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From: Ann Williamson (SFA.UFL.EDU!Ann_Williamson)
Date: Wed Oct 23 1996 - 14:46:05 EDT
I've thought about this for a week. We've discussed this (my husband, Mike
and I), and there seems to be a variety of reasons that you see gray-haired
men and shapely young women in sailboats and sailing ads. Number one, when he
gets the where-with-all to go sailing, he may also have the where-with-all to
dump the old and try out the new. I sincerely hope that among the cruising
sailors out there, this is minimal, even though you see it a lot in other
parts of our society. Then too, when the kids are grown and the parents have
the time and money to pursue their own interests, maybe their interests
differ, even though thry've lived together for 20 years more or less. Also,
in older generations, women were not encouraged to participate in
traditionally "men's" activities. Who can blame them for being scared and
skeptical. If they've raised a teenager successfully, what's an ocean or two?
Some of us were lucky enough to have parents who did encourage us. When I
took SCUBA lessons in 1962, I was the only woman in the class. I personally
think that some of us, male and female, were born with saltwater in our veins,
wanderlust in our feet and hearts, and curiousity in our minds...what's over
the next horizon? What happens if? Can I do this? Will this work? What are
the people on this island like? When I get too old to sail, or mess around in
boats of any kind, I'd like to be able to sit on a dock and watch the boats go
by. It's a whole community within other communities. The best ports are
those that combine work boats and pleasure boats of all kinds and shapes.
Mike and I are not gray haired yet, but many our age are. We have met many
older couples who like to sail and do things together. Maybe it's the
togetherness that many couples can't take. Anyway, I hope our daughters
retain a sense of adventure that I hope we gave them, so if their men go to
sea they'll go too. One has a husband who likes to build igloos on snow-clad
mountains and raft down rivers. She has gone along on some, but not all,
expeditions. Maybe the next generation of men and women will be even more
open-minded.
We'll be going to the St. Pete Sailboat Show, so I plan to look around and see
what the crowd looks like.
Thanks for the random thoughts.
Mike & Ann
S/V Mariah
Tarpon Springs, Fla.
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To: Live Aboard
From: Rick Kennerly on Wed, Oct 16, 1996 12:47 PM
Subject: Thoughts on the Annapolis Sailboat Show
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From: "Rick Kennerly" <nh2f-abs.net>
To: "Live Aboard" <live-aboard-centaur.astro.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Thoughts on the Annapolis Sailboat Show
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 09:39:31 -0400
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Spent Sunday over at the Annapolis Sailboat show.
Through the thicket of masts and mazes of hawkers the most noticeable
element of the show were the eyes: the eyes of men reflected
turquoise seas, swaying palm trees, and sandy beaches. The eyes of
the women were usually frightened and skeptical, with one exception;
older men paired with women twenty or more years their junior--which
mirrors our general experience while mingling with cruisers out in
the Pacific. It seemed that if they weren't a spring/summer pair,
they were both very young.
You even see it in the ads in the back of sailing magazines: grey
haired guys with shapely young women. Too bad that just about the
time men get the where-with-all to shove off, women go into heavy
nesting and junk acquisition.
Just some random thoughts.
Rick - nh2f
Xapic, Westsail 32
Annapolis
nh2f-abs.net
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