How many of you sail throughout the winter season?

[Neeves]

We sail 359, if its raining we give it a miss. The number of days of rain seem to be evaporating

Jonathan

 

[Spyro]

I did many years ago but the novelty wore off. Yes there were some nice sunny days but quite often that comes with the cold and having to wash the decks with salt water to remove the frost before going out can be a nuisance. Today for example was a beautiful day with a cloudless sky but there was frost on the ground all day and temps only just above freezing.

 

[LittleSister]

I often keep the boat in the water for the winter, but for various reasons not this year.

It's much more productive if you live close enough to do daysails, or have a larger boat capable of running heating continuously to make the long evenings more comfortable/attractive. Neither of which applies to me, sadly!

Apart from the sailing, the water keeps the boat from the lowest temperatures.

 

[Kelpie]

It's much more productive if you live close enough to do daysails

Location must make a difference. If we want to spend a night away from our own mooring, we generally are committing to a minimum 25nm passage across the Minch with an unlit entrance at the end of it. We don't find it that attractive a proposition.

 

[westhinder]

We used to when we were young and innocent.
It is all very well if you can sail in sheltered waters such as lake Solent, the North Sea is often less appealing in winter. We found the short days and long winter nights inside too restrictive, so we decided it wasn’t worth the bother.
There was ice on the decks when I moved the boat to be lifted out a couple of days ago, a sign it was the end of the season.
I have just returned home, having made the boat winterproof.

 

[Sandy]

I've only just moved from shorts to long trousers.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

The boat is in the water and therefore I sail a bit when the weather is good; I don't mind the cold wind but I don't like the rain.

 

[Alskade]

:encouragement:

I've only just moved from shorts to long trousers.

 

[bikedaft]

Yes. Heading up today for a wee sail abaout. Frosty and temperature inversion. Quite happy to come home in the dark, or even set off if away for the weekend. Few streetlights, and moonlight or starlight adds to the charm. Cold, but wrap up warm. Very quiet. Just pick the weather, we've had a good spell here (W Scotland)

 

[Poignard]

That feels like a long time not to sail, but I guess if you sail a lot in your season then it balances out.

You're right, it does seem like a long time when you think about it but in reality it seems no time between laying up and re-launching and rushing to get all those jobs done that you had meant to complete during the winter.

 

[Daydream believer]

I try to stop going "cold turkey" by manning the club safety boat for the dinghy polar series. Every year I say "no more", it is too cold & sat wet in a RIB in the river for 3.5 hours on a Sunday. But having done it for the past 18 years, they keep putting my name down in the club program.
.
I always take the boat out of the water & remove just about everything from it. It gives me a chance to remove excess "junk" that accumulates over the year. I do not think it is worth the effect on the boat to just leave it ready for a "non sailing" event. Remove sails for service. Running rigging not left to go mouldy.

The boat would still have to be lifted & jetwashed to remove the weed growth anyway. Leaving it in would mean two lifts, not one so the added cost is not worth it for a couple of hours sailing.

 

[Refueler]

I used to occasionally winter sail in UK when I lived there ... but as another says .. wet and cold takes its toll ! But you can have some incredible days .... on quiet days with that low sun across the water ...

Living in Baltic - my boat gets frozen in each winter now ...



I used to get the crane churning up my garden down to the river for lift out before winter set in.





I was thinking to have her out this winter but work has interfered so its 50-50 whether she will or not.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I used to occasionally winter sail in UK when I lived there ... but as another says .. wet and cold takes its toll ! But you can have some incredible days .... on quiet days with that low sun across the water ...

Living in Baltic - my boat gets frozen in each winter now ...

You can still go sailing just fit skis to your boat

I can sail all year round as we don't get ice or snow where I sail. one to think of it I have never even seen frost where I sail, some times we do at home but thats 2000 meters above sea level.

 

[KellysEye]

Jane and I never sailed in the winter.

 

[Refueler]

You can still go sailing just fit skis to your boat...

I can sail all year round as we don't get ice or snow where I sail. one to think of it I have never even seen frost where I sail, some times we do at home but thats 2000 meters above sea level.

Few years back the Latvian Authorities dynamited the ice blocking the river upstream of my place. Instead of then following and blowing build-ups as it flowed downstream - they left it to build a 5m high wall of water and a 10m high wall of ices moving downriver.
We live on the outer side of a bend in the river ... so when we got the call saying ice was on its way ... we knew it would break our banks.
My boats were in the frozen channel ... ice was near 1m thick.

Even when the water / ice wall was 5 - 6kms upstream - the ice was lifting and cracking in my channel. My 4 ton yacht was being lifted and moved.
It took ~12 hours from first sighting upriver to get to us ... as it got nearer - it sounded like WW3 .. a thousand excavators working .. it was deafening.

You can make out the wall in the distance ... took over 10hrs from there !



See the ice breaking and starting to lift / move my boats ...



Better view of the wall coming ..



It all hit at night ... up and over the bank ..



TV Company came to record the wall we had ... from water level to top was 14m high ...



It destroyed pontoons everything except the boats !!





After the ice melted !



Leftover from the 14m high ice wall that blocked my channel ...

 

[Poignard]

Did that boat used to be kept in Hayling Island Yacht Company's marina?

 

[rogerthebodger]

Wow at least we don't have to worry about ice just the odd cyclone sometimes. Fortunately we are a little too far south to have them too often.

 

[temptress]

We are still popping out for short sails and I wonder how many forum members sail throughout a winter season?

When we lived in the UK we sailed all winter. Good heating and the right clothes helped.

In fact my wife (then girlfriend) still remembers a valentines trip (early 90s we think) where we dragged anchor between starter and main course. We were covered in freezing mud, sleet and cold by the time we got sorted. Heating, Hot showers onboard and gin obviously worked because now we are anchored in Phuket Thailand thinking it is too hot.

Winter sailing was fun but different. We enjoyed the long nights but it's not for everyone. A winter gale at sea is bitterly cold but the sailing is the same.

 

[Alskade]

Fabulous photos..thank you

 

[Alskade]

When we lived in the UK we sailed all winter. Good heating and the right clothes helped.

In fact my wife (then girlfriend) still remembers a valentines trip (early 90s we think) where we dragged anchor between starter and main course. We were covered in freezing mud, sleet and cold by the time we got sorted. Heating, Hot showers onboard and gin obviously worked because now we are anchored in Phuket Thailand.

That’s a great memory for you both :encouragement: