Mixed Marriage

[Greg Ross]

2nd Time Around

I met my (now) Wife about 8 years ago and had a Cape Dory Weekender at that time.. We met in the fall of the year and she never had the opportunity to get aboard that boat that year. I took her to the BVI on Charter the following Spring and made a concerted effort not to spook her. She had grown up a non-sailor with "motion sickness" issues but seems to have no problem with a sailboats' motion, thankfully.
We daysailed the CD 19 the next Summer and she seemed to get quite comfortable, including tiller time. Another Winter and another Charter in the BVI lead into a great Summer. She took an "adult learn to Sail" program that year and I was super pleased to see her docking a 30' boat. We did a weeks' trip on the little boat that Summer and I think that was the apex of the inverted curve!
Since acquiring the Indepencence 31 she's gotten to be a pretty good sailor, takes an interest in navigation, has completed the Power Squdron Cruising Course and now has a VHF License.
Several years ago I posted a write-up here about our Honeymoon Cruise and first outing on the I 31 that could have been a disaster. Ended up she saved the boat!
Past Summer we went cruising for a couple of weeks in the Bras D'Or Lakes of Cape Breton, NS. Logged quite a few miles including several rough passages and are getting pretty good together!
Almost like I planned it?

 

[u079721]

I stopped by a winter boat show here in the Twin Cities and listened to a talk by a retired US Navy Commander and sailing-cruising wife on getting women involved in boating. She has written a book on the topic called "It's Your Boat Too."

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Your-Boat...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234970982&sr=8-1


I haven't read the book, but the talk was quite entertaining, so I expect the book would be well worth while. In particular she deals with the problem of women who are scared of boating, don't enjoy it, or don't feel involved.

In my case this was never an issue, as my wife was always more involved with boating than I was. It was even her idea to buy our Ericson 38. In the 10 seasons we sailed the boat together she never let me drive or dock the boat - I was just the deck hand, navigator, and maintenance engineer.

 

[Randy Rutledge]

I traded up

My former wife loves powerboats but never liked sailing, she spent two nights onboard the sailboat in nine years. The solution was simple (not for sailing reasons) I got a divorce and found a woman that is great crew above and below deck.

It is tough being married to someone that has no interest in your passions. There was no way to sway her to sail. Now having a girlfriend that loves the boat as much as I do and that will work hard to sail and maintain the boat and the Sailing club’s clubhouse.

Good luck on converting her. If you can’t get her to sail don’t loose focus on why you married her and don’t let her loose that focus. Spend quality time with her when not sailing and if there is real love you can make it work but might have to sail with the guys instead of your lady.