Ladies - Time To Take The Tiller


This post is for the ladies.  Ladies, 5 Ts. Time to take the tiller.  I just finished reading the book “Saving Sailing”, which Clay has highly recommended.  I am the other half-owner of Jackdaw (friends only) and obviously the silent one.  Also, the student, and now I realize not a very good one.  New to sailing a couple summers ago, I have been content to tend to the jib and follow directions from Clay.  In spite of his encouragement to take the tiller, it seemed safer (for us and the boat) to stick to the easy job and leave the harder (and much scarier) job of “driving” to the expert.  I heard many times about the “bad things that could happen”, and even though I didn’t know or ask what those bad things were, I was worried they would happen if I was driving.  Taking lessons and reading “Saving Sailing” has given me a dose of courage.  This is kind of curious in itself, because I haven’t lacked courage in other areas (could I tell you stories) but there is something different about taking a risk that would affect not just yourself, but other people and this big boat.   I think perhaps that’s a gender thing where men have the natural self-confidence that we women may lack in areas that are male dominated.  But after reading this book, I realize that ladies, we are missing out by not taking our turn as captain of the boat.  When you take turns being the captain, it becomes much more of a team activity and I’m convinced will greatly increase our enjoyment of the sport.  Ask your sailing partner if they are willing to be a gentle mentor; that is to share their knowledge about heeling and tacking and all the other important things kindly to nudge you along without yelling or screaming.  Ladies, it doesn’t take big strength to be a good sailor, just brains so we should be able to handle the tiller as well as any guy – go for it.
Sheree

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 19, 2010 at 11:49 AM

    Right on, Sheree! Thanks for this article!

    To add to that, if Sheree's words speak to any women out there who are interested in taking that bold (and wonderfully do-able) step of taking the helm, I am a life coach and often take my clients out on my Victoria 18 as part of our work together. I am inspired to find that the way we approach something like sailing can be very similar to how we approach other areas of life. Self-discovery and bringing about change in how we feel about ourselves and our lives can be done in a therapist's office, a classroom and sometimes aboard a darling vessel as it splashes through the waters and catches the wind.

    If you're interested in talking with me about coaching or just about the topic, I'm Arlyn, co-owner of "Freelancer" at Arlyn@wholeinterpreter.com. 612-961-6421.

    ReplyDelete
  2. clayJuly 19, 2010 at 12:18 PM

    As well as suggestion for topics, guest authors ARE ALWAYS WELCOME at CruisingLakeHarriet.com. Send a note to the email shown in the About box on the left, and discuss your idea with us!

    Thanks to Sheree for writing this great piece.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 20, 2010 at 12:16 AM

    Girl power!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brad MitchellJuly 22, 2010 at 8:50 PM

    Just in case any of you sailors out there are interested in keeping track of water hazards and other spots on Lake Harriet, check out a new website in town - http://www.fishnbudz.com. Generally geared toward fishing but definitely useful for boaters of all types.

    Be safe on the water!

    ReplyDelete
  5. clayAugust 18, 2010 at 5:04 PM

    An additional point about having your partner able to 'skipper' the boat; it makes the WHOLE BOAT better. A crew member that knows how to drive the boat well will be able to pick up on the subtle clues on how your boat is acting. Best felt thru the tiller, you can also sense them in other ways. I can tell you from experience that a crew member that drives well makes a MUCH better crew member on the sheets.

    ReplyDelete

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