To live a dream? No experience sailing

[SFS]

I have to agree with the others, and say to Catsketcher: I hope you continue to post, both in this thread and others. Your writing is superb, and your thoughts are cogent. I look forward to reading more.

[Sea Dreaming]

Great stuff catsketcher!

Your suggestion to "do what she wants" reminds me of the phrase "if mama's not happy, no one is happy". That phrase bugs me because it implies a maternal bully! Ha ha!

But I think what you are really trying to say is to not create strife by insisting on your own way?

When it comes to safety and maintenance issues, yes, follow your partners lead. She may not be right but she will never be wrong here so it's a win for everyone.

[Haywoods]

I can't give you any advice as far as the kids go, but the sailing part should not be a problem. We only had one weeks sailing experience before we bought our Lagoon 380 cat in the Greek islands. Learning to sail/moor/anchor close to shore and towns would be no problem.

Previous posts mention the maintenance - you really need to be mechanically minded to look after a sailboat, unless you are going to stay near to marinas and have lots of money to spare !!

[alansmith]

Cats, that is a great model to live by. Thanks for sharing your insights. I agree that children have great dangers placed before them in this digital age. How I wish I could have taken my children for a walkabout.

[Jarsy]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

By when? What would go before? Your wife may not be keen to take the kids in any event, some women aren't. It's a whole lot of work for them, and precious little fun.

Just sayin. For a "family man", you're starting to sound like a dude that wants out. Makes me wonder about a "midlife crisis."

Ann

Wow, of course she is onboard, sounds like someone has been a victim of a midlife crisis. Save your negativity

[CaptsWife]

Originally Posted by Jarsy

Wow, of course she is onboard, sounds like someone has been a victim of a midlife crisis. Save your negativity

You asked for advice. Can you not take any negative advice? Because my advice would be NO, don't do it. You are putting your family at risk with very little knowledge. Could you live with tragedy if something went terribly wrong because YOU weren't knowledgeable enough? Get some experience under your belt, THEN pursue this dream.

[dlymn]

Get your wife to stand in a cold shower on an ironing board propped against the wall while you hit her with a full blast from the leafblower and she has one kid holding onto each leg. Do this for four hours. Have her rate the enjoyment level.

[fatherchronica]

One of my heroes, Bill Tilman, bought a 50 year old wood boat when he was in his mid 50's. He hired a captain to bring the boat back to England from the Mediterrainean, and to teach him on the way. But the crazy guy brought his wife along as cook, and Bill Tilman, a man's man by anyone's judgement, threw them off almost immediately, because women and boats and men's men just do not mix well. He proceeded to finish the voyage with a relatively inexperienced crew, teaching himself celestial navigation along the way. He sailed that boat and 2 more just like her to the extreme high latitudes on many voyages. Of course, he sank all three boats but only lost one fellow overboard over the next 20 years. But his 8 sailing books are 8 of my maybe about 20 favorite books.

[SV Windrush II]

Originally Posted by dlymn

Get your wife to stand in a cold shower on an ironing board propped against the wall while you hit her with a full blast from the leafblower and she has one kid holding onto each leg. Do this for four hours. Have her rate the enjoyment level.

I can't think of a better way of explaining offshore sailing hahaha

Thus the reason why my wife will not do offshore yet, still working in her though hahaha

[Sirzones]

Check out "CanSail" they do courses at all the major lakes around Saskatchewan throughout the summer
A lot of fun sailing and your wife should join you

[barnakiel]

Yes. No need to assume negativity while there is another more plausible cause.

Just think, ask a pilot why planes crash most often they are unlikely to tell you: 'clogged toilets'.

I think that some patterns are so common that if you live within a specific community (say boaties, liveaboards or sailors, e.g.) you begin to see things not obvious to the stranger's (or newcomer's) eye.

So, I think neither making such a comment nor finding it odd is out of place. Simply two visions of things resulting from two differing perspectives.

Love&peace to all,
b.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Jarsy

Wow, of course she is onboard, sounds like someone has been a victim of a midlife crisis. Save your negativity

She's not wrong.

This happened to me.

I didn't see it coming.

If I had, if someone had said to me "open your eyes"...well...whats done is done.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by dlymn

Get your wife to stand in a cold shower on an ironing board propped against the wall while you hit her with a full blast from the leafblower and she has one kid holding onto each leg. Do this for four hours. Have her rate the enjoyment level.

Although the comment above may sound like a joke, I assure you it is not.

I have vivid recollection of my wife, propped firmly in the main hatch, one arm around each of my young kids (harnessed and clipped on, but that doesn't stop them from getting thrown about), spray pouring over the bow, me at the tiller, engine on full, the prop coming out of the water as the crest of each wave passed beneath us.

This lasted only about 5 minutes, but I assure you the "discussion" afterwards lasted much, much longer.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Jarsy

Wow, of course she is onboard, sounds like someone has been a victim of a midlife crisis. Save your negativity

You may not realise it.. but your comment is aimed at one of the most experienced full time female live aboards on CF, whose been doing it for decades and is also amongst the most supportive posters on the site.
Seems to me your sharp response indicates the type of 'On Board' that really exists..
Don't alienate valuable resource's/support with insults so early into your 'Dream'.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I discovered the myth of a happy cruising kid is just that. 25% true. Too bad if you are a kid of cruising parents and fall in the remaining 75%.

I support the comment above.

I took my young kids sailing all over with me when they were little. I think they had fun. But as they got a bit older, things changed. Eventually, my son told me that if I made him go sailing, he would jump overboard and swim home first chance he got. He just no longer wanted to go sailing.

On the other hand, my daughter, who had the exact same experiences, loves to sail and became an officer on a tall ship.