Skippering an all-female crew

When I read the title of this post I had visions of just you and a bevy of beauties on some extended epic voyage.
Reading further i find its just you and swmbo and a.n.other female.........feel sort of let down somehow and cant believe you need advice for such an undemanding scenario........
 
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You know it makes sense.

Best plan is nominate Mrs as the skipper then you follow orders. If she or lady forumite suggests reefing etc just do it. You make warm drinks and fetch cushions. Got it?
 
Re: The worst crew mix is couples.

By couples I mean "in a relationship" as is the modern term.

Couples either continue the status quo from shore, where the domestic one does the teas and the strong one does the sailing, so you end up with lots of tea & buns and only 50% crew efficiency, or they snipe at each other for the whole trip and become as competitive as hell.

It's particularly interesting if you've got a number of couples onboard and they don't know each other. I don't know if it's the change of lifestyle but it seems to bring out the worst in some people. Several times I've seen silly old buggers, "rambo-ing" about the boat to impress some other guys wife. I've seen women who could bench press my body weight go all weak and helpless cos there's a bloke there. On one trip I lost two crew. I came on deck to find only two of the four people I expected to find. I found them though. In the sail locker. He was showing her how the sails were labled or something. Their partners were off watch at the time.

I once took a party of twelve wimmin on a heavyish weather trip to visit the Fastnet Rock. The only complaint I had all week was about hairdryer deprivation.
 
Re: Easy work

[ QUOTE ]
It's crews of couples give you trouble.

[/ QUOTE ]

Swmbo and I are taking two couples out for a Solent cruise, this weekend, following an offer made for a fund raising auction. Nice peeps, so I'm not too worried. Looking good for the weather as well (so far at least).
 
Re: You know it makes sense.

"Best plan is nominate Mrs as the skipper then you follow orders. If she or lady forumite suggests reefing etc just do it. You make warm drinks and fetch cushions. Got it?"

This is the most sensible suggestion written so far.

I will refrain from airing my views on other comments posted but I do think that there will be interesting conversations on board if Mrs and the female 'forumite' reads them.

Maybe it wasn't a wise move?
 
Re: The worst crew mix is couples.

I agree couples can be a challenge to go boating with.

But I do see a lot of cases where the female partner gains a lot of self confidence while boating. and in some cases a roll reversal occurs. where the female takes the helm and the male does the ropes etc.
In these cases the male is delighted that the female takes this roll as it takes a lot of the pressure off them.
I am a great believer in every one on the boat being able to do any job from crewing to helming to cooking. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: The worst crew mix is couples.

[ QUOTE ]
.... where the female takes the helm and the male does the ropes etc.
In these cases the male is delighted that the female takes this roll as it takes a lot of the pressure off them.


[/ QUOTE ]

In all seriousness, I am really looking forward to when this is the case and we can confidently sail as a couple, both equally as skilled as each other in all disciplines.

Guess I had better learn to light the oven then! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
Re: You know it makes sense.

[ QUOTE ]


I will refrain from airing my views on other comments posted but I do think that there will be interesting conversations on board if Mrs and the female 'forumite' reads them.

Maybe it wasn't a wise move?

[/ QUOTE ]


Mmmm - didn't think this thread would get quite so chauvanistically piggy - I hope I don't live to regret it !! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
Re: No....

[ QUOTE ]
..but it would make a reality TV show.

[/ QUOTE ]

Down here in Cornwall the local commercial radio station (Pirate FM) is running a challenge for a man to live as a woman for a few weeks. (wear frocks, shave legs, apply makeup daily, sit to use the throne etc. etc).

So if you can't beat them you could try joining them.
 
Re: Agreed

Thats why I didn't say male female, I said stronger and domestic. Many blokes are dragged along sailing by partners who are dead keen. It's interesting to watch them keeping out of the way by offering to do things they know rather than learning. It's usual for women to support their husbands, even if they're obnoxious. Men seem much less supportive and more whingy about where they'd rather be.

Certainly a skipper needs to employ much low cunning so that everybody gets as much out of the trip as they should.

In sailing, what you need is a boat thats got enough jobs to keep people busy. So a big boat without furling headsails and with runners is great. We often do rotations, where everybody has a station and then on command everybody moves one job round, say clockwise. The jobs include helming and skippering eventually.

Anyway couples are hardwork but don't get me onto corporate team building.
 
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