The Admiral Loves the Beneteau 45f5

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by mintyspilot

How come you're still posting? I thought you were swimming the Atlantic equipped only with a didjeridoo and 6 pack of "Amber nectar" whilst towing SeaLife with a rope held between your teeth?

I am. I just jumped back on board because I am a little tired. I just had to wrestle with a sea serpent. Quite large. And green. And scaley.

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I am. I just jumped back on board because I am a little tired. I just had to wrestle with a sea serpent. Quite large. And green. And scaley.

What a wuss....... one little sea-serpent.....

This missus says I am allowed to pick the boat....as long as she approves of my choice. My signature can go on the cheque as long as she gets to fill in the amounts.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by mintyspilot

Here it comes...... sit down and take a deep breath folks........ so I'll be looking at Beneteaus, Hunter Legends, Catalinas, Jeanneaus and (perhaps??) Bavarias.

There now - that wasn't so bad. Was it?

Be careful, you might actually fall in love with one of those boats.

When we bought our first liveaboard boat, I thought I had made the mental transition from racer to cruiser, but I really hadn't. I wanted to buy a used Swan 40. This boat had at least a dozen winches, two spinnaker poles, and a garage full of sails. Wonderblond barely made it to the bottom of the companionway before she vetoed the deal. It was too dark, too smelly, too much of a guy boat.

Quite by accident, she went below on a 41-foot Hunter and said, "I could live on something like this." We bought that boat, lived on it for eight years, and loved it so much we ultimately traded it in on a 46-foot Hunter.

The most shocking thing about our original Hunter is that we sold it for the price we'd paid for it. Yes. After eight years living aboard, and after having logged 10,000 nm on the keel. Sure, we'd put a lot of additional money into the boat, upgrading cushions, plumbing, electronics, et cetera. And although we didn't get the money for the extras back, we basically learned the art of living aboard on that boat without paying an arm and a leg to do so.

The first thing you've got to learn to do is stop listening to the naysayers. When they tell you that your boat is nothing more than a floating condominium, you will know in your heart of hearts that your boat is far nicer than any condominium you've ever seen. When some fellow in a tiny, 30 year old, gas-powered Pearson Triton objects that some boat salesguy suggested your boat wasn't a true "bluewater" boat, you'll just smile and know that with twice his waterline and three times his freeboard, you're not even going to feel the chop that slams him with greenwater and stops him dead in the water.

When we first bought our H46LE, we entered her in the Beer Can races at our former yacht club just to see how she performed in a fleet that turned out every Wednesday with 25-30 boats. Of the five races we entered, we won three. Back in the club after one of those races, a buddy of mine claimed that I kept winning because I only brought the boat out when the wind was howling and the chop was too steep for the smaller boats to handle. I replied, "Oh. Was there chop tonight? We didn't notice it."

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by Bash

Be careful, you might actually fall in love with one of those boats.

I've nothing against any of them. Being in the UK I fancy a bilge keeled boat and the Legends would do me very nicely. At the boat show, SWMBO loved the Beneteau and the Hunter less so. She hated the Island Packet and sneered at the X-Boats. The Hanses, H-Rs, Dehlers and Najads were not SWMBO-approved either.

Originally Posted by Bash

When we first bought our H46LE, we entered her in the Beer Can races at our former yacht club just to see how she performed in a fleet that turned out every Wednesday with 25-30 boats. Of the five races we entered, we won three. Back in the club after one of those races, a buddy of mine claimed that I kept winning because I only brought the boat out when the wind was howling and the chop was too steep for the smaller boats to handle. I replied, "Oh. Was there chop tonight? We didn't notice it."

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Bash

Quite by accident, she went below on a 41-foot Hunter and said, "I could live on something like this." We bought that boat, lived on it for eight years, and loved it so much we ultimately traded it in on a 46-foot Hunter.

The most shocking thing about our original Hunter is that we sold it for the price we'd paid for it.

This post should be referenced whenever Hunters (or similar boats) get dissed.

[capt_douglas]

If the Admiral isn't happy, no one's happy.

Now you know the style, size, and layout she seems to prefer; and that is a big step in getting her to sail with you.

[savoir]

Before buying anything check out the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey series. There are several models that might suit and there are plenty that have never been chartered.

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by capt_douglas

If the Admiral isn't happy, no one's happy.

Now you know the style, size, and layout she seems to prefer; and that is a big step in getting her to sail with you.

I've often thought that women should be more appreciative of boats. When SWMBO was last in "furniture re-arranging mode" I suggested to her that if we lived on a boat she could move the whole "house" around to get a better view.

For some reason this brilliant idea was greeted with a stony silence.... can't think why....

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by mintyspilot

For some reason this brilliant idea was greeted with a stony silence.... can't think why....

I don't suppose I am well qualified to give you relationship advice, being single. However I will

I think she realised you were being dismissive of her rearranging the furniture.

The interesting thing re sailing is why rearranging the furniture is important.

Its her showing ownership of the house (or that room); marking her territory; making it more comfortable for her mate (!) so she can mate; and to make the house more safe as a nest.

