What design features make life aboard comfortable & practical for females?

Ok, so I forgot the depth sounder. The amps are there simply so you can hear the VHF outside without defening everybody inside (or vice versa).
Also, where I sail, you get into deep water pretty quickly, and we know where the shallows are, because thy're marked on a chart with considerable accuracy. only once have I sailed up to a mark (racing) watching the depth. I should have mentioned speed through water as well of course. as when combined with the GPS this can reveal a lot of useful information.

Tim B.

 

Watch Required

Any time you are underway, A deck watch is required by international law. You just can't go below in the cabin to ride out a storm. Additionally it is very important to be able to see everything that is happening such as another vessel approaching on a collision course, or the fact that you might be drifting towards a shoal, reef or beach and have to take immediate action to save the vessel and yourself. Get over the fear by developing contingency plans for events that might happen and equip your vessel accordingly. Such things as an additional sea anchor and additionally lines may come in handy. We carry double flare sets and EPIRBS, one to go with us if we have to abandon ship and the other stoutly tied to a long spooling line that is attached to the vessel that will show her location in moderately deep water.

 

Shower

Wilma, when were cruising off shore and no other boats are around, we strip down and take showers each time it rains to conserve water. It works well with one person on the helm and the other taking a shower., then switch off. You can dry your hair if you are the second to shower and not disrupt the routine. If it's chilly out, just heat a pan full of water to pour over yourself to warm up when you rinse off. Frequent showers are a must in that when salt water drys, it leaves sharp little salt crystals that can abraid your skin and cause a rash as well as making you itch. The official command is "Flip me the soap honey, it's raining".

 

Electronics. EPIRB, EPIRB, EPIRB

Hi Tim, You forgot the most importanht electronic item of all....an EPIRB, preferably a type I. We carry two, one to find the boat (by the insurance company) and the second is in the abandon ship bag attatched to the deployable raft. With the way things are going with the international maritime laws and terrorism, we may all soon be equipping our personal vessels with AIS to identify who you are and your vessel's specifics.....who knows?

 

You don't need loads of gear, you need good light gear. That is one of the most important if not the most important items regarding comfort in a boat, while at sea. If you are outside in a warm, several layer, breathable, waterproof outfit, you are going to feel comfortable. With one of those you can even sit in a poodle of water and feel comfortable .

They are expensive, but they worth every penny and you can buy them before you buy the boat. Get one of these for that trip:

http://www.musto.co.uk/productdetail.aspx?fromSearch=true&productId=1434

http://www.chandlerystore.co.uk/henrilloyd/offshore.htm

 

Actually Greenseas the wording is 'good lookout' it don't say were from! so if you have a position in the cabin from where you can maintain a good lookout, using ALL available equipment and alter course if need be (if you can - running under bare poles may not be easy) your OK 'course if you like green water down your neck that's your perogitive - but it don't have to be like that! Wilma (and anybody else) is doing the right thing making an informed decission from all available information - she just has to ensure she has ALL the available information is all.

 

Thanks Paulo, all that new clothing material is marvelous and indeed worthwhile the investment. And easy to maintain, clean and dry, which is a real plus.
And thanks Safewalrus for your encouraging words about exploring possibilities and options openly and honestly.
With honesty I mean that we get carried away by looking good, habits or fear. If I get a washing machine on board i want to be sure that it is the handiest thing to have, not because I am so used to having one in my home that I cannot even consider not having one. I ma still not sure what to do about washing yet.
I did get clarity about the chart table, out of all the discussions I have concluded to provide a flat surface for the possibility of having a chart fully open on a flat surface (for plotting) but that the surface needs to be accessible for two people to use laptops and it needs to be close to the kitchen. It can still be similar to a breakfast bar which doesn't mean you use it all the time as a breakfast bar; it is to indicate a smiliar construction and place in the boat and more accessible from all sides maybe. Then I think we have most options covered.
I learned a lot from that topic alone.
And greenseas, I like the simplicity of the shower in the rain, why not and rain water is good for the skin.

