Need input for research

Hello from sunny and hot Guatemala! I am researching for a feature piece to be submitted to Sail Magazine about the disparity in numbers between single hand male cruisers and single hand female cruisers (not racers). I'd appreciate any and all commentary and/or knowledge on why the numbers are so skewed. In my journeys from Florida to Central America, I think I've only met 2 single hand females, yet single hand males are quite common.

Thanks & happy sails to you.

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Submitted by psharmon on Mon, 09/28/2009 - 19:42. categories [ ]

What exactly do you need? I

Submitted by Sven on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 20:15.

What exactly do you need?

I also find that it is generally males that sail single handed.
Could it be that to sail solo you usually also have to own a boat solo and that it is quite unusual for woman to do that?

I am chair of an organisation that organises events for singles that enjoy sailing (www.zeilendesingles.nl) And there are a few women that own a boat by themselves but in general they have smaller boats and are a minority.

Maybe that it is also more usual for men to have "knowledge" on the technical aspects of a boat and that it is rarer for woman to have gained that kind of knowledge?

solo women

Submitted by psharmon on Sat, 10/03/2009 - 01:42.

I'd like to get views from all angles (single men, single women and couples) on why they think there are so few single women as opposed to single men/couples. Every port we come to, we see mostly couples, and then quite a few single men. You may be right about the technical end of it, but I'm wondering if there isn't some other reasoning behind more women going it alone at sea.