Your Better Half . . . In or Out ?

[Bash]

My better half spent a couple hours in a transom locker this afternoon, soundproofing a furnace pump in a space where her 1.9 meter husband wouldn't fit. You don't get much more "in" than that.

(We'd both like to know, incidentally, why Webasto can't come up with a non-thumpy fuel pump for a diesel furnace.)

[bobfnbw]

My wife is in...
We have not sailed any since purchasing Sarah Claire last year but she is all for us retiring on board and going places. Once in a while she helps out on board, but I do the majority of work, as it should be as its my dream.
She is a good sailor once her confidence in the boat is there.

[DennisNAlison]

My wife has grown up near and was often in the ocean. She took up surfing with me, then sea kayaking, and now is trying to learn with me to master our little day sailor.

We want to see the world and cruising is the best way we can see as much as possible within our budget. She is brave, loving, and totally on board.

[Winter River]

He's in. I'm in. We have the boat. Pre-teen is in. Now if only we could convince the teen...

[Dreaming Yachtsman]

She is definitely "in". Shortly after we first met I told her about me dream of giving custom charter cruises on a 65 foot yacht in the Caribbean. She worked 2 jobs for many years to finance the dream and was primarily responsible for buying both boats we have owned. Last winter after a series of less than fun events, I was ready to sell the boat and move back ashore. She kept me going and I am now eager to get back to the boat and get going again.

[cat man do]

In

First date 20 years ago was antifouling a boat
Second date was sailing that boat
She financed the first 2 mono's we had,
Financed the first cat
Helped considerably with the build and finance of the second cat
Let me stop real work so as to play boats for the last 10 years
Sailed it to New Cal with me and did many thousands of miles up and down the QLD coast
Has done a Vanuatu delivery with me
And now, is helping build and finance the new 50 footer.
When done, full time cruising up towards Asian waters

Every Xmas and birthday present since I met her has been a drum of epoxy, roll of glass, shiny winches etc etc

Definitely in

[HHNTR111]

She is IN. We met sailing, happily married for 27 years, she does everything on the boat, except diesel, bilge, or head stuff, OK with me, and we're getting close to heading south in the winters.

[windships]

My wife had never sailed, and was always worried about the "thing tipping over". I was a driven man........The retirement plans meant a deep water sailboat. I was repeatedly asked the most obvious question.."What if she doesn't take to it like a duck to water?" - I 'll need a new duck.

So the plan was developed.... Introduce her to sailing casually, gently and NOT say a word. Friends have a 48 foot ketch. First day out, jib and mizzen only. 4 knots, smooth as silk. All instruction from my friends wife.....Back at the marina, a light meal and chilled wine.

Next week, all the sails up, and just a little more wind... A bit of spray on deck, no close hauled....

Then she signed up for a 5 day crew competence course with her girl friend. (Note, still ZERO instruction from me ).

She LOVED it!, water over the toe rail, working the winches, hair all over the place, sunburnt and totally hooked! She came back exhausted, bruised and battle damaged, and can't wait to get out there again.

Marriage saved!!! Retire plans have the GREEN light. Smartest thing I ever did was to keep my BIG mouth shut.

She has signed up for the Coastal Skippers course.

Happy days. Definetly IN!! (Oh, and apparently, I'm pretty smart by buying the boat she loves.)

[Stillraining]

Your a Genius Windships... A lot of us should be so smart.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by Reluctantsailor

I am trying to be in....we took sailing lessons and now are taking a boating/navigation course, I am signed up for the VHF course and we have two sailboats a 22 Tanzer we sail here in the summer and a 28.5 Hunter we are going to use for winter cruising in warmer climate. We plan to sail the Hunter down the East Coast to Chesapeake then eventually down the ICW over the next few winters (we are in no rush). It is my husband's dream to sail and I believe everyone should get to live their dreams. I have always lived mine and it is not fair to deny him his but I am a nervous sailor, terrified of hitting bad weather or of him going overboard and me not being able to get him back on board. We have bought all kinds of safety equipment and practiced man overboard a hundred times to help me feel better. He promises we will never head out if the weather looks bad (that is the great thing about having no schedule or specific timeline). I am getting more confident and I desperately want to be IN to sailing because I know it is so important to him. I just keep hoping that ones we are underway and living on board for months at a time I will get into the spirit of things...that is possible right? One question... when we are out for the day here in the Atlantic sometimes I find it really really boring even when I am the one on the tiller... any suggestions on how to conquer that?

What a lucky man your husband is. As far as being bored sailing I just can't imagine that. The water, wind adjusting sails there is never a time when I am bored. My kids though they get bored so the get in a bosun's chairs and swing around on the halyards.

[Quads]

I tell / ask her quite often: I'm going sailing, are you coming?"
Sometimes she's in, other times she's 'out'.

As far as picking up and moving life aboard; not in the current forecast simply do to the logistics of kids, business, family, etc.

[blueayes]

I am lucky! She is in! Here the admiral is cleaning the water pump filter. I was unable to fit through the access between the engine and below that door. Ok I may have gotten through, but she was willing.

[capcook]

Originally Posted by windships

.."What if she doesn't take to it like a duck to water?" - I 'll need a new duck.

Ha, I can relate.... I am going to try it your way... hope I get the same results but at this point the jury is still out...

Cheers

[DarkBlue]

Some of you may know that last year I was infected by this sailing virus and started sailing again after some 11 or 12 years away from it.

Now, my wife and my daughters have never sailed and I was trying hard to get them also involved in this passion of mine. So here comes this Boat Show and I, full of good intentions, convinced them to come with me and visit some of the boats at the exhibition.

We visited two or three boats and then a friend of mine (actually my sailing instructor) who's at the show representing one of the big names in the industry invites us to visit a great sailing boat.

So, I'm talking with my friend/sailing instructor, my daughters all happy inside the boat and saying "this will be our berth and this will be daddy and mommy's berth" when all of a suddenly my wife interrupts with a..."I'm sorry but I need to leave the boat...I'm feeling really seasick!"

Mind you, we were in a boat at dry land!!!!

So is she in or is she out?

[BessLB]

I'm IN!! or, HE's IN! I actually emailed him one day at work and said, maybe we should get one of THESE! He didn't ask if I was serious or not, he just went for it! 5 months in, we love our little trawler. I can fit on the side of the perkins he can't, and I can get my arm under the engine to change the diapers. yup...I'm IN. We'll be weekend and vacation coastal cruisers for a few years till we can cast off longer term...but someday, we'll see you in the Islands! Been to many of them from the airport, can't wait to cruise up to them and stay a while!