Just an observation...

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Mrssolentclown

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Hi there
Thought I'd join as Solent Clown speaks very highly of you guys but are there any female forum members here or can you point me in the right place to post.
I suffer from a bowel disease and wonder how others cope with longer voyages and though Solent Clown has posted a thread about toilets I am really worried about the whole next step and think in a lot of ways I'd be happy to have stuck to being a trailer sailer with our dinghy. Maybe I'm just fretting about nothing.

I'm also a keen crocheter and want to make throws and blankets for the trident if we are going for longer trips then I can't image going without my crochet projects so crafters how do you store your crafting/hobby equipment?

Thanks in advance.
Karen
 
Hello, and welcome. I have to "go" quite often, and I find that for that, sailing is great. You are never more than ten feet from the loo. Enjoy.

Mrs NormanS spends every spare moment knitting and sewing (embroidery, crochet etc). She has commandeered a locker. :rolleyes:
 
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Mrssolentclown said:
Hi there
Thought I'd join as Solent Clown speaks very highly of you guys but are there any female forum members here or can you point me in the right place to post.
I suffer from a bowel disease and wonder how others cope with longer voyages and though Solent Clown has posted a thread about toilets I am really worried about the whole next step and think in a lot of ways I'd be happy to have stuck to being a trailer sailer with our dinghy. Maybe I'm just fretting about nothing.

I'm also a keen crocheter and want to make throws and blankets for the trident if we are going for longer trips then I can't image going without my crochet projects so crafters how do you store your crafting/hobby equipment?

Thanks in advance.
Karen
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The traditional way of keeping that kind of thing tidy was what is called a ditty bag - a small, cylindrical canvas bag with a fancy knotted lanyard on the top. It might make a nice project in its own right!
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Karen, welcome to the forum.

I think you will prefer sailing with a loo, rather than without in your trailer sailer. The best advice is try and use the loo before beating as it is more comfortable.

I love reading your other half's posts as they are refreshingly simple to understand and seeking good advice. He adds a touch of humour to his posts, which make them more fun to read. Looking forward to your adventures once launched.

You should post your view on events, as your opinion will differ and keep him in check. If you enjoy participating in the forum, I feel sure you will find a lot of encouragement.

Do not worry you only have a small boat compared to many other people in the Solent. Just think of them when you can sneak into a small berth or shallow anchorage when there is no space for larger craft. Just smile and chuckle to yourselves.
 
Hello, yes, there are a few female forumites, though not many, practical boat owning being more of a male preoccupation.

That said, when I'm working on my boat in the yard, although I'm often the only lone women, I see plenty of other females doing all sorts of practical stuff on boats.

Regarding the sewing, I'm not much of a seamstress but I like to cook and the boat has become the focus of various 'hay box cookery' and home canning experiments. This sort of thing is fun, and it really benefits the boat if it works. Indeed, if sewing was my thing, I could cover the vinyl cushions on my boat, some of which date from 1963 and look like it!

Loo arrangements can be a focus of anxiety. As Norman says, the head on a boat is always accessible and I think the boat you have has a separate one. My boat has a head in the forepeak, but I got curtains to seal the forepeak off in order to have privacy without having to put the washboards in, plus I always have nappy bags for sanitary products so they can quietly go in the bin. Getting the set up right is key, and then you can feel more confident.
 
Hello. There is no reason to let almost any medical problem interfere with sailing or cruising. I don't have a bowel problem myself but a bladder problem with perhaps similar restrictions, and being on a boat is almost easier than being on land for me, though I can manage better on starboard tack.

My experience of crochet is somewhat limited, but boats usually have lockers. Alternatives might be a soft bag with a draw-string neck, or perhaps a netting 'hammock' such as many cruisers carry foods such as fruit in.
 
The boss is currently surveying a locker on our boat for her crafting projects locker which is an essential prerequisite for our cruise. If it ends up in the bosuns locker we can look forward to endless entertainment while ‘discussing’ who’s sharp knive is who’s...

As for heads, a forward facing one is best...
 
