What don't women like about sailing....

[WestWittering]

Following on from another thread, one of the interesting things came up was women are MORE LIKELY to not enjoy sailing... Just a deduction from a year or so observing and I have no scientific basis for making this statement, but it seems to me that women are MORE LIKELY to not enjoy sailing. So I wondered what particular aspects put some ladies off? Is it weather, size of boat, the Skipper (or the First Mate if the women is the Skipper)?

My mother was put off by my fathers attitude to sailing - gung ho, rude & bossy, so I haven't been able to get her onto my boat mind you she is now 72 and can do what she ruddy well pleases. I have a friend (female) who is about 60 who loves sailing, adores it and she is a fantastic helm.

Most of the posters here are male, yet it is not that much of a masculine sport - not compared to rugby or wrestling, so why is the number of women so small? Or do we generally have better things to do than ponk about on t'internet?

Dianne

 

[Sidedrum]

Not that much of a masculine sport? Oh, I wish. Count the number of boats you see with all male crews compared to the number with all female crews. Count the number of boats you see with female skippers. Then count the number of boorish blokes putting us off!

 

[WestWittering]

I meant physically, rather than male-dominated. Our boat has a female skipper - and I have the First Mate's permission to say so...

 

[Seven Spades]

Because women are insecure about their looks and for the most sailing dioesn';t do much for their hair, in addition they do mind getting cold and wet. Frankly I don't know why, but there you go.

 

[Seajet]

When I and a similar 19 year old chum pulled into Braye, Alderney, the Harbourmaster met us with " You've just missed 'em lads, there was an all girl crew just left, 6 of them, heading for Guernsey ! "

Yes females are rare in sailing, but when they choose to be they are very good at it, an ex girlfriend thought nothing of going on deck to re-attach the kicker when it was dislodged in overfalls in Portland Bill inshore passage.

However a lot of females expect everything fluffy and think Duran Duran videos are typical sailing, then look aghast when waterproofs and harness lines are handed out !

I've met equally shallow blokes too, ' rock hard ' football types from work ran and cowered cuddled up in the forepeak swaddled in duvets when we had to punch into a F6...

As for women it's up to individuals and how they are treated, if they have anything going for them they will love sailing, I know several females who do, funnily enough they are all very intelligent types with good careers.

Whenever some bimbo is presented on TV as the latest hot crumpet we should worship, my instant thought is ' would she stand a watch at the helm facing into a F7 without worrying about her hair and makeup ?! '

 

[Vega1447]

My current wife says she finds it too cold.

Then again, my boat is based in the W (ish) of Ireland.

I do find that shouting at her solves these little problems... (Not^N)

 

[Paddingtonbear]

Not that much of a masculine sport? Oh, I wish. Count the number of boats you see with all male crews compared to the number with all female crews. Count the number of boats you see with female skippers. Then count the number of boorish blokes putting us off!

Most yotties are arrogant sexist pigs and mobo owners are even worse. Dylan excepted of course. When I was much better off around 1980 I used to own a Moody 41 moored in Chi but quickly gave it all up and sold the boat due to the horrible people that were involved. Almost exclusively men. It is not just women it is anyone whom is easy going, non facist, non sexist, non Daily Wail reading. That is why Dylan gets so much stick

 

[SimbaDog]

Most yotties are arrogant sexist pigs and mobo owners are even worse. Dylan excepted of course. When I was much better off around 1980 I used to own a Moody 41 moored in Chi but quickly gave it all up and sold the boat due to the horrible people that were involved. Almost exclusively men. It is not just women it is anyone whom is easy going, non facist, non sexist, non Daily Wail reading. That is why Dylan gets so much stick

Looks to me like you're on the wrong forum then!

 

[Vega1447]

Whenever some bimbo is presented on TV as the latest hot crumpet we should worship, my instant thought is ' would she stand a watch at the helm facing into a F7 without worrying about her hair and makeup ?! '

I have to say that wouldn't be my *first* thought...

 

[WestWittering]

Looks to me like you're on the wrong forum then!

You forgot to add 'love' at the end of that!! /JOKE MODE OFF

Seriously though Paddingtonbear, I am sorry you had such a horrible experience. Would you not feel inclined to go sailing to get away from men... (unless you were involved in racing though). There are horrible men in all walks of life, just as there are horrible women.

Maybe times have changed since the 80's - I haven't come across any sexist men although our first instructor was a bit of a misogynist... After he crashed our boat into the pontoon 'demonstrating' how to park his views became completely irrelevant anyway.

In general, MOST of the men I have met sailing have been completely normal, some are completely crackers, but non have been downright nasty or unpleasant - perhaps I am lucky, wear rose-tinted glasses or I am just thick-skinned..

Cold & wet I can understand, but show me a man who says he seriously enjoys being cold & wet - apart from Andy McNab..

Dianne

 

[Paddingtonbear]

Simba Dog is right I am on the wrong forum as I have an old wooden motor boat. It is a shame but there just seems no place for ordinary boaters anymore. And yes you are right, I was involved with racers, absolutely the pits.

 

[Marakei]

I don't know that women uniquely don't like sailing. I've always done long-distance footpaths, often alone, and you don't meet many other females walking without a companion.

