sailing2xs: 1st December - women on boats

Sunday 30 November 2014

1st December - women on boats

Monday 1^st December

Women on boats…

Rachel (Aus) is exceptional - she lives on a small boat with her husband and two home-schooled teenage children

At the family celebration lunch on Sunday, I sat next to Nevil, who was mightily impressed with our sailing exploits. Well, to be exact, with MY sailing exploits. I looked at him a bit askance – my sailing exploits are not the stuff of legend. But what he is impressed with is the fact that I am on the boat at all. He is English and has lots of friends here and in the UK who are passionate about mucking around in boats. They buy a yacht, meet a glorious woman, plan to sail off into the blue. Maybe not in that order, but that sort of scenario. One of his friends has set off in this fashion three times and has come back, a solo sailor, looking a bit crushed. And none of the others has managed to convince a wife or girlfriend to embark on a long-term sailing adventure.

Chantal was a wonderful sailor-wife until, after six years, she was filled with a
desperate need to go HOME (Switzerland)

Years ago one of my friends had a relationship with a very handsome man we called Sailor. He came and went. Sometimes he would be around for months at a time, then he would vanish, out to sea. He did take her down the Huon for the odd weekend on his lovely yacht, and she professed to enjoy it very much. He would look at her darkly and say, Women say they love sailing but they don’t, not really.

Marian (Holland) is a redoubtable sailor and has sailed around the worlds several times, with Jan

And indeed there is a large number of solo sailors who would rather have a companion. They look at me longingly…it is very strange to be so desirable, at my age and stage of life…