Here's a recap of the Sept. meeting and the photo that will also be in the October newsletter. Thanks to Eunice for perfecting my original draft, taken from her notes. We had a really fun meeting!
At the September meeting attended by eight women, we had a lively discussion about sailing and romance (on and off the boat), aging, relationship status, sailing style (cruiser/racer) and other factors that impact our sailing enjoyment.
Is sailing romantic? Yes and no. Those who said “yes” thought about watching the sunset while drinking wine at a quiet anchorage, while others thought about the exhilaration of racing or surviving a storm with their partner. Those who said “no” thought about the work involved in sailing and maintaining a boat. But all generally agreed that when you have someone to share the sailing and the work, it’s easier to find the romance.
Where can (more mature) single women find eligible men who sail? How do you find sailing partners? Suggestions included sailing friends and dock neighbors, “Singles on Sailboats,” racing, and, of course, HHSA. One interesting idea was for HHSA to add “singles” events to the calendar and to encourage singles to attend our regular social events and indicate on event nametags that they are single – that would take away all that guessing! We also discussed the need to be cautious about dating within a local sailing community and the impact it can have on friends, relationships, reputation, etc. Sometimes we may not want our “worlds colliding.” When it comes to dating websites and online profiles, there were suggestions to focus not solely on finding partners who sail, but non-sailors or boaters who either want to learn to sail and/or have other interests.
How do you balance sailing/racing together and your off-boat relationship? Does it work? Can you separate the roles on and off the boat? Does sailing dominate your life and conversation? If so, is that good or bad? Does the relationship on the boat affect your love life? Are men intimidated by women sailors?
How do you balance your interests without sacrificing your freedom – give in or give up? Do you want to be “head over heels” in love? Do you want just companionship or do you need to have a satisfactory love life, too? Don’t laugh; the answer may not be that obvious.
Getting frisky on a sailboat – creativity wins the day. Sailboats are small spaces. Along the same lines, how do women (and men) deal with aging and physical issues?
Get your “girl time” on – we all agreed on the importance of getting together with our women sailing friends even if we have a partner/spouse. Women Underway meetings is a great start! And even if you have a partner/spouse, think about including your single sailing friends in your social activities. Ask them to join you for drinks, dinner or a day sail.
Bev