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she is walking home from work right now (no headlights on the old truck I am driving today so no pickup) but reading these replies has really made me think a bit more about her practical needs too. How very negligent I have been, as much as we tease each other we are still soppily in love even after bringing up 5 little monsters.
As has been pointed out to me by you chaps before, happy wife, happy boat.
 
solent clown said:
she is walking home from work right now (no headlights on the old truck I am driving today so no pickup) but reading these replies has really made me think a bit more about her practical needs too. How very negligent I have been, as much as we tease each other we are still soppily in love even after bringing up 5 little monsters.
As has been pointed out to me by you chaps before, happy wife, happy boat.
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Lovely post. Good on you both :-)
 
any time now, tired and ragged she will spill into the half light of the shed as she draws back the heavy curtain that serves as our draught excluder. The heat of the log burner will hit her, and within half a blink of an eye her frown will melt into a smile as I watch, as I have so very many times, the stress of the day sag out of her shoulders in that one long sigh she always gives.
I had better go pour the gin
 
Thank you for your lovely replies. Yes I would love to post my side of our adventures but I am not sure I could be as eloquent as my other half or indeed if I could write anything after for shaking. I have a nervous side to me that panics, also due to health issues I am underweight and get cold quickly so I'm probably the worse person you can have as a sailing partner.
However, my life is now ruled by booking time off according to tide times, I love being out on the water but I confess I am scared about moving up to the bigger boat the trident is beautiful and I love her but I am frightened about taking the next step to something bigger than my comfort zone but I know we are doing it so we get a better sailing experience but how do you combat a wife with a nervous disposition?
 
solent clown said:
any time now, tired and ragged she will spill into the half light of the shed as she draws back the heavy curtain that serves as our draught excluder. The heat of the log burner will hit her, and within half a blink of an eye her frown will melt into a smile as I watch, as I have so very many times, the stress of the day sag out of her shoulders in that one long sigh she always gives.
I had better go pour the gin
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Blimey. Sounds as though you’ve had enough already.:D
 
Champagne Murphy said:
Blimey. Sounds as though you’ve had enough already.:D
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Sorry about that, I drove to the workshop in a truck with no doors or roof, found the kettle empty, the tap frozen, poured freezing water down my sleeve, fell over and almost ripped my groin out - then decided the workshop didnt want me today, so home I chugged to whisky. And a jolly fine afternoon it was too. Worst of all she didn't come in all lovely, just a grumpy shivering wreck, but she is fine now ;)
 
Mrssolentclown said:
Thank you for your lovely replies. Yes I would love to post my side of our adventures but I am not sure I could be as eloquent as my other half or indeed if I could write anything after for shaking. I have a nervous side to me that panics, also due to health issues I am underweight and get cold quickly so I'm probably the worse person you can have as a sailing partner.
However, my life is now ruled by booking time off according to tide times, I love being out on the water but I confess I am scared about moving up to the bigger boat the trident is beautiful and I love her but I am frightened about taking the next step to something bigger than my comfort zone but I know we are doing it so we get a better sailing experience but how do you combat a wife with a nervous disposition?
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GIN
 
wully1 said:
As for heads, a forward facing one is best...
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Not if you are a man it is not. With a loo facing across the boat one can aim up or down & brace one's self against the back wall or the one in front. You just have to watch the lid does not slam shut when on the down side !!!.However, operating standing as if one is standing on the side of a hill is really difficult.
the Hanse 445 has a forward facing heads &I have it on reliable info that it is diabolical.

As for ladies being taken short in difficult places- my daughter sails in my Squib & there are no heads, so for the occasional "emergency" she carries a "She Wee". I have not asked for details. I prefer leave that to ladies to discuss, but I understand that those with weaker bladders & pregnancies do find them useful
 
@DD do you really stand up to pee on your boat?? Surely the seamanlike thing to do is to sit down... much less messy too...

Big boats are much less scary than little boats. I started out with a 16ft Wayfarer and nearly put SWMBO off for good. However she saw the potential fun to be had and insisted we upgraded pronto. We got ourselves a 27 ft yacht with a good reliable inboard, and with standing headroom, loo, cooker, etc, and have never looked back since.
 
Jane won't post but I think I can risk saying on her behalf that stepping up to a bigger boat was the difference between putting up with sailing, whilst enjoying being out and about, and really starting to enjoy it.
 
Mrssolentclown said:
Thank you for your lovely replies. Yes I would love to post my side of our adventures but I am not sure I could be as eloquent as my other half or indeed if I could write anything after for shaking. I have a nervous side to me that panics, also due to health issues I am underweight and get cold quickly so I'm probably the worse person you can have as a sailing partner.
However, my life is now ruled by booking time off according to tide times, I love being out on the water but I confess I am scared about moving up to the bigger boat the trident is beautiful and I love her but I am frightened about taking the next step to something bigger than my comfort zone but I know we are doing it so we get a better sailing experience but how do you combat a wife with a nervous disposition?
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The Admiral is quite petite too and, frankly, not the strongest or most robust of creatures. But working out the best ways to overcome her limitations at the same time as mine was a real Jack Spratt moment. So naturally anything requiring brute force and ignorance is my forte. Guess which bit she is responsible for.

Ps which is all to say, don’t be scared. You’ll have at least as much fun on a bigger boat and in more comfort.
 
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