A lot of women don't like any outdoor sport because it is uncomfortable and potentially frightening, also cold and boring, or at least that is what they tell me.

Some women get intimidated in a very masculine environment, which most boats are. I have had to be quite assertive once or twice to avoid getting pushed out of something I wanted to be involved in.

Stuff on boats breaks all the time and you need to fix it. Women tend to have much weaker technical knowledge than men and so be far less confident at trying to fix stuff. This is a definite barrier to female boat ownership.

All that said, I have met many brilliant sailing women, and sailed boats with them and had a great laugh too.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

The present Mrs Murphy is a great lover of sailing. Technical knowledge, well, quick to pick up a point. Hasn't got masses of strength though. I was once told 'hang on to that one , there aren't many like them'

 

[laffinskip]

Maybe I have been lucky,but both of my wives (different times) have really enjoyed sailing,including standing watches etc.

Or could it be that I have nothing to prove I don,t do the I,m in charge ranting & raving bit,don,t need to the crew just listen,I give the instructions

& we just get on with it.I also listen to all options then make my decision as to what is required.

Although I have been known to get a bit pissed off if I am called on watch & theres no mug of tea waiting. We did once walk out of a yacht club one

sunday afternoon,after listening to the local racing boys he-hawing & bra ying like a load of complete plonkers at the top of their voices,it was very

noticeable that there were none of their girlfriends/wives present.Is this kind of behaviour why a lot of women don,t take up sailing.?

Too embarrased.

 

[mjcoon]

When I and a similar 19 year old chum pulled into Braye, Alderney, the Harbourmaster met us with " You've just missed 'em lads, there was an all girl crew just left, 6 of them, heading for Guernsey ! "

Years ago (but not so long that I was nineteen!) I and a chum were on flotilla when another boat was crewed by six young ladies. Only three were sailors; the others did not really realise what they had let themselves in for. When they could they would take a ferry to the next port to avoid the sailing bit.

The other thing I remember was their reservations about the capacity of the holding tank. When wanting a pee each girl would check if any other crew members were prepared to "share a pump" to conserve flushing...

Mike.

 

[phantomlady]

I am female and I post on here a bit, read the forums regularly...but then I am always on t'internet
I don't love sailing but I do like living on our boat. I like the lifestyle and decent weather.
Unfortunately I get seasick. That I don't enjoy. And also, I find sailing very boring.
My other half is the sort of person who likes to do everything himself and is also quite competitive so I just let him get on with it for the sake of marital harmony.
I am afraid of long sea passages and don't like night sailing at all. I am scared of bad weather.....and I have experienced some very nasty weather over the years.
I also find it very boring when you get a load of blokes discussing batteries or some other such thing ad nauseam in the bar. (I much prefer fluffy kittens myself)

 

[laffinskip]

Fair enough.

 

[Seajet]

Maybe I have been lucky,but both of my wives (different times) have really enjoyed sailing,including standing watches etc.

Or could it be that I have nothing to prove I don,t do the I,m in charge ranting & raving bit,don,t need to the crew just listen,I give the instructions

& we just get on with it.I also listen to all options then make my decision as to what is required.

Although I have been known to get a bit pissed off if I am called on watch & theres no mug of tea waiting. We did once walk out of a yacht club one

sunday afternoon,after listening to the local racing boys he-hawing & bra ying like a load of complete plonkers at the top of their voices,it was very

noticeable that there were none of their girlfriends/wives present.Is this kind of behaviour why a lot of women don,t take up sailing.?

Too embarrased.

Racing will always bring out the best and worst in people, men and women; some feminists would gag at the crew of ' Maiden ' entering harbour in bikinis - a PR stunt but they'd sailed hard across oceans first !

My thankfully ex-wife was a feminist and I thought ' good luck to her standing up ' until it became clear in her book ' feminist ' meant ' anti- all men, cause as much pain as possible ' ; despite that she doesn't seem to be gay but I'm very happy to report I haven't seen her for 20 years and I hope ' what goes around, comes around '.

I have met women sailors who thought looks were enough to be an offshore sailor after batting their eyelids at YM offshore examiners, and I found them woefully lacking as sailors.

Then again I met lady YM instructors with sailing schools like Brittania who I'd respect and call ' M'am' or ' Sir ' any day, it depends on the person not the gender !

 

[WestWittering]

Thank you - what an honest reply & I agree with a lot of your points (I completely know where you are coming from regarding the 'other half') - and I still enjoy so that must make me a masochist and you must be a very tolerant, generous partner to put up with it. I wish you a season of fair weather & a dropped anchor

Regarding the fluffy kittens aren't they are great for polishing brass-ware? Don't mention it to the men though - they just think we like 'em cos they are cute

Di

 

[MissFitz]

I like the lifestyle and decent weather.
Unfortunately I get seasick. That I don't enjoy. And also, I find sailing very boring.
My other half is the sort of person who likes to do everything himself and is also quite competitive so I just let him get on with it for the sake of marital harmony.

Funnily enough, that's pretty much what HWMBO says - altho we've found that marital harmony is best maintained by him staying on shore!