I share the role of Captain with my husband, Rick, but at the moment am more comfortable with my first mate position. He has taught me all I know about boating over the last five years we have known each other. (See our feature article, Two on the Blue on this site) I can handle our 40' Eagle Pilot House well and make informed decisions about navigation, weather etc. but I still struggle to dock the boat. A wide beam (14.5 feet) and a single screw is tricky for me. We have a difficult home dock that is long and narrow with boats on both sides and river current that interferes. There is little room for error so I am nervous about bringing the Sea Foam into home port. I have docked her several times in easier conditions (like a long dock with no one else on it) with my husband, Rick, nearby to assist but the combination isn't great when I get feeling a bit tense.  I give the helm over to him and I should force myself to take the boat in no matter what. My girlfriend, Margot, Captains her 40' Cheoy Lee sailing vessel and I am envious of her. She takes her boat out on her own which I have never done. I have always had Rick onboard if I needed a second opinion or to dock Sea Foam in a tight spot. Having said all this, I know that if there was a problem and Rick was unable to help me I could handle the boat on my own. Not only is it designed well for a single handed operation, I know enough to get through if the going gets tough.
I'm primarily first mate...I'm pretty nervous about the prospect of docking our single-screw 40-footer, (I did it once, stern-to, with someone whispering in my ear)...but I also secretly relish knowing I'm not the one responsible for the scrapes on our hull ;)
We also have young kids, so I work the docklines, toss the fenders and make sure no children are aloft or adrift...frankly, I think the multi-tasking mentality of women makes me better suited to handle all that. Captain Dad, I believe, couldn't keep his eyes on so many balls. Sticking it seems to be what he's good at.
There is a great network for women called Women Aboard at www.waboard.com that you might want to look into. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any chapters in Canada, the closest one to me being in Seattle, Washington. It is too far away for it to be a viable option for me to get involved with their activities. Also, for boaters with children and pets onboard, there is a great product called Safety Turtle www.safetyturle.com that attaches to your child or pet and will alarm in the boat if the small wrist band transmitter gets wet. My son recently had his six month labrador pup onboard and it was comforting to know that we would be immediately alarmed if he hit the water while underway, at anchor or on the dock. That takes some of the stress off having to have eyes in the back of your head while getting set up for docking.
More and more boat shows and rendezvous are offering boat docking instruction for women as a one day or weekend course. Passage Maker University offers docking instruction for women. I think it would be less stressful to take instruction from someone other than your own Captain. My girlfriend hired an instructor to take her out several times on her 40' sail boat and give her instruction on how to single hand the boat into and out of her slip.Â
While I envy her that she can take her boat out on her own, when I last went out with her I felt pretty good teaching her about anchoring and radio procedures. When you travel with other women on their boats you often realize you know a whole lot more then you thought you did. Â
Sailme, you are not alone! There are many of us she boaters out there who love being on the water. Have you heard of Women Aboard? It's a National group of women boaters who have regular meetings and cruises. I have attended a few of their meetings, but not being especially social, I tend to go my own way. They seem to have fun together. the thing that really put me off is that the men who belong to Women Aboard are called the 'Sea Cocks'. Ug... KimmieÂ
Women Aboard are a good group...there's also Womanship in Annapolis (I loved the banner they had over their booth at the boat show: "No Yelling!")
Besides the more practical weekend courses, they offer courses along the Greek Isles, Turkey, New Zealand...now, wouldn't the husbands be all for THAT kind of an all-girls trip? I mean, it's hardly a week at the spa, this is boating! This is going to be my new campaign...gotta find some fellow boat-widows to join me on this one...
Deep down, regardless of what they say, many men don't want their female boating partner to get too 'educated' with regard to the operation of the boat. These "educated"  gals  might want to take over at the helm. They will question some of the captain's  'moves' like when they hit the dock or run aground. Most guys prefer that the ladies stick to the line handling while they take care of operating the boat. If the lady doesn't know much, then it is  less arguments and explanations required. After all, the captain is always 'right'.
I don't know about about guys not wanting their gals to learn the ropes. My husband is constantly pushing me to do more. He's been handling the lines and dropping the anchor while I'm at the helm. He would love it if I were as knowledgable as he when it comes to knowing about our boat. I think his current focus is to get me to know all about handling the boat. I know he'd love it if I could change the oil and replace an oil filter.
