Did anyone else have a rough season?

[Ross]

Following Kathy's lead, Just talking about

what needs to be done with every operation on the boat and how it works and how it turns out is a good plan. For many of us, if our wives said, " go roast a chicken!" Could we do it competently without consulting a cookbook? If not there is no reason to presume that just because she can sit on a boat she will understand how it works any more than just because we eat we understand cooking.

 

[Rick]

Does anybody really like sailing?

I'm in the middle of a world circumnavigation & I & most of my fellow cruisers will tell you... sailing sucks. What's to like about it? We go to sea for days (not to mention the interminable nights) just sitting in the rain & the cold waiting to get somewhere where we can finally get some sleep. On the other hand, we LOVE anchoring! Being in an exotic new port or, even better yet, some un-heard of out-island makes up for all the pain & keeps us going.Maybe you should take your wives someplace worth going. Or get another wife.Women... You can't live with 'em, and you can't kill 'em - Al Bundy

 

[letterman]

hmmmmm

Its kind of like you are going to Key West with my daughter. I took a tent, camping stuff, etc. and we stayed at a different motel every night instead. She asked, at the end of the week as she cleaned out the van "What did you bring all this stuff for?"Different strokes for different folks. Sailing can be a vacation unto itself for a guy. For a women, its a 2 hour break between shopping and getting her nails done. Besides, you can drive at 70 miles per hour and see a lot. Advice - sailing is your thing...do something that is hers next time or the marriage may not last.

 

[Ross]

At 70 MPH you don't see anything in detail !!

Women are not neatly as shallow as you suggest.

 

[MoonSailer]

Rick a dumb question!!!!!!

Why would anyone own a sailboat unless they like sailing????? You can pretty much fly anywhwere in the world!!!! If you want to go someplace sailing is possibly the worst way to travel short of crawling on your belly or swimming. If I want to go to Cozumel I can jump on a jet and be there in a few hours. No one in their right mind would choose sailing as the best way to get to Cozumel unless they love to sail. Simce you can fly anywhere in the world in less than 24 hours or so why would you spend a month crossing the atlantic????? Love of sailing is why we own a sailboat. If we loved to anchor we'd buy a stinkpot...if we want to go someplace fly or drive. Again sailing as a means of transport is just plain stupid ...unless you love sailing....as I do. My Grandaughter has crossed the atlantic at least 10 times and she is only 4 years old. It is an absolute no brainer to get on a jet in europe and get off in atlanta a few hours later. Why would anyone who waned to get to South Africa spend over a month sailing there..unless they love to sail???

 

[John24107]

Amen!

Amen, Moonsailer! I sail because, as has often been said: Sailing is about the journey not the destination. Said another way: When you're sailing, you're already there.

 

[Stu Jackson]

One of the things that has always worked

with spouse or other friends aboard is to give them the wheel. Altogether too often the Captain gets to steer all the time. That's not really a helpful way to get more folks involved in the sailing. Only time I hog the wheel is when we're racing and the crew each has their own responsibilities and enjoy doing it. Handing over the wheel (or tiller) works almost all the time. Just recently had my son out, who doesn't really enjoy sailing (it's too slooooow...) but once he got the wheel he really enjoyed it - sailed through some heavy stuff, and he even brought her back into the slip for the first time and did a fine job.It's what you SHARE while you're on the boat that makes all the difference.

 

[biorapper]

I love sailing...

I've only been doing it for about three years now. Started on a hobie 16. Still LOVE that boat! I don't know how to exactly put it in words that would convey...but when I throw off that dock line I feel like i am pure, master and commander, explorer (in my mind anyhow), as soon as I glide away from the dock all the stresses of land stuff fade, and a grin, yeeehaaaw, or relaxed state surfaces depending on the conditions. Then you can anchor for free off a city or secluded cove...glass of wine with good food cooking at a virginal local...It's kinda like [for me] what the costa ricans call "pura vida". The newness of it has worn off a bit...my girl and I don't get as excited with the zeal of new passions, but we still love it, and I am still learning new things, be it geography, weather, tides and currents, navigation, history, natural critters (you see so much more detail at 3-7 mph). I am just starting to try and learn some advanced sail trim and tweak a little more speed outa her.

