Grounds for divorce

[Clarky]

'For sale is our much loved Jeanneau. The boat is currently moored on ........ and is a very reluctant sale on my part but my wife has never managed to overcome the fact the yacht heels over.'

Spotted in advert.

 

[Storyline]

Very sad - the best saily type decision I ever made was to persuade a very reluctant spouse to join me on my Day Skipper evening course.
I now count myself extremely fortunate that she now enjoys sailing as much as I do.

Have just driven her to work and she was in the passenger seat looking at the Antares chart of the Crowlin Islands on her phone and working out how many hours each side of high water we could cross the sand bar and get to the inner pool on our forthcoming cruise. Nice drive

Edit: Just looked at it myself and the number of hours after high water is irrelevant - definitely only going in on a rising tide !

 

[soapbox440]

I took a colleague out for the first time last week and he had a similar complaint.

Why is it leaning over?

Are you sure it should be leaning over this much? (knuckles going white as he hugs the winch for support).

 

[Don107]

I asked a mate I work with who owns a power boat with if he wanted to come for a sail and he asked me how fast my sail boat went

I said to him it went around 5 knots and he said that he trolled at that speed on his power boat

The next day we went out and initially the wind was around 8 knots and he was on the helm and thought it was pretty tame

As the day went on the wind increased to probably 25 knots and she started to heel a bit

Sensing that he was getting a bit worried I pulled the headsail and main on a little more to get the rail under water and he asked with a look of concern on his face if we were ok

I said don't worry Trevor we are only doing 5 knots and you troll faster than that on your boat

He replied that that was true but if his boat was on a angle like this it would be sinking

Regards Don

 

[Lakesailor]

I find a nervous passenger disconcerting. If someone is twitching and making those sort of comments it makes me wonder if it's me that is wrong. However I usually find those worried are the ones who continually need encouraging to trim the boat, so they only have themselves to blame, really.

In a similar way if I am driving and people keep grabbing the handle above their door. I know everything is fine, but do they know something I don't?
I wouldn't give it second thought if it wasn't for the nervous accompaniment.

 

[Concerto]

'For sale is our much loved Jeanneau. The boat is currently moored on ........ and is a very reluctant sale on my part but my wife has never managed to overcome the fact the yacht heels over.'

Spotted in advert.

My wife complained when I moved on to the foredeck in a mirror smooth marina berth, so no hope of getting her sailing. May be he should leave his wife at home and keep the boat. I do and I get lots of peace and quiet.

 

[Sailfree]

I always show Newbees boats on the hard pointing out the keel and its weight. then explain that sailing boats sail by heeling and balancing the weight of 2 cars (in our case) 2m down against the force of the wind in the sails.

I know its not exactly true but it seems to work and reassure them.

 

[Vallich]

I normally give the tiller over to my 'crew' as soon as possible - seems to calm them somewhat...

Nice lookin' boat by the way, good luck with the sale.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I always show Newbees boats on the hard pointing out the keel and its weight. then explain that sailing boats sail by heeling and balancing the weight of 2 cars (in our case) 2m down against the force of the wind in the sails.

I know its not exactly true but it seems to work and reassure them.

Me too, plus the centre of buoyancy moves to the leeward side thus counteracting the heeling forces, which themselves are reduced due to the angle between the wind and the sails being reduced.

The vast majority of students and crew believe me, the only one who refuses to do so is still married to me !

 

[Robert Wilson]

Very sad - the best saily type decision I ever made was to persuade a very reluctant spouse to join me on my Day Skipper evening course.
I now count myself extremely fortunate that she now enjoys sailing as much as I do.

Have just driven her to work and she was in the passenger seat looking at the Antares chart of the Crowlin Islands on her phone and working out how many hours each side of high water we could cross the sand bar and get to the inner pool on our forthcoming cruise. Nice drive

Edit: Just looked at it myself and the number of hours after high water is irrelevant - definitely only going in on a rising tide !

Gulp!! I tried once, on the last two hours of flood but chickened-out. Very shallow and verrry narrow - but apparently possible; for the brave!
Lovely place and intriguingly "small".

I feel very sorry for the OP. My "lady wot used to" was the same, but is too nervous to sail anymore, unless it's not above F2/3. Mind you, she can't swim so that doesn't help.

