Is Sailing Sexist?

I would say sailing was 'sexist' if woman sailors persistently found they were not allowed to do the kind of sailing they wanted because of their gender. I've never met a woman who complained of that, so no major problem, I think.

In fact, sailing is pretty good, as there are many great female sailors who have shown the way.

There are women who don't take much part in sailing a boat, but will come along to cook and be company and keep the more active sailors going. There may be a perception that this is sexist to outsiders, but when I've spoken to women in this role, it's been their personal choice not to helm or whatever. Cooking and keeping the others cheerful is a valuable role in itself, anyway.
 
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I notice that in a later edition, the (rather less androgynous) female has turned the chart round to face the way they are moving.

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1574090836/dolcetto-21
 
Boils down to evolution pressures.
Women are great at tasks that require advance planning, for instance collecting ingredients for cooking. Men are great with instant decisions, for instance when out hunting with a bow and arrow and a growling tiger pads onto the footpath.

Both attributes find a place on a yacht. Sometimes roles are reversed.

Yachting is not sexist. Nautical traditions like obeying the Captain (male or female) can swamp any overt sexism.
 
Does a female Skipper/Captain have the same Master under God (Mistress (?) under God) absolute power on board.

"You there, yes you laddie! I don't care of you are George Clooney. Clothes off, my cabin, NOW."

Imagine that.
 
I think sailing is quite like driving, except the pressure to respond to the unforseen seems to cause even greater tension in the less cut-and-dried environment at sea.

The fact that it's quite often suddenly, unexpectedly necessary to change tack or pick a different route through moorings, frequently causes bellowing urgency on the part of a male skipper; it's rarely the fault of his crew, but must be endured by them. Easy to see why it pours cold water on confidence.

But it's so very hard not to shout, or express urgency without a side-order of intense impatience.

SWMBO never naturally looks to see, when I refer to "this thing", or "that one there"...so no amount of sensitive explanation seems to clarify a situation's requirements...and then as the critical moment passes, I have to shout maniacally, which can't be good!

Best way must be careful attention by the mate, and cool, unambiguous clarity of explanation by the skipper...whichever gender either one is...

...no, I'm not optimistic, either! :(
 
dancrane said:
But it's so very hard not to shout, or express urgency without a side-order of intense impatience.

SWMBO never naturally looks to see, when I refer to "this thing", or "that one there"...so no amount of sensitive explanation seems to clarify a situation's requirements...and then as the critical moment passes, I have to shout maniacally, which can't be good!
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Y'know, I think you have hit on something here, entirely unrelated to sexism- the difference in situational awareness while aboard. I know all sorts of people, of both sexes, who, when travelling as a passenger in a car, develop superhuman situational awareness, heads bobbing and fingers pointing and chattering away like some mad scientist's moth/chimp crossbreeding experiment on it's 5th can of red bull. They see everything everywhere, all the time and require you to know that they have seen it and you need to see it and omigod, did you see that!!??!!
Turn those same people into crew and a boat with Stevie Wonder on helm and Stephen Hawking on winches would outsail us.
Some people are crew when they should be passengers and become passengers when they are needed to act like crew.

Many of these same people can't be bothered to learn the nomenclature of all the running rigging on the boat, and the glossary of all the bits and pieces and moving parts of the boat, snort derisively when one calls a halyard a halyard and a sheet a sheet, as ti seems "a little arcane, and a bit anachronistic" then get all butthurt when "Tighten the traveller a tad...
"The rope. That rope there."
" Not that rope, the other rope!"
" No, the other, other rope!! "
Degrades into
"The ONE TO THE LEFT OF YOUR BEERHOLDING MITT, YOU USELESS TWIT!!!!!"
 
dancrane said:
I think sailing is quite like driving, except the pressure to respond to the unforseen seems to cause even greater tension in the less cut-and-dried environment at sea.

The fact that it's quite often suddenly, unexpectedly necessary to change tack or pick a different route through moorings, frequently causes bellowing urgency on the part of a male skipper; it's rarely the fault of his crew, but must be endured by them. Easy to see why it pours cold water on confidence.

But it's so very hard not to shout, or express urgency without a side-order of intense impatience.

SWMBO never naturally looks to see, when I refer to "this thing", or "that one there"...so no amount of sensitive explanation seems to clarify a situation's requirements...and then as the critical moment passes, I have to shout maniacally, which can't be good!

Best way must be careful attention by the mate, and cool, unambiguous clarity of explanation by the skipper...whichever gender either one is...

...no, I'm not optimistic, either! :(
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I have known some great female skippers, though I would worry about the monthly cycle when they become homicidal nutters, for this reason I fear them flying military aircraft let alone sailing yachts, especially mine.

P.S, It doesn't end with the menopause in case you're banking on it, they're just as nuts and incomprehensible as before.
 
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In a recent thread about berthing under sail the activity was referred to as (cynically) being "manly", evidence of a "man badge" and "waving willies". Could these forumites please reconcile these comments to the most able boat handler in our club who happens to be a woman.
 
chrisedwards said:
In a recent thread about berthing under sail the activity was referred to as (cynically) being "manly", evidence of a "man badge" and "waving willies". Could these forumites please reconcile these comments to the most able boat handler in our club who happens to be a woman.
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I would guess that it is not her boat. I can berth another persons boat twice as quick and nifty as I would berth my own.

Edit. Forgot to give the reason that I would not have to repair it.
 
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