Crap... I'm in a bunk, in a room of men

[KiwiFi]

No idea of the layout of your boat, but it sounds like you are sharing a stateroom with en suite toilet? or is it down the passageway? I've only been out on dormitory style boats and the head was waaaay down the passage for all. Everyone male or female, pulls on something to go, if they don't wear anything to bed (uncommon on my trips, cooler climes). Changing can be done in the bunks equipped with privacy curtains, for the eyes of god and everyone in the narrow passage next to the bunks, or the tiny changing room (or I suppose, the aforementioned head). Seems to work fine whatever the mix of male & female. I've not seen or heard of any problems over many years on the boats.

Cool, thanks.
I'm in a 4 bunk room with an ensuite. It has air con, so it should be perfect at night.
I'm not actually planning on sleeping nude....

 

[KevinG58]

I didn't say i haven't seen it all. Just no problems! I figured you were probably having a bit of fun with us

 

[Wingy]

I've shared a cabin on a LOB with a guy half my age, no dramas at all. One oops who's walking in/out the ensuite while getting changed which was so not awkward at all as we were both getting changed for a dive and one moment that was awkward for him when he walked in and found me in tears....watching a movie on my IPad when the horse was shot lol. You'll be fine. Enjoy your trip.

 

[NAM001]

Togs are NZ bathing suits. If I went to bed in all that Lycra each night, I'd end up with a nasty dose of thrush, everywhere.
You certainly suggested that I should be the one to leave rather than them, and made it seem like I needed to be overly aware of my sex.
I've been diving with blokes for years, sailing with men for even longer. It's difficult being a woman in diving anyway, heavy gear, periods, boobs that need to be strapped down, weird buoyancy, poorly fitted gear, superior air consumption...

I'm not out to bust glass ceilings, but I'll call out sexism and misogyny if I have to.
This is a women's perspective thread. Just saying.....

My comments were purely logistic. There was no sexism or misogyny in it. Its easier when in a situation like you describe to control YOUR side of the problem of berthing in a room full of men, to manage yourself,,,,, than it is to attempt to manage many others who perhaps have the same feelings regarding a group not having to bend for the one. If I were in the reverse situation I would get up first as a means to making the situation as non stressful as I could. There are advantages to being the first up , which I stated. No matter what you have on YOUR list of personal problems as they relate to your gender,,,, they are YOUR problems, and no one is obligated to pander to you because of that. Based on this post of yours I get the idea that you think they should all leave for your comfort. That just doesn't make sense. As you stated you paid to be on the livaboard........ , well so did they. I sense little concern on your part to make the situation work other than the group bending to you. Your comment about liking to sleep in the buff , tells me that you do not intend to make allowances in your behavior for your surroundings. It appears that your comment about sexism ect is more a reflection of your intollerance than others.

 

[WarrenZ]

Livaboard life is summer camp for adults, keep your hands to your self, remember to laugh and share you will be fine.

If you insist on making the nude head run yell streaker and go for it.

Just be your wild self people will either ignore it or will join in the fun.

 

[WarrenZ]

The most important thing to bring on a liveaboard is a sense of humor and a generally good, positive attitude. If you're not familiar with boats - much less living on one - here's a few FACTS about boats:

• everything on a boat breaks
• everything on a boat leaks
• everything on a boat gets wet
• nothing on a boat every really dries
• everything on a boat smells like a boat; where things break, get wet, and never really dry
• anything that doesn't smell like a boat smells like people who live on a boat
• everything mechanical on a boat is very loud (until it breaks; then it becomes very quiet)
• everything non-mechanical on a boat creaks and/or rattles (until it breaks in; then it gets very quiet; that's usually the day before it breaks)
• everything on a boat is small
• if something is not small, it's not on the boat
• if something is not available on the island/mainland, it's not on the boat
• if something is not on the boat, it's not on the boat
• if you need something specific but didn't bring it, it's not on the boat
• even things that are usually on the boat are often not on the boat
• most things that happen on a boat happen simply "because it's a boat"

A thousandmajor/minor/uncomfortable/disgusting/annoying/inconvenient things can go wrong on a boat over the course of a year. Statistically, that means that 20 of them will happen the week you're on board. You won't notice 15 of them. Will any of the the other 5 things ruin your trip? Honestly - other than a condition which presents a clear and imminent safety or health issue - whether or not something ruins your trip is entirely up to you. I choose to focus on the things like diving that make my trip enjoyable; folks who choose to focus on things that will ruin their trip can always find something that will.

But, as an optimist, keep in mind that you also get to take the good with the bad...

• everything GOOD that happens on a live-aboard happens "because it's a boat"
• you're never more than an hour or so from the next dive, the next meal, the next nap, or your first drink - because it's a boat
• you set your gear up once and don't worry about it again - because it's a boat
• you're right over the dive site - because it's a boat
• two hours later you're right over the next dive site - because it's a boat
• it's a twenty foot walk from your last bite of desert after dinner to your night dive - because it's a boat
• it's a ten foot walk from your night dive to a hot shower - because it's a boat
• it's a twenty foot walk from the hot shower to a cold beer - because it's a boat
• it's a twenty foot walk from the cold beer to your bed - because it's a boat
• when you wake up the next morning to the smell of coffee and waffles...you're right over the next great dive site - because it's a boat

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I don't know how effective ear plugs are with snoring, due to the low frequency of it. A friend of mine and I stayed at a motel prior to a recent boat dive trip (it was a bit of a drive). The guy next door was snoring like there was no tomorrow. I tried ear plugs. I tried a pillow on my own head. Nothing worked. So I banged on the wall to wake him up. Fortunately, I fell asleep before he did. I know when I decide on my first LOB, I'll be checking the sleeping situation carefully before I book. That may eliminate some options for me.

 

[NYCNaiad]

I would be very careful using ear plugs on a dive trip. It may not be worth it. It wasn't for me. I thought I dried my ears out well yet I woke up the next day with my ears completely wrecked apparently because of a tiny, tiny bit of water sealed in by the ear plugs. I lost 7 days of diving and then flying home was horribly painful.

 

[Dogbowl]

KiwiFi, I just wanted to say that I admire your courage...I'm too much of a wuss to do brave things like that. I can't even convince myself I'll survive something like the Blackbeard's LOBs, although I want to go sooooo badly!

You go girl!

 

[Bratface]

I've bunked in with guys before and it's no big deal. First night everyone was mindful of wearing boardshorts to bed. By the third night, everyone was in their underwear. They were courteous about the bathroom, but still bring some disinfectant wipes so everyone can clean up if they need to.




(Bratface is a female)