Pregnant crew

[StugeronSteve]

.....this crew member's pregnancy has nothing to do with the origins of your posting "handle" has it?

[Wayward_Son]

The way cliff talks you'd think her belly was full of weapons grade plutonium! Don't you know there is nothing more beautiful than a new child coming into this world?

[cliff]

My father actually, but I don't see what gender has to do with it. His condition will not improve so certain "adjustments" have had to be made to accommodate him. Pregnancy is a temporary condition and for the sake of missing a few days sailing I do not feel it worth the risk or effort to take such crew onboard. It as not so much their safety but the safety of other crew. Much has been said about "if she feels up to it she should go" but everyone seems to overlook the danger she could be putting other crew members in if things went wrong.

As for the RNLI or Coastguard - is it right that she should be able to call a SAR chopper or lifeboast because she goes into labour knowing damn well there is/was a good chance it could happen?
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"

[Avocet]

Personally, I never take smokers on my boat in case they have a heart attack!

[danielbroad]

or fat people - they drop like flies in the heat...

[phanakapan]

My opinion FWIW- (female with 3 kids,( last one an elective home birth) skipper of a boat)

I personally would have been able to do anything physical including pulling ropes, climbing on/off etc-as others have said many women find themselves moving furniture/climbing up ladders decorating/lugging huge bags of shopping etc in the last few weeks. In fact I experienced a burst of energy in those last 4 weeks, knocked down a garden wall with a lump hammer, was probably fitter than at many other times in my life- BUT with all of these activities you can stop if you need to, I might have found just sitting on a boat for any length of time very uncomfortable at least.

First time labours can be VERY long ( 24+ hrs in my case) so in theory there should be no problem- even with my 3rd I went into labour in Sainsburys, finished my shopping, carried shopping home on the pushchair, cooked dinner etc-BUT I know that even when just popping out of Brighton for a bit of fishing or whatever it can be an hour from when someone says 'let's go in' to the time you're actually tied up on the pontoon.

So in balance would I take her?

I hate to say this, but speaking with my skipper hat on I'd be inclined to say no. The feisty women's libber in me is horrified- but when you weigh up the possibilities of too much/too little wind, engine failure, well we all know what can go wrong sometimes- it just isn't worth it.

[IanH]

Just got back from two weeks afloat with an eight month pregnant and very large ('cos of the pregnancy) wife, Absolutely no worries at all. Easy peasy still worked on the ropes, helped to pull the boat through the locks at Fort Augustus and didn't even break into a sweat. She's PREGNANT not ILL. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] sorry for shouting but the hassle we go tfrom lock keepers and other folks - all with the best of intentions - hey ho - sorry rant over.

[cliff]

[ QUOTE ]
Personally, I never take smokers on my boat in case they have a heart attack!

[/ QUOTE ]Your choice but it does show how narrow minded and ill informed you are. I don't have a problem with smokers on board just not in the cabins - If they want a smoke then outside in the cockpit or on deck.
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"

[cliff]

I guess you must spend some mighty lonely times on-board playing with yourself in that case.
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"

[Avocet]

You can't spot the parallels then?