Your Better Half . . . In or Out ?

[Stillraining]

I did this a year or two ago on another fourm and it was a big success.

The jest of it is.. rather your "Better Half" regardless if thats girl friend, boyfriend, Husband or wife...is "In or Out" with the idea or desire to make crusing a major part of their life. Pictures are not mandatory... but became over there a very cool addition and attraction to the thread as it puts faces to names and is a great reference later on to come back to when trying to remember who is who around here. So Please dont be bashful..post your story and pictures it really does become a lot of fun.


I will Start.

My wife is claustrophobic..not REALLY badly but enough where she gets "That Feeling" ....what ever the heck that is.

She was born and raised in Alaska..they had planes not boats... so it has taken me quite a few years of power boating, gradually getting her acclimated to being out on the water of any distance from shore.

She would rather be on deck then below as well for obvious reasons with her condition.

Soooo..finding the right Blow Boat that wasent caveish or repressive in her opinion took us a while...One day we were invited aboard a fellow marina tenants Irwin 53 we just happend to run into on the dock and were invited below...well that did it for her...She said "Ya..I could do this".. She did not have to say that twice..

Well we could not afford that particular model but found a 41 that was bright ,Arie and open enough where "that feeling" did not surface all that much..The rest is history and she has enjoyed what little sailing we have been able to get on the boat so far....The second sail was a little dicey due to the extreme weather but she is more then willing to keep at it.
She will also be the first to tell you Boating in general has become one of her favorite things to do or look forward to each year.

She is my sweetie and my love for life... and I am a lucky man to have her..

She may never want to or come to grips with crossing an ocean with me but is eager to fly and meet me and the boat anywhere in the world she says....Ill take that as being IN!..

[s/v 'Faith']

In,

I knew it one night after 3 years of trips and working on the boat. We had been underway for 5 months and were sailing in big seas south of Cat Island. The plan had been to make Conception.... and we had turned back 3 prior days.

I was planning to turn back, and she comes up with a 50 mile detour that would get us to our destination..... then I knew.....

On the return sailing across the Gulf Stream at 2am. I had to get some rest, and had been running off course to avoid running directly down wind in the sea state. I went below and got flat. I could hear her doing something, and when I poke my head out she was steering a good course, with a quartering sea... and singing a song. Then I was sure. But then again she is a pretty amazing person.

Here is a link to our last cruise.

[s/v 'Faith']

There are lots of the pictures you requested on that link.

[SkiprJohn]

Ariel is one of my favorite boats. Looks great
Regards,

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

My wife is claustrophobic..not REALLY badly but enough where she gets "That Feeling" ....what ever the heck that is.

She was born and raised in Alaska..they had planes not boats... so it has taken me quite a few years of power boating, gradually getting her acclimated to being out on the water of any distance from shore.

She would rather be on deck then below as well for obvious reasons with her condition.

Get a cat.

[rjrendemd]

That's a big IN good buddies. When I met her I owned an S2 36 foot sloop that I kept on an inland lake near St. Louis. She loved boats but didn't like the feeling of being below and heeling. No matter what I did she wanted a power boat. For the next 20 years we owned power boats that we kept either in an inland lake or on the gulf of Mexico. Every year or 2 I would charter a large monohull in the Caribbean and take several friends and regardless of how much fun we had she woujld always want a biger powerboat. After I retired we started looking for a live aboard power yacht when I had the good fortune of being asked by a friend to captain a large group in Tortola. The monohull was docked next to a 47 foot cat and she took a tour. She was hooked! Shortly thereafter we bought a Leopard 46 and sailed it from Florida to Puerto Rico where we spent quite some time before moving it to St. Thomas. We sold it a year ago and have been looking for a replacement ever since. She loves living on the cat. She calls it her condo on the water and would never leave if we didn't have to come home to visit the kids.

[Rising Star]

My better half loves to sail. Sometimes I have the impression I'm only along to make repairs and hoist the anchor ;-).

In the picture to the left - that was a 5 hour sail. I only had the helm for 5 minutes during picture taking.

[Stillraining]

Get a Cat? .....Na! she wont go for it, shes a dog person...

OK great start..

But 56 views and only 5 posts? ..

Come on we can do better then that...And Pictures people pictures..or it didnt happen.

VA Boy repost your wifes intro here its a great one!

That goes for anyone who feels they have already told there story already...where is it now? buried in some greeting thread long dead now...Lots of us here havent herad it nor know where to find it.. so here is a place to share it again...I want to know it.

Hoist the anchor...Reef in the main.. pointy end away from dock.....come on out the waters fine....Go for it !

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

There are lots of the pictures you requested on that link.

I was going to take the liberty of posting one of them here but it says your gallery is down temporarily..

So is that what you call a Blog?...I have never been to a Blog that I know of.

[David M]

I am in. She is not sure. She says she likes boats but she has never been exposed to sailing on the ocean for any length of time. It will take a few charters for her get enough exposure to make a decision. I'm pretty sure she will love sailing but until then, I really don't know for sure.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

Get a Cat? .....Na! she wont go for it, shes a dog person...

I think there are still monos that have a dog house.

[S&S]

Out. She gets intractable seasickness. "Going places" on the boat is something I do with the kids not the wife

Oh well, sometimes life throws you a curve.

[anjou]

I would like to think im IN, although I must confess to not having been offshore in anything other than a 26,000t cruise ship. I cant comment on a significant other.

[sweetsailing]

I'm the better half (haha) and I am in. Hubby grew up sailing and had his own sunfish and has boated and sailed most of his life. Back in the early 90's we were fortunate enough to be able to attend Offshore Sailing School in Captiva, FL. This was my first exposure to sailing. Hubby took the bareboat charter class and I took the learn to sail class. After class we spent hours comparing notes and talking about sailing, I was hooked. Then we decided to charter in the BVI. This was heavenly. Having chartered now 4 times with a 5th in the works, we both want to do lots more sailing and envision cruising the caribbean in the years to come. I love being at the helm and feeling the power of the wind on the sails and rudder. Although I haven't truely been offshore yet, I am convinced it will be great and I will love it.

Here we are, a pic from the BVI

[First Mate]

It took me a year, but I convinced my hubby we needed a blue water boat instead of a coastal cruiser. good thing too, that I convinced him, as he will likely be the one to repair everything on it (of course I'll pay absolutely rapt attention to everything he does so that I'll also know how to do it....).

now his top priority is that the engines have excellent access all around and preferably good head room in the engine room - so he can repair it (yes! him! not me! he he!)

now all we have to do is buy the boat....