Why my wife won't come sailing?

8 years (max) for cold blooded murder. And a plea deal?
The world is going mad isn't it?
Will he remarry when he gets out aged 50-ish and try to kill another person for money?
 
8 years does seem a very light sentence but he was found guilty of unlawful killing without malice after striking a plea deal.

Presumably he is able to afford a better lawyer than some uneducated black teenager from the slums abandoned by his father, who would be facing a life behind bars. :rolleyes:

Justice in America being, like the Waldorf Astoria, open to all. :rolleyes:
 
I understand that this sort of result is designed to ensure that both sides are equally unhappy. If there was a prospect that he would get off scot free, then the lesser charge is vastly preferable. He gets shut up for a while, maybe as little as eighteen months, but loses any prospect of inheritance, and the family get some justice, even if limited.
 
Interesting as this thread already is, I was thinking its title would be a pretty solid starter for a hundred-plus replies...

...personally, SWMBO stopped sailing with me because:

a) she needs some (any) idea of what her role is, since her presence obstructs the lines I'd normally attend to myself, solo, but...

b) she isn't actually remotely interested in learning what her simple tasks are, and has invariably forgotten them;

c) she objects to the necessity to shift her personal ballast to trim the boat, needs telling to change side-decks on tacks, and invariably gets stuck halfway, leaving me to hold the boat upright :hopeless:;

d) my stress with the things I need her to do (of which she has no idea) alarms her, just as the prospect of capsize alarms me; and

e) however short a time we've been out, she begins asking when we're going back in.

It's not a problem, I always wanted to be able to singlehand, so her reluctance to join me is just a minor, irrelevant disappointment. Although I admit there are many days when I'd benefit from her, ahem, nine stone, on the gunwale beside me.

The thing it's taught me is not to take a know-nothing crew on any boat, especially a sensitive dinghy, if one couldn't manage solo...

...even more so if their presence will actively obstruct the single-handed running of the boat.

Funny thing, I often read online of sailors' wives who are terrified when the yacht heels. I understand that in a dinghy, which won't recover without sharp reactions by the crew, but why are wives troubled by the heeling of a ballasted boat that will right herself automatically by the weight in her keel? Hasn't the difference between dinghy waywardness and yacht docility been made clear?
 
dancrane said:
Interesting as this thread already is, I was thinking its title would be a pretty solid starter for a hundred-plus replies...

...personally, SWMBO stopped sailing with me because:

a) she needs some (any) idea of what her role is, since her presence obstructs the lines I'd normally attend to myself, solo, but...

b) she isn't actually remotely interested in learning what her simple tasks are, and has invariably forgotten them;

c) she objects to the necessity to shift her personal ballast to trim the boat, needs telling to change side-decks on tacks, and invariably gets stuck halfway, leaving me to hold the boat upright :hopeless:;

d) my stress with the things I need her to do (of which she has no idea) alarms her, just as the prospect of capsize alarms me; and

e) however short a time we've been out, she begins asking when we're going back in.

It's not a problem, I always wanted to be able to singlehand, so her reluctance to join me is just a minor, irrelevant disappointment. Although I admit there are many days when I'd benefit from her, ahem, nine stone, on the gunwale beside me.

The thing it's taught me is not to take a know-nothing crew on any boat, especially a sensitive dinghy, if one couldn't manage solo...

...even more so if their presence will actively obstruct the single-handed running of the boat.

Funny thing, I often read online of sailors' wives who are terrified when the yacht heels. I understand that in a dinghy, which won't recover without sharp reactions by the crew, but why are wives troubled by the heeling of a ballasted boat that will right herself automatically by the weight in her keel? Hasn't the difference between dinghy waywardness and yacht docility been made clear?
Click to expand...

Then get a boat in which your wife can accompany you in (preferably with a cocktail cabinet and comfortable double bed), but not get in your way. You get to go sailing more frequently, your wife doesn't feel abandoned at home & you get a more comfortable boat to sail in. Win-Win-Win as they say!
 
Yeah thanks for that, I'm way ahead of you...as soon as I actually do "win-win-win" enough money, it'd be my first purchase.
 
scruff said:
Then get a boat in which your wife can accompany you in (preferably with a cocktail cabinet and comfortable double bed), but not get in your way. You get to go sailing more frequently, your wife doesn't feel abandoned at home & you get a more comfortable boat to sail in. Win-Win-Win as they say!
Click to expand...

And that's route we went down (albeit by slow moves up in boat size). She still sails with me because:
- all the things below have encouraged her to do more and enjoy more
- she wanted to change the parts she could do something about without sailing skills so took on domestic things she would never take as her role at home ( so provisioning a lot better than my Dad and I did, getting rid of the "roughing it" bits like sleeping bags and researching and booking restaurants)
- found that she was good at helming upwind as long as somebody told her where the wind was when she took the helm. Still no idea of wind direction twenty five years later but good helming at all points but dead downwind)
- she realised that she never needed to learn anything she wasn't interested in ( and fortunately helming and avoiding being hit by ships day or night were early areas she learnt quickly and well so we can do a few nights at sea with her as lookout)
- as time went by took over passage planning as that could all be done in advance with no shouting
- moved up her comfort demands gradually as we aged, so a boat that won't capsize, a fresh cup of tea in rough weather, a cabin with its own door, a warm place to sail, two bathrooms so guests will come back

But the biggest thing is she was slightly interested and we both keep working to avoid either of us getting stressed
 
Poignard said:
8 years does seem a very light sentence but he was found guilty of unlawful killing without malice after striking a plea deal.

Presumably he is able to afford a better lawyer than some uneducated black teenager from the slums abandoned by his father, who would be facing a life behind bars. :rolleyes:

Justice in America being, like the Waldorf Astoria, open to all. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I've watched quite a few of the American TV crime programs so I consider myself to be an expert (!)

The fact is that the Police were probably struggling to get evidence for a conviction. Mr Bennett was probably worried that there was a possiblity of a conviction so rather than either side taking a chance a deal was struck. It is a bit sickening though. Be careful of who you sail with. I have actual experience of sailors flipping their lids, fortunately not my own crew. It's a surprise who cracks, often the last person you'd expect.
 
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