 

[catalac08]

My wife never liked heeling but stuck with it for 10 years but then spotted a nice catamaran for sale which we bought. Problem solved, max heel 5 degrees,lots of space to be comfortable on board, cook as you go, storage for everything we need, does not point quite as well but better than a monohull in every other way for sailing uk. She still does not like it when it gets rough but internet weather sorts most of that out. A shame to give up sailing when there may be another way!

 

[Storyline]

Gulp!! I tried once, on the last two hours of flood but chickened-out. Very shallow and verrry narrow - but apparently possible; for the brave!
Lovely place and intriguingly "small".

I feel very sorry for the OP. My "lady wot used to" was the same, but is too nervous to sail anymore, unless it's not above F2/3. Mind you, she can't swim so that doesn't help.

Hi Robert, crikey it did not realise it was that difficult - what do you draw ? How easy was it to chicken out as there does not seem enough room to turn !?

The Antares chart shows the shallowest part (a quite widespread area) as 0m but the height of tide at springs is 4.5 m or so therefore I concluded we should be fine with 2m draught.
Anyone else been in ?


Hope it is ok to post the chart - have to say that I genuinely think they are excellent so hopefully a bit of useful publicity !

 

[PhillM]

, she can't swim so that doesn't help.

As My SWIMBO says - being a non-swimmer she appreciates the boat more.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Hi Robert, crikey it did not realise it was that difficult - what do you draw ? How easy was it to chicken out as there does not seem enough room to turn !?

The Antares chart shows the shallowest part (a quite widespread area) as 0m but the height of tide at springs is 4.5 m or so therefore I concluded we should be fine with 2m draught.
Anyone else been in ?
View attachment 44704

Hope it is ok to post the chart - have to say that I genuinely think they are excellent so hopefully a bit of useful publicity !

I draw 1.5m, but beam is 2.7m - breathed-in!

I went in very very slowly, there was no wind and I managed to very very slowly back out. I can't remember if it was Spring or Neap. Fortunately the water is (was) extremely clear so no danger of hitting something "unseen".
When my sounder shows zero metres, I think I have about 10cms under the keel as a safety margin; probably not enough and I hadn't calibrated it that season and wasn't sure if it had reset itself.
Anyway, the sounder was down to 0.1 with still some distance to go before the pool. I probably could have made it, but I didn't fancy the embarrassment of grounding. Fortunately it was very calm and still in there.
Martin Lawrence's pilot book shows a pic of a fishing boat in the pool, so it is possible if you know what you're doing, and know your boat better than I did. It was my first season sailing her.

Let me know if you (anyone) go in there. Good luck

 

[SteveTibbetts]

Someone who's posted on here before has a blog and just after buying his boat joked about naming it 'ground for divorce'. He's living in the boat now, alone as far as I know.

 

[Trop Cher]

My friend goes in regularly and says it's no problem, and he doesn't use Antares. He draws at least 1.5m. I think it should be fine if you go in slowly on a rising tide.

 

[Storyline]

I draw 1.5m, but beam is 2.7m - breathed-in!
.....

Our beam is 3.4m so that is another around 2' wider - are you saying you nearly touched the sides or were you joking ?!

Have deliberately not looked at any photos as I do not want to spoil the wow factor - starting to have second thoughts now !

Also have to make sure swmbo does not read this thread or we will definitely not be going.

 

[ricky_s]

He could try a motorboat? Sailboats frighten me too! They feel under powered and heeling is feels very unnatural, though I suppose I would get used to it given time.

 

[30boat]

My ex used to sail everywhere with me .We'd go to windward in 25 knots and although not enjoyable she wouldn't complain much.She even made a trip from Manila to Hong Kong once when the weather took a turn for the worse a day before we arrived and still no complains.Last year we were sailing on a following 12 knots wind with my 14 year old at the helm,the biggest waves were probably 20cms tall and she was terrified.I'll never understand it.

 

[Vallich]

My ex used to sail everywhere with me .We'd go to windward in 25 knots and although not enjoyable she wouldn't complain much.She even made a trip from Manila to Hong Kong once when the weather took a turn for the worse a day before we arrived and still no complains.Last year we were sailing on a following 12 knots wind with my 14 year old at the helm,the biggest waves were probably 20cms tall and she was terrified.I'll never understand it.

They're wired-up differently to blokes...