Do women really not like heavy weather?

[Poignard]

Crossing the channel in very confused sea with much stronger winds than forecast and continuous rain rather than occasional showers and t'other half suddenly gives me a beaming smile and says "Cheer up, you enjoy this"

 

[Stemar]

Then there's the other quality time, Lying on muddy concrete between the keels, scraping barnacles. "Remember, we do this because it's fun!"

 

[Babylon]

The most scared I've ever been on a boat was mid-channel in fog. No radar, AIS didn't exist, and we could hear a ship's engines getting closer. Everyone on deck, with lifejackets. It passed a couple of hundred metres ahead of us.

That was me, crewing on a charter boat with no radar etc a dozen years ago, on watch at 0100hrs mid-channel (although as I couldn't see even the bow the notion of 'watch' was limited to just a 'listening' one) then hearing a ship's engine thumping extremely close!!

Hence, when I bought my boat a year later, radar was the very first thing I installed.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I don't know about women, but I have to admit I'm not too keen on it either.

 

[johnalison]

I don't know about women, but I have to admit I'm not too keen on it either.

Of course, we haven't actually defined heavy weather. I don't think that I have ever sailed in the sort of heavy weather that an ocean sailor would be prepapred for, and the only gales I have sailed in have been in sheltered water, or F7s downwind in open water. My wife might define heavy weather as anything that made her uncomfortable, which is fair enough, though I have greatly enjoyed some sails that she didn't really appreciate.

The last time that I lost Brownie points was a bit ridiculous. We left the Roompot heading for Blankenberg with the prospect of a good sail, but maybe up to 15kn on the nose for a short time while leaving. In the event, we left in a light wind and a short time later faced a NW wind of 25+ knots. Anywhere else, this would have been fine but the tide runs at 3-4kn here and we faced a series of waves the size of Trump's wall with no chance of changing our minds. After a very wet hour of motoring through rather than over the seas, we emerged into decent sailing conditions that I had lost my license to enjoy.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Worst I have experienced was 55 kt winds in the Celtic Sea, (not comfortable), but I do tend to adopt the old adage that F6 is a yachtsmans gale .

 

[Stemar]

I think so much depends on the circumstances. We went down the western Solent into the teeth of a good 6 with wind over a spring tide and, with comfortable temperatures and a blue sky it was a fun rollercoaster ride.

Off St Albans Head, it was a steady top of F7, but not wind over tide, so probably similar sized waves, but it was cold, the sky was grey, the sea was grey except where it was white and the cliffs were black. It was not fun.

 

[johnalison]

I think so much depends on the circumstances. We went down the western Solent into the teeth of a good 6 with wind over a spring tide and, with comfortable temperatures and a blue sky it was a fun rollercoaster ride.

Off St Albans Head, it was a steady top of F7, but not wind over tide, so probably similar sized waves, but it was cold, the sky was grey, the sea was grey except where it was white and the cliffs were black. It was not fun.

We used to have a rule. Adverse conditions consist of Cold, Wet, and Windy. We were prepared to go out with any two, but never all three.