Women and sailing

PabloPicasso

PabloPicasso

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Why don't women like sailing?
Or, how can we encourage more women to crew, skipper, and own sailing boats?
Is there any need to do this?
 
watching most couples sail it is usually the man who steers it berths it and does all the seemingly fun things leaving the little lady bored stiff.
Try swopping positions with your partner and letting her steer etc. we learned very early on that it was easier for Louise, my wife, to steer and berth the boat whilst I did the muscle work.
 
Bluenote2 said:
watching most couples sail it is usually the man who steers it berths it and does all the seemingly fun things leaving the little lady bored stiff.
Try swopping positions with your partner and letting her steer etc. we learned very early on that it was easier for Louise, my wife, to steer and berth the boat whilst I did the muscle work.
Click to expand...

Hmm. Several things here. Who says that steering and berthing is fun? And if you need muscle work on the ropes then whoever is steering or berthing is doing something wrong. We find that agility is the primary requirement for the rope person when berthing. (interestingly, predictive text comes up with "berating" for "berthing" spooky that!
 
Bluenote2 said:
watching most couples sail it is usually the man who steers it berths it and does all the seemingly fun things leaving the little lady bored stiff.
Try swopping positions with your partner and letting her steer etc. we learned very early on that it was easier for Louise, my wife, to steer and berth the boat whilst I did the muscle work.
Click to expand...

Men and women`s attitude towards risk has a tendency to be different. Women tend to avoid risk, men tend to manage it. (You can probably tell that I feel like I`m walking on eggshells by saying this....but I`m saying it...and not avoiding it.....and of course ...there are exceptions to this general rule)

Sailing is perceived as a risky business....after all...we are wandering around in a wet desert with more possibility of being killed if we make bad decisions or are just plain `unlucky`.

Ergo...fewer women like/go sailing
 
My wife has no sense of co-ordination therefore I helm she puts sails up when her arms are hurting she gets to use the winch, trims sails, lowers sails. She knows how to do some basic checks prior to sailing can bring the boat onto swinging mooring and doesn’t mine stepping off boat to tie up to a berth after she has risk assessed the situation and given me the ok. She also has a day skipper qualification and does not mind (too much) if boat is heeled at 45degs, but not for too long. Can she steer........no chance. Am I lucky you bet?
 
And yet most racers have a woman or two in the crew. It's one of the few sports where women can compete on an equal basis (at least at the 30-ish to 40-ish footer level of racing).
 
Bluenote2 said:
Try swopping positions with your partner and letting her steer etc. we learned very early on that it was easier for Louise, my wife, to steer and berth the boat whilst I did the muscle work.
Click to expand...

Persuading her to do it is the problem, she just doesn't want to. I think there's a "driving the car" mentality where the person at the helm is perceived to be "in charge".
 
I don't know.

I know quite a few women who like sailing. To varying degrees. My wife is happy on board with a glass of wine. So long as I do not try and tell her how to sail. Fortunately she picks it up anyway. She will not dock the boat. Her choice. She will do the lines.
So long as she can just step ashore. or is already on board. fine with me. she will handle the boat when anchoring.

She lets me single hand. but insists on coming if its a bit windy. Worries about me being alone. If its wet and cold she reads her book down bellow and leaves me on deck with the dog.
She likes sailing. on her terms.

My daughter likes sailing but only if its windy. She gets really annoyed when I insist on sailing in light airs. So do my sons.
Good breeze and heeled over a big smile. Starts to rain she goes bellow with her mom and her I pod.
I am left on deck with the dog.
My dogs a bitch. She loves to sail rain or shine. So long as she gets a walk. before and after.
My mom loves to sail. She likes a walk before and after too. Particularly likes a restaurant after, or a pub.
My sister and her daughters love to sail, So long as the skipper does as he is told.

I have quite a few sailing friends who are women very capable sailors. Some even own their own boats.

Wife, Daughter, Sister in law, Sister, Mom, Nieces, and quite a few friends. Insist upon a working head. and flush toilets and showers every couple of days. Some will rough it a bit further. Not the ones who I sail with.

They enjoy sailing they just have other priorities.:)

My wife and daughter were very fond of our first boat, and quite emotional when I sold it. it was old tiny bare and uncomfortable and had no head.

They like my current boat better. it has a head.

My daughter wants her own boat. She is not quite satisfied with mine. Her boat will have her own private cabin, A bath shower, Full kitchen, washing machine, dishwasher, big screen TV, In her cabin, flush toilets and a hot tub.
I get a straw mattress in focsle. If I'm lucky. :)

I am looking forward to going sailing with her:)
 
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Two questions seem to have arisen out of this first question. First regarding partners of males owning the boat and primary pusher of the pastime. Yes one must be very careful to keep the lady happy with judicious amount of letting her take control versus keeping her happy by running a well orgainised but sympathetic boat.
Second question is why do ladies not want to own and operate a sail boat? The answer is that a few do. We have had 3 or more owner skippers of small sailing KBs at our club. At least 2 ended up with the boat in a separation.
We have at our club each year a "Ladies Skippers Race" true more of a fun event but we usually get about 20 ladies willing to do it. No spins allowed. I am involved with an adult sailing school where we get just as many ladies as men participating. Universally they enjoy the experience though some get stressed helming.
In the end however statistically ladies are perhaps more interested in other pass times. So just as long as there is an easy way for ladies to be involved by having a few active then that is all we need. They are always welcome and yes they can be just as skilfull as men but lets not worry that there are not so many involved. Our club have had ladies entitled to be equal members for at least 50 years. Indeed my wife is one of 5 ladies granted honorary life membership over 80 years. (about 18 males) With olympics coming up we will see some fine lady sailors out there. olewill
 
Why don't black, Arabic, Asian or far eastern people like sailing?

I taught for 7 years and went through hundreds or crews...in all that time I never saw any Arabic, Asian or far eastern people on a boat and only one black chap who was very good.

I'll let you ponder that thought?
 
Having seen 800+ long distance cruising boats they all had a male/female crew. Jane always helmed, when we weren't using the windvane, including docking and picking up buoys. We took turns on 4 hour watches and updated the log every hour. My main jobs were sail handling/reefing, anchor up and down and jumping ashore to stop the boat and tie up, maintenance and repairs, everything except electronics breaks. After getting the sail covers and awnings on we got the drinks out, it didn't matter what time of day or night it was.
 
PabloPicasso said:
Why don't women like sailing?
Or, how can we encourage more women to crew, skipper, and own sailing boats?
Is there any need to do this?
Click to expand...

I think one of the biggest issues is endemic sexism in the sailing world, which is still very much built around the idea of jolly good cheps (sic) in blazers and greys at the yacht club bar. It isn't that long since Yachting Monthly boat reviews would contain something like "For the women, the galley is well laid out and food storage is ample..." Luckily we don't see that any more ... but when was the last time you saw a woman in on of Dick Everitt's "Skipper's Notebook" drawings, rather than a lantern jawed chap in beard, sunglasses and baseball cap? Did Mike Peyton every draw a woman skipper, or indeed a woman who appeared to enjoy sailing? Why do all new boat adverts show Giles, in linen shorts and white shirt, steering while the woman gazes adoringly at him or reclines implausibly on the foredeck. Notice anything about that long row of contributor pictures under PBO's "Ask the Expert"?

In short, I don't any woman browsing YM or PBO would feel that she was particularly welcome. I imagine that it's even worse for BME people - has there ever been a non-white person featured in either magazine?
 
Like others I think the key point is that for most couples it's the man who instigated the interest in owning and sailing a boat. I know of one female friend who had never sailed before last year but bought a boat anyway and spent 4 months on it learning as much as she could and is loving it.

My own personal experience is a girlfriend, now wife, who was interested in the travelling and holiday home aspects of a boat as much as the sailing. She quickly got rid of the silly habits that made sailing less comfortable, so we got fresh not tinned food, duvets not sleeping bags etc etc even in a flush decked 24 footer. And then over the years moved up to more comfortable boats which friends can stay on too, as the social aspect is also a pull for her. I don't think I can over-emphasise the importance of a boat to her as a place to invite non-sailing people for fun, not for adventure.
But on the technical side, it's passage planning and navigating which she took over first from me, and recently has done far more berthing than me, although still hands it back occasionally when all other options have been exhausted to avoid an impact.
I think the British attitude to sailing puts far too much emphasis on safety and hardiness instead of comfort and socialising on board, and that puts a lot of people, male and female, off.

Instead of all the gear developed over the last 30 years making people more relaxed, it seems to have given people an excuse to become even more risk averse and anxious. I can't imagine needing a GPS or AIS or a working VHF to cross the channel even at the Western end but with them almost all the anxiety should be removed helping the atmosphere on board for couples and their friends.
 
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