The cruising life .. Men v women outlook

[VO5]

From the male point of view in our sailing relaitionship the following sums it up from First Mates side. We rose at 0445 hours for a passage Gosport-Littlehampton. It was pissing down, blowing a fast reducing F7 and as black as a preachers hat. "I dont mind the dark, I dont mind the rain and I dont mind it blowing and rough. BUT I am not having all three at once!" I put the kettle on and got the bacon in the pan. An hour and a half later it was just getting light, the rain had stopped and the wind was down to the top of a F5. We left and had a cracking sail with huge seas on the starboard quarter around the Owers. Got into Littlehampton and had a splendid weekend with a fair sail back in late October sunshine-caught three late makerel on the diving vane for tea too.

THere is another feature too.
I call it the "nesting syndrome".
This when our SWMBOS begin to feel at home on board and start making curtains, buying his and hers toothbrush mugs, cushions, throws for saloon settees, patchwork quilts, furry covers for hot water bottles........with the occasional hilarious blunder...like putting scented blocks in the heads for example......not to mention the hogging of locker space in the heads for little pots of cream, shampoos, scent bottles, makeup bags, hair tongs, nail varnishes...the list is seemingly endless...and it just grows and grows, Ha ! Ha ! Ha !

 

[Nostrodamus]

THere is another feature too.
I call it the "nesting syndrome".
This when our SWMBOS begin to feel at home on board and start making curtains, buying his and hers toothbrush mugs, cushions, throws for saloon settees, patchwork quilts, furry covers for hot water bottles........with the occasional hilarious blunder...like putting scented blocks in the heads for example......not to mention the hogging of locker space in the heads for little pots of cream, shampoos, scent bottles, makeup bags, hair tongs, nail varnishes...the list is seemingly endless...and it just grows and grows, Ha ! Ha ! Ha !

Now I like your SWMBO as you never once mentioned the "shoes" or "clothes". you must have got off light. Mine has all the wardrobes and draws. I have a little box somewhere, that is unless she needed that space as well. Women, you have got to love them, that is unlesss you are a small scientologist.

 

[rotrax]

THere is another feature too.
I call it the "nesting syndrome".
This when our SWMBOS begin to feel at home on board and start making curtains, buying his and hers toothbrush mugs, cushions, throws for saloon settees, patchwork quilts, furry covers for hot water bottles........with the occasional hilarious blunder...like putting scented blocks in the heads for example......not to mention the hogging of locker space in the heads for little pots of cream, shampoos, scent bottles, makeup bags, hair tongs, nail varnishes...the list is seemingly endless...and it just grows and grows, Ha ! Ha ! Ha !

I obviously chose well. First mate has the right practical attitude. As she has travelled with me to race meetings and slept in vans,wet tents and the VERY basic hostel accomadation at the pig farm in Moravany,Czech Republic our lovely yacht is Luxury by comparison. We have it comfortable and suitable for short term living, gradually finding out as we go what we need to do for longer term living aboard. I dont think it will get like a country cottage-thank heaven!

 

[VO5]

Now I like your SWMBO as you never once mentioned the "shoes" or "clothes". you must have got off light. Mine has all the wardrobes and draws. I have a little box somewhere, that is unless she needed that space as well. Women, you have got to love them, that is unlesss you are a small scientologist.

She's not too bad in comparison to other SWMBOs afloat I have encountered.
Not excessive on shoes and clothes generally but very focused on sweaters and fleeces . As a result I have none of these hardly to wear ashore, they are all aboard in lockers.

 

[VO5]

I forgot to mention..
All my toiletries, shaving kit, etc., are kept in a plastic sandwich box but all the other stuff is hers. I guess in terms of volume easily 20 :1 ratio.

 

[Nostrodamus]

I also have a SWMBO who is still trying to save the planet and keeps bags of recycling. Now if there was somewhere close by to do it OK. She even hauls stuff out of the bin I have thrown away to put in her recycling pile.

 

[Carmel2]

We try 'try' to stick to if you haven't worn it in the last year get rid of it...........easier said than done.

 

[NornaBiron]

We try 'try' to stick to if you haven't worn it in the last year get rid of it...........easier said than done.

Especially if, like me, you are using all your old clothes up whilst out cruising - can't throw good stuff away!

 

[tarik]

men / attitude

Hi.

I think it is all a matter of attitude - my wife, bless her, still insists that we have an 'en suite' bedroom, a lounge diner, a conservatory and a patio.

I have given up educating her!!

Good sailing,

David

 

[ukmctc]

We moved aboard in January 2009, fantastic move the wife Becky loves it.
We have worked and lived together since we met. it is hard for some folk as you really need tobe equal partners, which we are.
Becky enjoys doing jobs on our boat and assisting me on others. On ours she has been stuffed in a locker fitting a diesel heater, I couldn't fit, and she goes up the mast as I'm too heavy. Any jobs that need doing are taken in her stride and she is willing to learn so she can do it herself if/when necessary.
Its a sharing lifestyle, and if your not prepaired to share everything, then it won't work.

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/boatingdreams/

Cheers Trev

 

[Nostrodamus]

We moved aboard in January 2009, fantastic move the wife Becky loves it.
On ours she has been stuffed in a locker fitting a diesel heater,

Cheers Trev

Is she allowed out occasionally or only when you want work doing?

 

[rickym]

Hi.

I think it is all a matter of attitude - my wife, bless her, still insists that we have an 'en suite' bedroom, a lounge diner, a conservatory and a patio.

I have given up educating her!!

Good sailing,

David

Sounds just like my boat! with a tiny bit of imagination and the cockpit tent up!

 

[cutofherjib]

I have friends and its the girl who would go off and live on the boat. She is more adventurous than him, she wants to sail round britain, but he wont.

 

[chinita]

I have friends and its the girl who would go off and live on the boat. She is more adventurous than him, she wants to sail round britain, but he wont.

Do you have her phone number?

 

[Nostrodamus]

Well it looks as if this post has reached it's natural end.
Thank you to all those who contributed, especially those ladies who spoke from the heart.
It is good to know we are all different, but not by much.
Thank you to the women and men who support their partners so much and by doing so allow us to live in Utopia, for a while at least.

 

[demonboy]

Well it looks as if this post has reached it's natural end.

You should know by now it's impossible to wrap up a thread!

 

[ukmctc]

Is she allowed out occasionally or only when you want work doing?

Happily she sets off to work every day to keep me in the manner to which I'm acustomed. When finished with her day job she looks after me and assists in whatever I'm doing.
Ah, lucky me......

 

[ukmctc]

I have friends and its the girl who would go off and live on the boat. She is more adventurous than him, she wants to sail round britain, but he wont.

That sounds like a couple I know in Tollesbury, Essex.

 

[ukmctc]

Another characteristic of long term liveaboard couples is that they tend to tell the same story, individually, AT THE SAME TIME to you.

So you end up, standing on the pontoon, normally bursting for a dump, listening intently, to both of them whilst smiling, nodding and desperately trying to find a way of curtailing the stereophonic one way conversation.

uh, yea got to go....

 

[ukmctc]

or get a bigger boat

LOL, a mate of mine bought a boat in USA, it has a bath, strange thing on a 46 footer but its American. I think not only a waste of space but water if your out cruising. Great if your on a canal or using it as a house boat though.