Not Sure, I don't need your advice re: my relationship; indeed, considering your attitude, it doesn't surprise me that your experiences with women have been so negative. As to my boat being a house on pontoons with
sails - not so.
She was built to Lloyd's 100 A1 unlimited
offshore specs and was sailed by the original owner across the Atlantic, later down as far as
Venezuela and back up to
Canada. She is a one of a fairly rare breed with a deserved reputation as safe cruising boats and, she was not only built, but designed to that end: eg., tempered glass fixed portlightls, a
cutter rig with a dedicated
furling staysail/storm
jib, 10 stays, etc., etc.
While not fast, she does an honest 7 to 8.5 knots in winds of 15 - 20 knots (and I could gain a half
knot by replacing the fixed props with folding ones). Frankly, in my experience it is at least comparable to 39 and 1/2 foot monohulls that are much less comodious, but nevertheless equipped and loaded for comfortable
extended cruising. She will not broach in reaching conditions and she can can sail for days on end with a pole-less symmetrical
spinnaker at speeds that fully-loaded monohulls will rarely achieve - and do so without wallowing.
Have I compromised for my fiance? Not to any great extent - as I indicated, at age 55 I really don't enjoy bashing to windward for long periods at an extreme heel; I don't enjoy preparing
meals, or even taking stores out of cupboards at an angle; I don't enjoy climbing a steep
companionway ladder on a heeling boat while trying to carry tools, drinks or
food items; I don't enjoy servicing a
diesel in cramped quarters.
My plans are for largely trade-wind sailing and for that, she works very well indeed. When I do need to go to windward in heavy conditions, I typically bear off to about 60 degrees and maintain speeds of about 7.5 knots with comfort (at that angle to the waves, the shadow from the windward
hull reduces pounding dramatically). And yes, in light air (below 10 knots) I'll even
motor sail at about 40 degrees.
She is decidedly not a
racing boat; the performance to windward does leave something to be desired (and hence my wish for a larger cat with boards), but all boats are compromises. She may not hit the nail on the
head, but for the
price and my
current needs she has come very close.
In any event, my point was that the features in a boat that
my fiance appreciates are also ones that I am not only able to live with, but have come to enjoy at this point in my life. And to the extent that I have had to compromise in order to get her to not only spend, but to enjoy spending considerable time aboard, she has compromised by throwing herself with a passion into not only a new activity, but a new life. While it may be contrary to your experience/beliefs, I believe that in a good relationship some compromise is not only necessary, it is healthy. I get pleasure out of pleasuring her, and she gets pleasure out of pleasuring me - and for us, that is a state that applies to far more than just 'physical' pleasures.
Brad
I want one that has mechanical spaces big enough for a normal sized man to work in. 
bride goes to work, so we can pay for typed items..
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