Cruising Sailors Forum Archive

Think beyond just you...
In Response To: Thinking out loud via keyboard ()

I believe that you now need to think beyond your, and your concerns. Along with the obvious items, like those mentioned above, you should think of the situations you will putting her into. For example, make sure you have proper liability insurance so that she is not subjected to a major lawsuit due to a mistake that you made. Proper ground tackle now that she shares in the risks involved with poor anchoring methods. Radar, AIS, chart plotters, etc. are all tools to make the boat (and journey) safer. You will be placing her into new environments. It's will be a much better experience if you take the time to explain why you made certain decisions. If done right, you'll have a well informed crew member that will have the confidence to not only understand, but eventually be a critical part of the decision making process. I have experienced such a transition over the last 7 years while cruising. Even though I have been sailing for 30 more years than my wife, she now has earned her position as "co-captain". She is not just a passenger, but truly shares "ownership" of where, how, when, etc. we travel on the boat. Yes, she respects my experience, but she knows that she is part of the vessel management. I know it makes the whole thing work better.

Messages In This Thread