Women and the 35 foot problem

[Rustyknight]

Why are so many wives/women reluctant sailors?

I came across one possible answer a few years ago, though had to Google to find a relevant quote....

Research has found that women are more susceptible to the symptoms of motion sickness than men, particularly the nausea. In fact, women report symptoms of nausea up to four times as frequently as men, whatever the cause.

I understand that with sailing especially, the heeling of the boat can make things worse.

Might be a load of **** mind, but......

 

[Koeketiene]

Men dutifully take their wives along and getting them to focus on such important matters as sailing performance, ease of handling, cost of marina berths, shallow draft and all round external beauty when what really matters to most reluctant women sailors is the interior space, the separate sleeping accommodation, easy wipe down surfaces, impractical pale blue velour upholstery, separate showers, double sinks and four gas rings - four gas rings - B'nora!.

Neither side wished to compromise: I wanted performance and seaworthiness, she wanted comfort and room down below.
Result: we ended up with a boat waaayyyy over 35'.

Five years, and one refit later, both of us are delighted with our 'lack of compromise'.

 

[pyrojames]

Neither side wished to compromise: I wanted performance and seaworthiness, she wanted comfort and room down below.
Result: we ended up with a boat waaayyyy over 35'.

Five years, and one refit later, both of us are delighted with our 'lack of compromise'.

Likewise. Bigger heavier and more stable. Faster passages and more relaxing on arrival. I anchor more and use the dinghy more. The compromise is I have to do more work on her over the winter and keep her on a swing mooring to keep costs down. And, I still single hand when/if I need to, jusy more planning and care, and careful marina selection.

 

[mikehibb]

When I first met SWMBO, she knew that one day I would have a boat.

She had understood this all our married life, 12 years later I was in a position to buy, and it was actualy her that said that it had aways been my dream to have my own boat so go for it. I was looking at a 30fter, but we managed to stretch to a 33fter. Her words "If you have any intention of getting me interested and involved, then we need one with a wheel like a car, not that what do they call it thing that steers "( tiller she meant)

Note, at this stage she had never ever been sailing in her life you might have guessed by the accurate descriptions of the turning devices.

Anyway, three seasons later, mortgage on house about to be paid of later this year (boat was outright purchase from my boat fund), and she is already suggesting that we think of going up a size or two in a couple of years time, 39fter or maybe 43, but definately no bigger.
(oh and not new, we bought a 2001 boat, looking to upgrade to a few feet longer and a few years younger).

What she loves best is the bit when she gets to pull the engine stop handle, she loves it when the engine stops and we are under sail.

Think I need to treat her well (SWMBO that is) do not find many like her.

 

[Poignard]

I don't mind sailing alone but it's not much fun going ashore on your own and eating solitary meals or sightseeing alone.

Perhaps we ought to have single-hander rallies so we can sail on our own to some pleasant destination and then go ashore for a communal meal and booze-up?

 

[dylanwinter]

the snoring problem solved

I don't mind sailing alone but it's not much fun going ashore on your own and eating solitary meals or sightseeing alone.

Perhaps we ought to have single-hander rallies so we can sail on our own to some pleasant destination and then go ashore for a communal meal and booze-up?

the advantage of this is that you don't have to sleep with your drinking companions - there are few thiings worse than trying to sleep on a boat with a bloke who snores. Thats where woemn are so good on boats - they sleep quietly.

I did think that my next boat would be a cat so that my snoring firneds could sleep in the other hull - but I am told this does not work.

Dylan

 

[Koeketiene]

there are few thiings worse than trying to sleep on a boat with a bloke who snores.

Not if you're doing the snoring

I've been told I snore after a few, and it doesn't bother me one bit

 

[sailorman]

the advantage of this is that you don't have to sleep with your drinking companions - there are few thiings worse than trying to sleep on a boat with a bloke who snores. Thats where woemn are so good on boats - they sleep quietly.

I did think that my next boat would be a cat so that my snoring firneds could sleep in the other hull - but I am told this does not work.

Dylan

Thats where woemn are so good on boats - they sleep quietly.

the one on my boat doesnt

 

[FullCircle]

the advantage of this is that you don't have to sleep with your drinking companions - there are few thiings worse than trying to sleep on a boat with a bloke who snores. Thats where woemn are so good on boats - they sleep quietly.

I did think that my next boat would be a cat so that my snoring firneds could sleep in the other hull - but I am told this does not work.

Dylan

Mrs FC and I are world class snorers, and love each other for it.

 

[pvb]

I'm repeatedly assured that Mrs pvb doesn't snore, but still have difficulty believing it.

 

[Lakesailor]

Snoring is all in the mind.

 

[dylanwinter]

how long does a boat need to be

so that your snoring friend can be at one end and you can be at the other and his noise does not disturb you

I assume it has tio be at least 50 feet

I once spent a week sleeping in the back cabin of a big westerly with a man who snored

We were heading for the Channel islands

I have done some pretty tough things - but that one week was pretty tough

I really, really wamted to jump ship at Dartmouth.

Never again.

 

[prv]

there are few thiings worse than trying to sleep on a boat with a bloke who snores.

Try seven large blokes who all snore. I got up for a pee and found the hull was literally trembling with it. The noise was astounding.

Went back to my bunk, put my earplugs in, and went back to sleep (no doubt adding my own auditory contribution). No problem at all. But going sailing with untried (or known-noisy) cabin-mates and no earplugs is just foolish.

KS has a small bag of them on board, just in case.

Pete

 

[Ubergeekian]

so that your snoring friend can be at one end and you can be at the other and his noise does not disturb you

I assume it has tio be at least 50 feet

A friend of mine came down to Milford Haven in the spring for an abortive attempt to sail Jumblie up to Scotland. Bl**dy gales. He warned me he snored, but I wasn't too worried as I assumed we'd be alternating on night watches at sea.

In the marina, though, it was ... indescribable. I made it through one night, but for the next two I opted to sleep in my car in the car park instead. That was around 100m away from the boat ... I could still hear him there. I am jolly glad the boat has encapsulated lead ballast, as I reckon he could snore keel bolts loose.

 

[dt4134]

Mating Call of the Blue Whale

I've a mate who can imitate the mating call of a blue whale in his sleep. I wind him up by saying that it is the mating call of a female blue whale and one day he is really going to get his comeuppance, but in the middle of the night that doesn't help too much.

Putting him in the other aft cabin with the so-called sound-insulated double bulkhead didn't work. So far bunging him in the forecabin has worked in that the noise is bearable most of the time.

On the subject of snoring, I think the best quote is the one from John Buchan when he describes sharing a log cabin with a mountain guide which goes along the lines of "if he doesn't stop snoring perhaps I could strangle him, he's probably insured."

 

[Trop Cher]

Aye, every man knows that women either snore nor fart...aye right!

 

[oldharry]

Snoring is all in the mind.

Mrs O-H says you can come and crew for me if you believe that! Preferably in a 17footer.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I love it when Jill comes sailing with me - but she will only go on the boat when the weather forecast is perfect - as for winter sailing

she thinks I am barking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbMpODjvomo

Dylan

Apparently good women who enjoy sailing in all weathers at any time of the year have now been hunted to extinction in the U.K

 

[KristiferColumbus]

I can't believe that there are no wimen out there happy to share the experience to be had in smaller boats than 35' unless they are all a very bland superficial lot......

 

[andymcp]

Apparently good women who enjoy sailing in all weathers at any time of the year have now been hunted to extinction in the U.K

Does this mean I need to put Mrs McP on the endangered species list? Around the Mull of Kintyre, in the dark, in fog, against the tide, 20+ knots of wind against tide too, she was happy as a pig in the proverbial even when it came time to venture to the mast to slap a reef in....

Her essential criteria in the run-up to the boat were:

i) Fast
ii) Enough space that the family of 5 could exist below without falling over each other when inevitably we ended up stormbound in some harbour on the summer holiday.
iii) Simple rig
iv) Pretty

There were other things, like confidence in the build, easy to handle under power (after terrible experiences in some Bens we chartered), small enough we could afford marina fees till the kids were a bit more grown up.

Having searched around, we figured 30-ish feet was the starting point, and 33ft was where we ended up.