 

[CalebD]

I believe that women can pee more often then men

and peeing over the leeward side is not an option for most women so it follows that having a clean, working, non smelling head would be a higher priority than for most men. I personally hate that lingering holding tank smell though. I think that many folks have posted good ideas and one was to include her somehow in the equation of operating your boat. One idea is to let her take the helm with engine power only, away from obstacles and let her steer the boat with tiller/wheel to get a feel for what it is like (and bite your tongue and do not be critical at all). If she likes that enough have her try going into reverse and back into forward to see how the rudder reacts with the prop. Some people prefer motoring as the boat is almost always more level. If you happen to hit a really beautiful light wind day (<12) have the wife do the motoring exercise and then throw up some sails and have her do some beam reaching tacks while you man the jib sheets and main. I guess that I am fairly lucky in that my wife loves the water and swimming, has endured a basic keelboat course (never accredited), and still seems to enjoy sailing with me. She does not particularly like taking the helm or excessive heeling just yet but can pull on a sheet quite satisfactorily when needed. In fact, this summer on our 19' Lightning we had a couple of sails together and we had learned (together) to be a team when loading and unloading the sails and enjoyed some lovely sights ant times. Smaller boats can be more fun to learn on as they are much more responsive to the tiller. You could try renting a small mono hull for an hour or two on a trip to FL Keys, Bermuda or somewhere. Make sure to pack some food and perhaps wine for the young lady to enjoy. She could come around if you make it fun for her.Good luck.

 

[Ross]

On our boat most of the time I am the deck crew

and Nancy has the helm. She can steer as well as I and always takes us out of the slip(makes me put it back) always has the helm when we anchor and when we set sails. She is learning to ease the sheets if the wind gets too much. She knows that she needs some boat speed for a successful tack. Always selects the wine for the evening and cleans up the galley after I have cooked each meal. She sees to the food and spares on board. Makes sure of our supply of medications and clean clothes. For her sailing or motoring is just a means of getting some place pleasant to spend a day or two.She hates hot weather, loves sleeping in a cool to almost cold boat. Together we planned the interior of this boat. She has had input on almost every aspect of its design and finish.

 

[Rick]

Don't take my word for it...

Come out to any of the major long-distance cruising cross-roads and take a poll. Most long distance cruisers dislike the long hours and many miles they have to put in to get from point A to point B. Sounds like you agree with me when you say that sailing is one of the worst ways to get anywhere you can think of. I couldn't agree with you more about the concept that if you want to go to places where the airlines fly, it doesn't get any easier than that. Cruisers even have a saying "Nothing goes to windward like a 747". But, you cannot take an airplane everywhere in the world. Can you take an airplane to Fatu Hiva? Suvarov Atoll? Nell Island? I don't think so. No, the only way to see the things I want to see, sleep in something better than flea-bag 3rd world hotels (if avail at all), eat edible food & poop in a clean place is to bring my yacht with me. It's just getting there that sucks.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Quit a story John, but

Why is your season over? No heater?

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Quit a story John, but

Why is your season over? No heater?

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Quit a story John, but

Why is your season over? No heater?

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Quit a story John, but

Why is your season over? No heater?

 

[MoonSailer]

Fred do you Sail Year Round??

I have never been to the Pacific Northwest but just assumed that it is cold and wet. We had a medical student from Seattle who confirmed that it was cold and wet...she moved back there after a year or so. It also seems that most people north of the chesapeake haul out for the winter on the east coast.

 

[MoonSailer]

Fred do you Sail Year Round??

I have never been to the Pacific Northwest but just assumed that it is cold and wet. We had a medical student from Seattle who confirmed that it was cold and wet...she moved back there after a year or so. It also seems that most people north of the chesapeake haul out for the winter on the east coast.

 

[MoonSailer]

Fred do you Sail Year Round??

I have never been to the Pacific Northwest but just assumed that it is cold and wet. We had a medical student from Seattle who confirmed that it was cold and wet...she moved back there after a year or so. It also seems that most people north of the chesapeake haul out for the winter on the east coast.

 

[MoonSailer]

Fred do you Sail Year Round??

I have never been to the Pacific Northwest but just assumed that it is cold and wet. We had a medical student from Seattle who confirmed that it was cold and wet...she moved back there after a year or so. It also seems that most people north of the chesapeake haul out for the winter on the east coast.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Moon,

Hell NO! I used to, but I'm a fair weather sailor now. Cold is a relative term. Our waters never ice-up anymore. The bays used to ice up in the 70's. (I'm a big FAN of global warming) But still, it gets cold and cold rain is no fun.