so how are you doing on your winter boat jobs

[lustyd]

There seem to be a few people saying it's too cold now so they are waiting until January or February. Do sailors not understant the weather anymore?

November has been around 12-14 degrees for the most part (down south at least) - generally quite nice sailing weather, and this happens every year. 12 degrees is also fine for most boaty maintenance but you'll need to wear a jumper.
December will be colder but generally sunny, again probably nice sailing.
January and February will be FREEZING and you won't be able to do anything at all.
March will be far too windy to do anything and will still be rather chilly. Then April will come and you'll all moan when I send out the pictures of the nice sailing because your boats won't be ready to go in the water!

Get on with it you lazy bunch

 

[PhillM]

There seem to be a few people saying it's too cold now so they are waiting until January or February. Do sailors not understant the weather anymore?

November has been around 12-14 degrees for the most part (down south at least) - generally quite nice sailing weather, and this happens every year. 12 degrees is also fine for most boaty maintenance but you'll need to wear a jumper.
December will be colder but generally sunny, again probably nice sailing.
January and February will be FREEZING and you won't be able to do anything at all.
March will be far too windy to do anything and will still be rather chilly. Then April will come and you'll all moan when I send out the pictures of the nice sailing because your boats won't be ready to go in the water!

Get on with it you lazy bunch

Here, here, oh and the boatyard and chandlery guys a saying that business is slower than usual this year. A good time to get deals me thinks

 

[stav]

Cannot afford to come out of the water in Jersey but thankfully(?) the boat spends half the time high and dry so good tides and wind sail, bad tides/wind do jobs.

Wired all the NMEA for the DSC radio, chart plotter and yeoman yesterday.
Oiled the water pump after work and looked at the leaking spil pipe but stopped there.
Looked at the pipe work for the eber and made a list of fittings.
Tickled a tiny bit of the gelcoat on the coahcroof and now thinking about painting it.......
I find procrastination takes longer than doing the job!
Still lots to do but hopefully all working by Easter.

 

[the_branflake]

I'm glad its not just me then. We are out of the water now and some progress has been made but I've got a long list of jobs to do. I'm removing all my fittings, cleaning and i then need to seal all of them.

Engine is ready for the winter with new oil and antifreeze, batteries are off and charged. Saildrive needs to come off soon to fix that

Boats undercover this year so I'm hoping that's going to help me.

 

[snooks]

I've done loads....well I paid ARC Antifouling to strip the hull and apply copper coat...it was a stroke of genius, even though I do say it myself.....Got it over with asap, so no having to worry about it for the rest of the winter.

She's cleaned out, sails are in the sailmakers, I've removed some of the kit I had on loan and it's gone back. Not much else to do this year.

I have to look into re engining -waiting until LIBS, and I have to service all the Blakes sea cocks.

 

[lustyd]

I have to look into re engining -waiting until LIBS, and I have to service all the Blakes sea cocks.

Didn't you replace most of your engine on your travels?

 

[maby]

Mine will all be completed by the end of the week:

1) Screw fire extinguishers to bulkheads instead of leaving them in lockers
2) Likewise screw fireblanket to a bulkhead instead of storing it in the locker behind the hob! (not the best location, I know...)
3) Screw loo brush to bulkhead in order to stop it wandering across the heads every time we tack
4) Connect GPS to DSC radio so that it doesn't complain every ten minutes about lack of positioning data...
5) Replace those stupid continental power sockets with proper 13A sockets

oh, and:

6) Go sailing!

 

[snooks]

Didn't you replace most of your engine on your travels?

That's what we thought at the beginning of last year

 

[DJE]

Boat ashore all removable gear at home for washing, etc. All in loft now except cushions.
Only job done on the boat so far is to apply liberal coat of Plus Gas to shaft coupling bolts. One day the Volvo shaft seal will need replacing and to do that I need a coupling that I can get appart instead of the 22 year old rusty lump I have at present. Next job is to take the impact driver and/or blowlamp and/or angle grinder to the old coupling to get it off but currently busy letting the Plus Gas soak in!


-Never do a written list they only delay relaunching.

 

[BAtoo]

staying in the water
zero lists
zero jobs

Me too - bigger boat laid up out on its (sheltered) swinging mooring so access not so easy with the short days .... & when I went out last I forgot the boat keys

Squib needs a new floor so that will have to wait till a warm few days in the New Year as it needs some fiberglass work unless I can find a big shed......

 

[reginaldon]

Time limited, but when swmbo(Alzh's) goes to Day Centre, twice a week, I get the odd hour or two. Am planning to finish all external work by Christmas & then below in the warm. Only repairs were done last year

 

[nimrod1230]

Sails at sailmakers, washed, main needs small repair to batten pocket. Genoa being fitted with foam luff, no repairs needed, collect both mid March. Stack pack being washed, new zip and re proofed for March. Bimini frame, sides etc being patterned this week for winter manufacture and spring fitting. Engine service next Monday. All foods, bedding etc cleared. My part of the list includes service outboard, service generator, move chartplotter and Autohelm. Not started any of my jobs yet but can at least choose the weather for inside/outside jobs. Sorry, must get on!

 

[haydude]

Done.

 

[Vara]

My list of 17 items is now done, while doing them I unearthed another 6 things to do.

It has taken me a long time to realise that you never finish the things that need doing. Forth road bridge comes to mind.

While typing this I see a bit of manky whipping, do that tomorrow .

 

[Csail]

Don't understand you winter people....Why not blitz it for a week in the summer.Apart from sweat its way quicker and more sociable.

 

[Poignard]

Don't understand you winter people....Why not blitz it for a week in the summer.Apart from sweat its way quicker and more sociable.

Yes - Cowes week would be a good time!

 

[RobbieH]

Topsides sanded to remove **** old paint job, skimmed with epoxy, sanded, primered, sanded, basecoated, sanded, topcoated, sanded, topcoated - now waiting until spring for cut and buff.

Rubbing strake sanded back a bit to remove some of the "distressed kitchen" look. Completely degraded Sika removed. Waiting until deck paint is done before renewing.

Deck stripped of fittings, mostly sanded before painting.

Tiller and washboards varnished.

Length of list of things still to do is stable (good sign) but distressingly long. Working in covered hanger at the moment so weather not such a factor (except for painting temps) so making good progress.

I should buy shares in 3M

 

[maby]

Don't understand you winter people....Why not blitz it for a week in the summer.Apart from sweat its way quicker and more sociable.

Does depend, to some extent, on your pattern of life. We have relatively little time free, and want to spend as much of it sailing as possible. Last year, we let the boat yard do most of the essential maintenance.

 

[mikeinkwazi]

Mad old men in a shed!

That’s a good question. My wife has just referred to the boat as my “man shed” where I disappear off to for hours at the weekend and get nothing done. It’ been very sociable down at the marina though, consuming a lot of coffee and I've seen several new toys for the Christmas list.

Yep! And very nice it is too. May get the mast stripped and painted when the yard get around to moving it. Been one and a half months waiting, but in no hurry!

 

[onesea]

It has taken me a long time to realise that you never finish the things that need doing. Forth road bridge comes to mind.

Here keep my boat afloat and sail all year, earlier this year I had to use the forward hatch as the sliding hatch was frozen shut .

As for the list of jobs it grows and contracts through the year, nice day no wind do some work... This year the list has grown there always plenty of wind