Took me some time. Had been away from sailing for a while when I met the woman who was to be my bride. We were married 5 years when i revealed my sailing addiction. She reluctantly played along and enjoyed dinghy sailing in warm tropical places. Despite once catapulting her of the bow of a laser after running into a coral bombie she endured sailing lessons (not from me, I'm not that stupid) on a Catalina 36 that we sailed out of Pier 39 in SF. I thought that after seeing her dock that beast in a wicked cross current we were all set.
Perhaps it was the tradewind sailing in Hawaii when she was 4 months pregnant that did it or she just wanted to have Sundays to herself? She let me down in that gentle way women do, "I don't really like the tipping" that I interpreted as direction to start sailing a trimaran. Turns out the tipping wasn't it, rather the whole sailing thing.
Oh, she also made the observation that sailing was kind of like caravanning in a very slow van that could only go to some places. We came to a workable solution that allowed me to sail not as much as I would like but enough to not be a problem. Fast forward enough time for two daughters to grow up sailing anything that comes their way and the current lockdown in Vic has her thinking that even caravanning might be better than being locked at home, she may finally be ready to drink that coolaide.
So, how long did it take you?
When she admitted to me that she wasn't comfortable in any body of water larger than a swimming pool, even on our 41'er 
Single now, but still sailing (albeit a smaller yacht), and the kids love it. Yay 
Select to expand quoteAzure305 said..
When she admitted to me that she wasn't comfortable in any body of water larger than a swimming pool, even on our 41'er
Single now, but still sailing (albeit a smaller yacht), and the kids love it. Yay
Select to expand quoteSV Wavesong said..
Nice story.
Mine was cut and dried. I left him for the boat.
Love it!
My story isnt mine but of my parents that i am told every once in a while.
My father at 23 used to go over to North Stradbroke to help build houses. Anyway he took his then Girlfriend now wife ( and my mum) over to straddy from manly on a typical beautiful summers day in SE queensland on my Grandfather (his dads) yacht. After putting in a good day building Dad's mates started with a few jokes about going home to hit the Pub. Dad never being one to back down from a bet decided that they would cart everyone back to manly. By now it was blowing a good 25-30 knots Northly as it does in summer on Moreton Bay.
Dad, Mum and the 5 mates left the one mile for home and got battered the whole way. Mum was apparently scared **less and seasick. The little 30ft er was "Throwing a few over" as Dad says. As they pulled into manly Dad was given an "Ear belting" and Mum refused ever to go sailing again.
A year later dad convinced her that buying their own boat was a good idea. To this day she refuses to go sailing in more than 10 knots.
Another Moreton Bay story, circa 1977. Shorncliffe to Tangalooma 30, gusting 40 SE. Why am I still in a relationship with sailing???
I'm 10, Hood 20, first sailboat after my parents being previously, very active in powerboats and fishing in the Bay and beyond.
Mum and I, huddled below. Mum saying, "Vernon. It's very rough out there. Should we turn back?"
Vernon: "No Joanie. The closer we get to Moreton, the better it will be".
Onward, onward. We made it in the end, Dad suffering mild hypothermia by the time we anchored. A tot of rum, no prob.
Mum followed him right through until her death in 92 through the rigours of emphysema, cancer, fish hooks in her arse, and stuff I simply can't share here.
Really, if you want to be there, you will be. If you don't, you won't. It's ultimately a very personal choice.
Just invite girls onto your boat. The ones who like you and your boat are the ones you marry. As Eric Hiscock said "When you find the perfect crew marry her". With mine I have lived on board for 5 years, built four boats, done 6 reef cruises, cruised to Tassie, and won state championships in dinghies. Many women love adventure, testing themselves and nature. Don't perpetuate sexist stereotypes that women aren't sailors, ask Lin Pardey or my friend Annette who raced to Japan or any of a swag of women cruisers. I walked the Larapinta trail and saw mostly women doing the reasonably taxing 10 day hike. It is much the same with all the bushwalking I do. My daughter in law just snow shoed hundreds of kms in the Snowys and is camping there again with my son. If you meet a girl in a pub, chances are she won't like adventure. If you meet her surfing, or hiking, or on a boat, chances are she will. Just be true to yourself and meet people doing what you love. And don't yell, ever.
