is anyone still sailing around in winter? (UK, Scotland)

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tomasis

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hey!

As the title says, I wonder if the weather is not scary enough to let people to go out to sail?

The reason for such question is that I'm fairly new to yachts and it'd be cool if I don't have to wait to Spring/Summer to learn things about sailing.

I'm a bit impatient, I guess :)
 
Wait for suitable weather opportunities and get out there.

A heated cabin (even if a fan heater powered by mains) will make things more cheerful.

Watch for condensation, and then moulds on cold surfaces.
 
tomasis said:
hey!

As the title says, I wonder if the weather is not scary enough to let people to go out to sail?

The reason for such question is that I'm fairly new to yachts and it'd be cool if I don't have to wait to Spring/Summer to learn things about sailing.

I'm a bit impatient, I guess :)
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum.
What size yacht do you have and do you have a crew and experience?

There are only four minor differences between winter and summer in the West Coast:

Temperature - dress accordingly.
Daylight hours - don''t go too far.
Wind - check the forecast. I found a link on another thread to this useful site: http://windyty.com
Rain - i.e. adverse visibility.
 
No different to the summer except more safety as you don't want to be in the water unless your wearing a drysuit so make sure you clip on your safety lines. We can have poor weather in the summer too but equally their can be really nice days in the winter to compensate. As mentioned though you do have limited daylight hours. If its a nice day and the forecast is good give it a go, estuary boating can be nice this time of the year and obviously a lot safer than open sea should conditions deteriorate or you get cold/sick.
 
Wansworth said:
Keep an eye on the forecast as mentioned but bear in mind that damper air weighs more so wind will have more weight in it.....
Click to expand...

Not strictly true near the shorelines thanks to the Midge, where the air is usually also blue..:)
 
It depends on where you are and if you have 240V.

I have spent a few days aboard in winter.

Even if it's clear and dry it takes ages for the deck to dry on a morning enough to get the bedding out to air off.

240V is great, get the fan heater on and the hatches open and you can just about keep up with the condensation.

Same diesel with a hot air blower, but you have to run the engine for a couple of hours too, daylight doesn't do enough with the solar to keep up with the battery drain.

It's best if you can leave on a nice day so you can air the boat out thoroughly before you leave, otherwise expect mildew when you get back.

Don't sleep aboard or cook aboard and day sailing can be good if all the soft furnishings are at home in the warm and dry.
 
It is the best time of year to get used to your boat - very few people around to see you make mistakes or to bump into. There will be lots of empty spaces in your (or another ) marina, so you can practise getting into awkward berths with no risk to other boats. And the birds and wildlife are wonderful.

Keep your trips short, in good weather, and stay warm. By the spring, when other boats are being launched you will be confident to tackle anything.

We bought our first boat in December, learnt to sail her during the winter, and sailed to Denmark in in the following April/May about 12 years ago!
 
The photo for my avatar was taken in the Solent two weeks into January. It was a brilliant, warm and sunny day with glorious blue sky.

OK the next day was grey, damp, overcast and we surfed up Southampton Water gusting force 6 up the backside but great fun all the same :)
 
air_density_temperature_graph.png

and my apologies for my previous post - water vapour (hydrogen and oxygen) molecules are of course lighter than nitrogen and oxygen molecules so humid air is less dense than dry air.
 
Winter is a great time to get out there, as long as you've the right clothing and plenty of hot tea!

Far fewer people out on the water, no crowded anchorages (a still, clear morning waking up at anchor is such a beautiful thing). Make sure you've hot drinks on the go all the time.

And if the weather is too scary for you (people are different, what's scary for me might be not scary for you and vice versa) don't go out. The same applies to summer sailing, you know?

So. Winter sailing can be really lovely. I'm just getting my new boat ready and we'll be putting her in the water in December and sailing her from Falmouth to Langstone Harbour in time for Christmas. Can't wait.

Be safe and warm and enjoy :)
 
Thanks for the welcome and suggestions!

Many useful responses...

I'm studying in Edinburgh and my interest for sailing is quite new. So I haven't got any sailboat yet hence no sailing experience but I'm looking for a sailor who wants company or doesn't mind a new-beginner as crew. It feels assuring that the winter weather is not that bad..

I want to see if I do like sailing. I've done a bit crazy things earlier.. camping all year in Scotland, for example...

If I like sailing in general, I might buy a boat, something like Albin Vega (I'm from Sweden)..it might be good boat for living aboard/circumnavigation.

Now I need figure out how to find people in Edinburgh who are willing to share a ride and introduce me to the sailing!
 
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