There is another boating school out there called " Sea Sense" out of Anacortes, Washington. It entails a week onboard a 45 foot Kong & Halvorsen as a classroom and basic drills include navigation, course plotting and docking. A lesson on routine engine inspection with common checkpoints to review before leaving the dock is included. Three to six women are onboard for a week with a certified female Captain as teacher. For more information contact Sea Sense at (800) 332-1404 or www.seasenseboating.com
I ran a Rendezvous for a boat manufacturer a few years ago. I hired Sea Sense to come down and give a 'hands on' boat handling seminar for women only. (a sponsoring boat dealer provided the boat)  The women had a great time. The men really wanted to go along and get the feel of the 42ft boat. But I set up and engine maintainance seminar during the girls boat handling program. You should have seen the guys  standing on the end of the dock as the girls pulled out of the marina with Capt Patti Moore from Sea Sense on a brand new motoryacht. The girls had so much fun. It was such an experience to have the helm turned over to them and no husband/significant other standing there beside them,  barking orders.    Several of the 'students' went on to sign up for private lessons onboard their own boat.
We have a story in progress on these schools, which we'll put out in a few weeks.
We really would like to attract more women to the site. Our recent survey suggested just 4 percent of our readers are female -- pretty low. And yet, for every man with a boat...
Northwest Explorations out of Bellingham, Washington has boat training for women only, with, I beleive, all female crew, on April 24th and 25th. As part of Passage Maker's Trawler Fest they have a two day course at the Passage Maker University in Anacortes, Washington, May 20th and 21 for $450. May 24th, as part of PM Trawler Fest they have a seminar titled, Women Only - Meet Your Engine, lead by Capt. Carol Cuddyer of Sea Sense. Â
I have been sailing for about 5 years. The first 3 years were spent as first mate to my boyfriend/husband. During my time as first mate I spent most of my time at the helm. I never touched a line except when we were leaving or returning to the dock.
After losing my husband to cancer and as part of my "recovery" process, in 2006 I decided to invest in sailing lessons. I found a great instructor who specialized in teaching women and couples. Josie Longo (Adventure Cruising and Sailing - http://www.acss.bz) transformed me from a first mate into someone with the confidence to buy my own boat. I now sail my 23ft. O'Day on Tampa Bay, FL and I am preparing to take my Coast Guard Captain's Exam.
Despite the name, I'm a he-skipper. Almost all of my sailing is with a group called "Singles on Sailboats" www.singlesonsailboats.org here in the Chesapeake Bay area. There are about 900 members, and two- or three hundred sailboats. Seventy of the boats are owned and skippered by women. While it is a social organization, with brunches, happy-hours, dances and other shore-side activities , it IS a sailing group. I love it because I can always find crew who know how to, and love to sail. I much prefer to have a crewperson aboard who can handle my boat on his on her own, partly for the reassurance of a safety backup, but more for the opportunity to enjoy my guests! The skills our members bring ranges from absolute novice to circumnavigator, whether male or female. We take pride in gently helping newcomers find their sealegs, master the ropes and the helm, and become competent contributing crew. Many of our Lady Skippers came to SOS with no more than a little curiosity about how its done, and came to love sailing so much they bought their own. Admittedly, some of them experienced some exasperation with a few of our crustier Captain Blighes, but those are long and funny stories, for one of those fire-side chats in the middle of winter....
Those stats are amazing! I'm no expert on the topic, but that has to be one of the largest collections of women-owned boats anywhere. Sounds like a really cool organization, and a lot of fun.
Seems like most of the women boaters are into sailboats. Is this true??
 I have heard about singles on sailboats in the Chesapeake. Sounds like a really good club. The one  I have never heard of is singles on powerboats. Wonder if there is a such animal??
 Hello fellow Lady Boater's!! I am also a "first-mate" and my husband is the Captain of our boats and family!!! I'm sure like other "first-mates", we pack, load-up, never forget anything, including the kids and their freinds. When we get back from our "adventures", I clean-up, unpack, and relax. I Love it and would never change a thing.Â
Did anyone else feel the earthquake and aftershock this morning? Was anyone on their boats? I was asleep and at home, the weather and the flooding just have not been cooperative enough to go boating. My Family has boating fever!!!!
To all the Ladies who are going boating this weekend, have a super great time!!
By your comments on the flooding, I assume you must be located somewhere in the middle of the country.
