Anyone meet their significant other while cruising?

[Tetepare]

Not cruising but her dating site profile photos included her boats. And photos on a catamaran. One photo of her sitting on a rock with nothing but water in the background enticed me to write and let her know that I knew where that remote rock is. We combined fleets and just last year added another boat.

[Fore and Aft]

Boatingnewbie I am probably going to get stoned for saying this but I go on a lot of boats sailed by single blokes and a bit of house work would not go astray if you want to attract a mate. I hear constant complaints from some of these guys that they can't attract a woman yet they live in bachelor pads and look pretty scruffy.
I am sure you could meet a mate but you do not hear about it too often. But with a tidy apearance, tidy yacht and good attitude you might just stand out enough to attract a sailing mate.
Cheers

[belizesailor]

Not while cruising per se, but sailing played a role...twice (my late wife & my current wife)...then went cruising on both cases. My wife & I just wrapped up great cruising sesson in the San Blas Islands of Panama.

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by Bill Conlyn

Cathy my wife of 44 yrs went to Fiji in the peace Corp. When she left, I told her to look me up when she got back and I would take her sailing. She did, our first date was going sailing.

Beautiful, congrats!

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by Lihuedooley77

One of our members, Erica, absolutely loved sailing. She owned a Crealock 37, made by Pacific Sea Craft and had that vessel on lease back with the sailing club. She had gone thru her 42 hrs of on board basic ,

Beautiful story, thanks heaps for sharing!

[jdazey]

I met my wife through the Northwest Multihull Association. She's been on boats since she was 2 years old and had her own trimaran at the time. If I didn't have a boat, my wife would have a different husband


Cheers,

[roverhi]

Had a friend who liked to use going sailing on my boat as a way to get dates. Ok with me as long as he brought along an extra girl for me. Met my future wife that way. Took her on a three week delivery from St. Pete to Norfolk which convinced me to marry her. She put up with building a Westsail kit while living in a VW bus parked in front of the boat, a year of cruising SoCal, a year in SoPac and another year sailing around Hawaii. She's still good crew but her interests are now more shore oriented. She does put up with my sailing addiction 46 years later.

[JPA Cate]

Jim and I, both divorced at the time, met while crewing on someone else's boat, on a "fun race". Sparks flew! That was about 38 yrs. ago, but who's counting?

Ann

[boatingnewbie]

AWESOME stories, everyone!!!

Thanks so much for sharing.

[rtooh]

Yes. I met my sig-other 26 years ago in Essaouira, Morocco on my circumnavigation. What an adventure. I crossed the Atlantic and she flew to Martinique to join me for the rest of trip back to San Diego. I highly recommend a cruising connection. Go for it!

[hd002e]

Originally Posted by Lihuedooley77

Yep, finding a significant other that shares your passions in life is very special.

One thing is that if they join you for a cruise you will definitely find out just how compatible and manageable your relationship will become and possibly endure.

Around 35 years ago, was instructing, skippering charters, and leading training flotilas to catalina island . This was pretty much full time as I worked on getting my sea time of 720 days to sit for my U.S.C.G captains license. Took 5 years . And enjoying it all to the max.

One of our members, Erica, absolutely loved sailing. She owned a Crealock 37, made by Pacific Sea Craft and had that vessel on lease back with the sailing club. She had gone thru her 42 hrs of on board basic , intermediate, and advanced lessons on several of our club boats ( 30 ft on up ). She passed all of her tests, and check rides. This was with the Newport Sailing Club in Newport Beach Callfornia. She was out sailing every weekend.

This was just the beginning. She also elected to take Celestial Navigatiion, and the North U racing and sail trim seminar, and my Coastal Piloting and Navigation class. Plus many other seminars and thru the years, sailed many of the vessels in our fleet and was qualified on vessels up to 46 ft. Obviously she loved sailing.

It was after the final Navigation class that the whole crew met for drinks and dancing at one of the dockside bars in Newport Bay. Our relationship began.

Now cruising comes into the picture. The Sailing Club put together a 12 vessel BVI sailing vacation. Erica was skipper of a Gulfsteam 42 and I had another boat. But, much of the cruise was sort of a loose flotila and we would meet up at various anchorages.