 

To support Greenseas 'rain shower' had me a case back in the sixties on a Royal Navy Frigate in the Indian Ocean when, for some problem I can't remember, we were on water rationing (busted watermaker or something). The ship ran through a series of rain squalls by the third one I'd got a bar of soap in my hand - next squall came and whilst everybody else ran for cover I stood outside soap in hand and had a bloody good wash - everybody else thought I was mad but I'd had the best shower anybody on the ship had for a good fortnight and actually felt clean (they fixed the watermaker two days later and so we came off water rationing but that's another story). Just goes to show you should never loose an opportunity, no matter the situation!!

 

The New Zealand holiday period is approaching and John and I will be off for the month of December. We are intending to sail on Steadfast, a just launched sister ship of the French Pilot Cutter, Jolie Brise.


We will be sailing on its maiden voyage from Albany Australia.

I just want to thank everybody who has contributed to this thread and has caused my thinking to expand. I really enjoyed all the comments and I think all this collected 'wisdom' is an absolute treasure.

You all have a good time over Christmas mucking about in boats.

Wilma

 

Totally blown away after 30 pages of thread. What a fine introduction to cruising. Post lots of pictures when you get back.

 

Wilma, fair winds to you. Have fun.
It's a lovelly boat

Regards

 

Wilma I won't wish you luck, your far too clever to need any of that stuff (well OK then maybe a little bit now and then - for which I wish you evry little bit you need). may I thank you from all of us hoary old timers for starting this thread! Whilst the initial title was about making it nice for wimmin - it does and did and will be of use to everybody! Long may it keep running, it has to me been the best damn thing on the whole forum! So Wilma fair winds and a great time - love to hear from you later - we all would! (and from a hoary old sailor X X X )

 

Have fun,
CapKos

 

Wilma didnt die

I got a reply from Wilma Han the other day, and sounds like she had a great time on the old clunker.


Wilmas blog
Wilmas blog photos

 

Hello Everyone
I have returned from my 17 day sailing experience sailing from Albany (Western Australia) to Portland (Victoria) across the great South Australian Bight, which is part of the Southern Ocean.
And I will never set foot on that museum piece or any boat like it again! For one holiday (I don’t want to encourage John to think I will do it again) and with a 7 strong crew it was great. AND because I was told I was going to experience the total opposite of what I want on a boat I was prepared for discomfort. Well that discomfort I have had and once is enough!I realise that I have been extremely lucky that the crew was made up of such awesome people. They were very willing and capable to handle the boat, the cooking, the cleaning and the repairs and they stayed good humoured. That made the trip fantastic and a real memorable experience.
But if it had not been for the crew I would have wanted to cry a lot.

If you would like to know why I never will set foot on such an impractical and uncomfortable boat again I don’t know where to begin but on top of the list are: emotions. This boat made me feel like the clumsiest, most incapable nit wit on earth. First of all this boat wouldn’t let me cook. I am proud of my cooking but I couldn’t get a simple meal together.
Here is how I had to brace myself when I finally got the food in the pot. However before I got the food in the pot I had to prepare it. To prepare it you need two hands. I didn’t have 2 hands because as you all so rightly said “you need to hang on”.
I needed my other hand to hang on as there was nothing that held me in place. Nowhere to wedge myself in against and no harnass. Cutting food with one hand is not possible, so cooking became impossible, I became increasingly shall I say ‘unfriendly’ towards the boat and everybody and anything on it.
I don’t like feeling so incapable of doing normal chores. It made me upset. Nothing was easy, and as I was slightly seasick as well cooking became too hard and in the end John had to do most of it when it was our turn to prepare a meal. That was even more humiliating and upsetting.!!! The results of being thrown around the kitchen were bruises all over. This bruise was from repeatedly being hit in the same spot in the kitchen! That wasn’t too bad, but it shows how easy it was to injure yourself.
Sitting on the benches on deck was already uncomfortable and the bruise made it even worse.

This is just the beginning of the list of woman unfriendly things and the reason John won’t get me sailing again if this type of sailing is on offer.

I learned a lot, I loved the ocean and I will go sailing again soon. But this time the choice of the boat is on me and I have already a boat in mind. Pam and John’s ‘Crusoe’, a 58 footer with a dream kitchen of course. Pam had a hand in the design.