crew members, but the best sailing I've had has been with my girlfriends. Over on the East Coast Forum, the women have girl's only weekends and it's brilliant! even the SWMBOs amongst us are completely gung ho when it's just the ladies together. I know several lady owner/skippers and several sailing couples where it is very much the two of them, rather than 'him' accompanied by 'her'. It's definitely becoming more common to see women at the helm - literally and metaphorically!
 
Can someone please tell me where all of these girls who like to sail are hiding? I'm in need of a SWMBO and this time I'd like one that doesn't ask "me or the boat?" as the conversation didn't go well last time :D
 
lustyd said:
Can someone please tell me where all of these girls who like to sail are hiding? I'm in need of a SWMBO and this time I'd like one that doesn't ask "me or the boat?" as the conversation didn't go well last time :D
Click to expand...

Arguably it went better than it could have done :)

I know a girl who likes to sail - you've met her - but she says she's not interested in being anybody's SWMBO.

Pete
 
lustyd said:
Can someone please tell me where all of these girls who like to sail are hiding? I'm in need of a SWMBO and this time I'd like one that doesn't ask "me or the boat?" as the conversation didn't go well last time :D
Click to expand...

join some real life sailing clubs!
try meetup.com and search the sailing clubs there. LOADS and LOADS of women sailors with and without boats. Social meetings in London very regularly with plenty of opportunity to meet people ina a social setting but with knowing that you have the underlying joint interest...

for eg:

http://www.meetup.com/welovesailing/
 
lustyd said:
Can someone please tell me where all of these girls who like to sail are hiding? I'm in need of a SWMBO and this time I'd like one that doesn't ask "me or the boat?" as the conversation didn't go well last time :D
Click to expand...

LOL Starting to wonder about my SWMBO, think she might be after the boat! Certainly gets sulky if I do not take her sailing often enough.

She had never sailed before I met have, have done my level best to scare her off since...

I guess I got lucky, I found some who wanted to sail but never had the chance...

Make sure an early day out involves sailing, do not make it a perfect lunch stop day... Make it your type of day out she is joining you, sorry I am not going shopping I am sailing. Do you want to come? Do not romantisie it, I pointed out the toilet did not even have a door, it would be single beds "like it or not".

Give them the confidence, "there is nothing I am going to do with you that I would not do without you" I then made her an essential member of the crew.

She took us of the berth, cause it was easier whilst I sorted the ropes... Then she carried on steering whilst I got the fenders in... So it went on...

She now decides when we go sailing, I have to point out sometimes we cannot.

I guess I got very lucky.

My tip is look for some one who wants to sail but cannot...
 
prv said:
Arguably it went better than it could have done :)

I know a girl who likes to sail - you've met her - but she says she's not interested in being anybody's SWMBO.

Pete
Click to expand...

Lol I thought all women wanted to be obeyed!
 
lustyd said:
Can someone please tell me where all of these girls who like to sail are hiding? I'm in need of a SWMBO and this time I'd like one that doesn't ask "me or the boat?" as the conversation didn't go well last time :D
Click to expand...

I know plenty of women who love the liveaboard lifestyle, I'm 90% of the time one of them :). Every now and again teddies get thrown out of their pram and decapitated with the rant of "who lives like this? I want a cottage and a bath!" Once that moment passes (usually 10 minutes later) it's all good again.
Likewise I know several women who tolerate the lifestyle to appease their hubbies and are often not happy bunnies.
Perhaps set up a dating website, "plenty of sails"?
 
SamanthaTabs said:
.............................Perhaps set up a dating website, "plenty of sails"?
Click to expand...

My boat is in Brighton, but I work (long hours) in Norway.

I have tried www.Lovesail.com which is supposed to cover this, but appears to be more interested in the dating than the boating.

www.desperatesailors.com doesnt really fit the bill either.

I am doing a 2-3 week shakedown cruise this summer in order to set to work all the bits fitted this winter, in order to prep for long distance next year - so how do I meet a companion to share the joys
 
capnsensible said:
Dunno why some people think saily about is a bloke thing.

Just had two lovely weeks with two charming Viking girls. Sweden.

Im am enchanted to spend the next week with a lady from England, a Lady from Scotland and a Lady from Ireland. I have pointed out that there maybe a place that wont let us in without a Thai.....

Happiness, whatever the weather. :o

So what about sailor girls you have met? Or ladies on the forum, can you tell your story?
Click to expand...

I usually sail with ' just ' a girlfriend, 10 years together now.

In earlier days I sailed with another gutsy woman, she saved the day and went on deck to re-attach the kicker when we were jostled around violently in F6-7 overfalls off Portland Bill.

In comparison I once took 3 male colleagues for a trip - all were keen footballers and very fit - when faced with a beat into a F6 in the Solent they promptly retired leaving me to it and cuddled up in the forepeak puffing on dope !
 
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