It is now 35 or so years later, and we have shared an amazing lifestyle of adventure and great times. That includes sailing Australia, Tahiti, Tonga, Mexico, The Calif coast and channel islands, the Bahamas, BVI's, French West Indies, Windward and Grenadines, Ireland and Greece.

And, we are also FAA certified pilots; Padi certified divers, and , share diving, snorkeling , kayaking, hiking, biking, working out, and good fun times and special friends.

I was very fortunate to find a mate that has the same interests that I do. Well, I did not take up sky diving,like Erica did, but at least I wore a parachute when I was an Air Combat Flight Instructor . Never had to bail out in 17 years, and to me, that was a good thing.

Point of all of this, if it had not been for Erica's joining the sailing club, and her passion for sailing and seamanship , our wakes would never have crossed.

It has been an amazing life that we both share so much of, and both of us absolutely enjoy all of these fantastic adventures together, and still are.

And , yes , before Erica there were very special people in my life, But, to have a real live soul mate that is comfortable with reefing down in a storm, flying areobatics, diving the great barrier reef and coral sea, hiking in the wilderness, kayaking rivers, etc,, etc, and who is an avid NFL fan.... NO, SORRY, YOU HAVE TO FIND YOUR OWN.

I would not trade Erica for millions or billions, the big house on the water, or anything on this planet.

All of these many years, come back to a quest to be part of the sailing life.

Point being, it may take opening up your sailing horizons, and being able to meet a significant other that already loves sailing and other adventures or is willing to at least try and learn to share it with you.

Aye, lad, casting a larger net might be a good idea.

Where we have run across single ladies while sailing, is with sailing clubs or associations, and on international sailing vacations, crews on charter boats, and those working at charter companies, and single ladies with families and friends who are on one or two week bare boat or chartered cruises ( at the beach and marina bars ).

Just a few ideas, in addition to those expats who are living and working on island, as well as some local island gals.

Bring your aloha, a bottle of rum, your dynamic personality and a boat, YA NEVER KNOW HOW FANTASTIC LIFE COULD BECOME.

Fair winds, following seas, and good hunting !

Denny and Erica

I would say you guys got VERY lucky! Congratulations with the lottery!

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by boatingnewbie

I read so much about couples deciding to chase the adventure by getting into a cruising lifestyle together, but curious about those that started cruising when single (or maybe a previous relationship?) and then met their significant other through their cruising adventures.

Yep, we had our 28th anniversary two days ago... she was working in the local hospital as a med tech. We met in Key West, where I was living on the hook, and diving for dinner every day.

We have since built a house (own hands, built) as well as a larger boat, and covered tens of thousands of miles and over 20 countries.

[seafox9]

DITTO!

[QUOTE=Bruce K;2681491]I met a number of "others" while cruising; the moment they became "significant", they wanted me to be "sensible", give up cruising and take up gardening and/or golf; they were then relegated as "ex others"[/QUOTE]

[dancor01]

Been cruising for 5 years, Did meet many single sailor guys. Not so many sailor girls.
In the end it come to one single thing. Guys want a bimbo, girls want a sugar dady on a 100 footer with deep pockets.
Living on land or at sea it's the same dynamic.
Yes at time there is that one special couple, that see eyes to eyes, has the same dream. But that is an exception. Most of the couple I have meet over the years 1 is doing some compromise.
Toward the end of his life. My dad (104) said to me. "Son in life don't wait for anyone live your life"
Also forgot who said it. Either M Polo or C Colombus Life as a bigger imagination then our dreams

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by dancor01

Been cruising for 5 years, Did meet many single sailor guys. Not so many sailor girls.
In the end it come to one single thing. Guys want a bimbo, girls want a sugar dady on a 100 footer with deep pockets.
Living on land or at sea it's the same dynamic.
....

As with most absolutes, this is not true. Ive never been in a relationship w a bimbo (just cant do it) nor been a sugar daddy. I have had the good fortune to share my life with several beautiful, intelligent, capable, adventuresome women.