Yes, unfortunately many women are assigned the duties of packing and cleaning. Now I do that and everything else, including the oil changes and everything else down in the engine room. But at least  I no longer have to be concerned about a man trying to give me instructions on docking. I can do it myself, right or wrong. If I bang up the boat, I have to pay for it anyhow so that earned me the right to do it my way.
The Discover Boating website area for women is pretty nice and informative. I will pass it along to others in my weekly Electronic newsletter to my boat club members.
Hi! Â I'm brand new to sailing. Â My husband has a background in power boating in childhood but after a day out with the guys from church, we bought a sailboat. Â My name is on all the docs, and though the guys keep saying it's "his" boat, he is adamant that there are two skippers, that whoever has the tiller makes the call. Â Honestly, I went out with a Coast guard captain 2 days aboard our Lancer 28 in addition to the class at Annapolis Sailing School and can do many things he can't, like dock in our slip and troubleshoot the engine, but he'll catch up. Â He's a little more nervous and I want to help build his confidence. Â I actually was asked by one of the ladies at our marina if "he passed me yet." Â As if! Â I get very frustrated with the sexism I see among our church sailors and may want to contact Womenship. Â My husband is smart and capable, as well as wise enough to see a woman's worth, Â I'm not letting outdated attitudes of others kick me off my boat :-) Â I took my 10 and 6 year olds on board for the training with the captain They can tie some knots and the ten year old can rig and raise a jib; our captain said we took to it well and are perfectly well ready to go out and practice our skills. Â Shared competence is to everybody's benefit, and Stargazer is as much my girl as his.
Women have different needs. We also learn differently, communicate differently and process information differently. Women learning from women is now more available than you thought. There are a lot of great women's organizations and now there is an all women's sailing connection. Visit womensailing.com where you can find a women captain or instructor in your area. It's time we take care of each other! Will men will never understand us?
O.K., so I'm a guy and late to the discussion as well. For years I boated with my then wife and she was not comfortable learning anything about handling the boat. I was thrilled when my son (then 7, now 12) got old enough to learn to handle the boat in an emergency and then later to handle it any time. I now have the pleasure of boating with a female friend who not only loves the water but can handle the boat as well as I can. She is still learning to read water and weather, but aren't we all? I love being able to pass the helm back and forth without stress on either side and boating is more fun when shared with an equal partner.Â
I am new to Mad Mariner and this discussion, I'm really glad to see there is so much interest in this topic. I am a Captain in Michigan; my niche is teaching women, I love it. I enjoy teaching everyone but I especially love to watch the women at the helm and the men up front chatting with their dock mates with big smiles as the vessel slides into the slip without touching anything, no yelling, no stress. I have to admit my strength is with twins v/s a single screw so anyone with the ability to slip a 40 ft. single screw boat with currant has my respect, it's a difficult maneuver and takes lots of practice so don't give up ladies!
I have to boast, I am so excited...Today I tested for & passed, the USCG test to become a licensing instructor. I'm looking forward to keeping busy over the blustery winter licensing future captains, waiting for April 1st and spring launch.
My partner and I make two more ladies here at Mad Mariner. We have a 25' 07' Bayliner express cruiser.
We love boating. We use our boat all year long here in Norfolk Va. Even in the winter months we use the boat. We have both taken classes on boating. I have taken a bit more extensive classes and really enjoy captaining out in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
I too am one of the few women captains out there. I do my boating in the Northeast (season not nearly long enough). I own an old 28' Hatteras in excellent condition. I actually just started a blog http://bestboatbuzz.com/ a few months ago. I would love to get some women captains involved and post pictures. a little boat banter would be great. I will be checking back reading you stuff.....
Hi folks! Here stands a female captain. I own a Westsail32 and currently attending the school of hard knocks. :) I am very interested in this topic. Very interested in learning how other women who have the sailing part down but starting from scratch on the systems. I found the poll on this site quite discouraging. Previous to owning this boat, I co owned with my - then- boyfriend. He was a lousy teacher and felt very challenged by my questions and research. After a few years, I realized that I had to just back down and pretend to have no opinion and hope and pray that his decisions were the best. No regrets there, his decisions were good but the circumstances could have been better - more of a team approach. I whole heartedly agree with the other woman here who mentioned the multitasking aspect.
I hope to hear more input and find some mutual support here!
Joined: 2007-09-19