She may run the household, look after the children, even bring home more money than her husband–yet she may shy away when it comes to taking the helm of the family boat.
It is no secret to boating couples that gender differences can grow sharper the minute the lines are cast off. Too often, men get aggressive or impatient when it comes to operating the boat. And, too often, women decline to participate.
Yet experts say that a lack of knowledge and skills can spell real trouble in an emergency. If the skipper cracks his knee on a cleat, has a heart attack or is down in the bilge coping with a serious problem, can an inexperienced first mate keep the vessel on course, radio for help or–perhaps most important–get the boat safely back to port?
"Any woman who thinks it's fine to leave everything to her male partner should ask herself what happens if he becomes incapacitated," said Capt. Gale Browning, a boating instructor and marine surveyor with long experience teaching women about seamanship and boat handling. "The more the woman knows, the better."
At a minimum, Browning said, she should be able to bring the boat back to the dock and radio for help in case of an emergency. Of course, the same holds true for men.
BOATING ATTRACTS COUPLES
Boating is one of the few sports that attracts couples. A 2007 study by the National Marine Manufacturers Association shows that, in recent years, men and women have participated in roughly equal numbers. Yet how that participation plays out in the cockpit can be far different from the scenario suggested by the statistics.
Sean DowneyThere is no shortage of experienced and skilled female boaters, both in competative or recreational boating. Shown here is a crew in the Mayor's Cup in Long Beach, California, last year.
Of course, many women are skilled and experienced boaters, and can equal or outdo men at either sailing or power boating. Browning herself holds a Coast Guard captain's license for vessels of up to 100 tons–one of a burgeoning number of female captains. Women's boating organizations abound, and women regularly appear on lists of championship around-the-world sailors.
But when it comes to couples or families who sail on weekends or on short trips, Browning and other experts say women often don't take part in operating the boat. While some women–like some men–simply are not interested in boating, there are other reasons too. Many who did not grow up in boating families are not familiar with boats and are naturally leery. Some simply don't have the confidence to steer or dock, and are timid about trying. Many who have tried to learn have been discouraged by male instructors–including their boyfriends or husbands–who too often demand immediate perfection and yell when mistakes are made.
