First Rule With Wimmen: No Yelling.



During your outings leave sweet treat on shore and go out by yourself for an hour or so to learn more. While you're out there build some confidence and skill by trying to get one hull out of the water a little. Don't cleat the mainsheet while you're learning to fly. Just hold it in position in your hand in case you need to let it got to depower in a hurry. Once you can keep a hull up try it with honeybunches.



Explain in a confident and friendly tone what will happen and what she needs to do before you fly. She needs to be on the windward side but not too far forward. Let her hang onto something for security: the tramp lacing, a shroud, a tramp strap, not your leg. Watch the bows so you don't dig. Then take it up out of the water ONLY A LITTLE HEIGHT (a foot or two) FOR A LITTLE WAYS and hold it there for a while. Put it back down, come up into the wind and smile. Repeat as needed until the screaming turns into a soft moan. Then go in for the day.



If you do happen to capsize just smile after you're both in the water, tell her to stay with the boat, and don't exude a sense of panic or urgency. Both of you should be able to hang on and right the sucker and have a laugh about it, later and for decades thereafter.



Get a little wilder each outing but don't rush her (the wife). Sadly, some wives are not made for being on a cat but that should become apparent if it's your case or not. If this is the case you can always simply take it easy while she's aboard and don't do anything too funky.



My best advice: After twenty-five years she will trust you and will go with you on just about anything that floats. To this day my wife simply ducks her head down when she becomes frightened and I usually tell her when it's OK to look up again. You have to build trust.



Good Luck