Women can not as easily 'mark' a boat. She can't move the saloon, the cushions, the beds, the mast, the cockpit. Nothing! Not only that her smelly brute is having fun marking his territory: His sails; His tools spread out; his dirty diesel gerries getting the best storage space on the whole boat. to make it worse she sees a wardrobe and thinks she can hang her pretty cocktail dress there but it needs to be for 2 sets of foul weather gear! Her cosmetics can go here? NO that space is for the EPIRB. WTF's an Epirb? Here? No HF Radio and INVERTER. All boy crap and all crap she has never heard of!!! The only thing she can understand is a Grab Bag.... must be sort of like a shopping bag for quick trips

Finally to piss her right off the wedding photos can't be stuck on the wall because it aint no wall its a bloody bulkhead!

So to give her a fair chance to enjoy a new unsafer life you may need to be very careful psychologically and let her make decisions on colour, fabrics, bulkhead decorations, storage etc without making her think she just got turned into the galley slave by kissing a toad.

How you can let her psychologically move the furniture may well be the way to a happier relationsip at sea. And if it doesnt work, piss the bitch off and come and drink beer with me


Mark

[Efraim]

She loves a Beneteau! Be thankful, I think I've finally convinced the admiral that an engine wouldn't be a bad idea. Her father's 45ft schooner didn't have an engine so she see no reason why we should have one, the things we do for love. Take the Beneteau and enjoy it, before she changes her mind.

[pressuredrop]

problem: the admiral loves a beneteau
solution: find new admiral

[savoir]

Why can't women mark a boat the way dogs do ? So much more sensible.

OK the first day can be a little off, but after that everything is fine.

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by savoir

Why can't women mark a boat the way dogs do ? So much more sensible.

Hmm.. too smelly...

Originally Posted by pressuredrop

problem: the admiral loves a beneteau
solution: find new admiral

She'd never allow me to do that... Actually I've no objection to Beneteaus. I've only been on them at a boat show and I thought it was a very, very nice boat. My opinions of them had always been coloured by what others had said and so I did not expect much, but the Beneteaus and the Jeanneaus where very, very nice. Well designed and comfortable.

Originally Posted by Efraim

She loves a Beneteau! Be thankful,.....Take the Beneteau and enjoy it, before she changes her mind.

There's a few years yet. Actually, there are a range of older boats in the UK called "Colvic" and they seem very impressive. The interior layouts and use of space are quite impressive, so Colvics are on the list as well.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I don't suppose I am well qualified to give you relationship advice, being single. However I will

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I think she realised you were being dismissive of her rearranging the furniture.

No - she DIRECTS and I do the MOVING. Nature did not provide her with sufficient muscle. It's ok for bling, but the sofa and cabinets resist her every effort.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

The interesting thing re sailing is why rearranging the furniture is important....Its her showing ownership of the house (or that room); marking her territory;

No problem. I was going to name the boat after the cat but I can paint SWMBO's name on the stern instead. It has the dual advantage that she'll know which boat is hers and we will not have a repeat of the car-park incident from a few years ago... at least those people were gracious about the whole thing...

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Women can not as easily 'mark' a boat.

You haven't met my wife. She can mark anything. Her ability to break stuff is unmatched. Flimsy construction is NOT repeat NOT an option.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

..... without making her think she just got turned into the galley slave by kissing a toad.

Early in our marriage, she took on the wifely role and cooked. After a week, to preserve what remained of my digestive tract, I cooked. It has stayed that way for 20 years. Even the kids refuse to eat her cooking.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

And if it doesnt work, piss the bitch off and come and drink beer with me

OK matey - sail north for a couple of thousand miles, up the Irish Sea and dock in Liverpool and I'll see you there and I'll bring the beer and curry. BTW, the temperature is in single figures here so wear both your pairs of shorts.

[capt_douglas]

Originally Posted by mintyspilot

I've often thought that women should be more appreciative of boats. When SWMBO was last in "furniture re-arranging mode" I suggested to her that if we lived on a boat she could move the whole "house" around to get a better view.

For some reason this brilliant idea was greeted with a stony silence.... can't think why....

As one-half of a former couple, I learned that there were times when saying anything gets you in trouble - and saying nothing gets you in trouble.

So, how much did that comeback cost ya?

[lawdawg]

I'm with the majority here, I think it is fabulous that she has found something she likes and couldn't agree more with Mark about letting her design/decorate it however she wants
We looked at a couple of different kinds of boats from Hunter, Catalina, Beneteau, IPs, Endeavors, etc., all to get a feel for different types, and then walked on a Sabre 42 and that is the one she loved.... which made me very happy
It is interesting what women pick up on, one of the things that she really liked about that particular Sabre, which I haven't seen on many boats, is that there is a hand rail on both sides going down from the cockpit and it made her feel really comfortable as she thought about rough seas, she also just liked the layout. The day after we started talking about the trip, before the search really began, she had already ordered 3 books about cooking on a sailboat and provisioning. After looking at the Sabre I saw that she had printed out the pics and was already thinking of what colors she'd like the cushions to be redone in and she had gone online and picked out some little pillows she thought were 'pretty' with nautical themes. You know what....I know she will do a better job of making it look nice inside than I could ever do and more importantly I really don't care what she chooses, all I care about is that she has the chance to feel a sense of ownership and I know how important it is that, like me, she loves the boat and everytime she sees it she thinks, 'Wow, isn't she a beauty'. Best of luck with the search, it is frustrating at times, but oh so much fun as well. We go on Tuesday for the survey and sea trial, so we are both getting pretty excited!
Best wishes!
Drew