There goes next season?

[Lucky Duck]

#

thats news to me. Can you point me at the relevant threads

Sailing allowed in lockdown

The CMA had previously made a similar decision regarding caravan parks.

For some reason some people on that thread thought the concept was somehow 'unsporting'. In contrast there is also a thread on the mobo section suggesting marinas are making additional profits due to the government assistance available.

 

[mjcoon]

I can't think of anything more supportive of social distancing than allowing people to sail their boats. Though I did see a lady solo sailing a dinghy wearing a face mask a while back so not everyone agrees its distanced enough.

Perhaps that was more to do with anonymity?

 

[Iliade]

Or warmth

 

[TernVI]

We did some dinghy sailing, masks were required on the slipway.
It's a bit of a comedy trying to put on a facemask while helming a dinghy in F5.

 

[WoodyP]

I am being positive for next season quietly getting the boat ready for an extended sail west from Levington on the east coast. A lot of us will be vaccinated by the spring. Christmas is a washout I know but just going to use the time to plan and prepare the boat. If the rain stops that is. ?

West from Levington gets you to Ipswich, then what? (I know you don't mean that, but it amused me.)

 

[Lucky Duck]

Some mild thread resurrection;

It seems to me that this season is going to follow broadly the same arc as last year.

At some point either government 'messaging' or the legislation will change to be more supportive of sailing but being able to visit other places will be some way off and when it does happen everywhere will be busy again with some of the more popular destinations being booked out months in advance. Then as we head towards the winter some restrictions will be reimposed.

While used boat prices are reportedly still holding up my mind does wander towards selling up.

 

[flaming]

Some mild thread resurrection;

It seems to me that this season is going to follow broadly the same arc as last year.

At some point either government 'messaging' or the legislation will change to be more supportive of sailing but being able to visit other places will be some way off and when it does happen everywhere will be busy again with some of the more popular destinations being booked out months in advance. Then as we head towards the winter some restrictions be reimposed.

While used boat prices are reportedly still holding up my mind does wander towards selling up.

Not sure I'm that pessimistic. Vaccine roll out is seemingly going pretty well, and given that the most vulnerable are being done first at some point that is going to start to have an impact on the hospitalization rate, and the death rate, which after all is what makes the reaction to covid different from normal winter flu. At this point I'm expecting a fairly normal racing season from June onwards as the hospital admission rate dwindles to almost zero.

 

[Babylon]

It seems to me that this season is going to follow broadly the same arc as last year...

... my mind does wander towards selling up.

I'd say no, just hold your nerve.

I had three glorious weeks last summer, this summer I intend to double that time and get further afield.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Not sure I'm that pessimistic. Vaccine roll out is seemingly going pretty well, and given that the most vulnerable are being done first at some point that is going to start to have an impact on the hospitalization rate, and the death rate, which after all is what makes the reaction to covid different from normal winter flu. At this point I'm expecting a fairly normal racing season from June onwards as the hospital admission rate dwindles to almost zero.

Do you think we will see nearer a 2019 normality this time around? Last season some places never re-opened for visitors after the closing down for March restrictions.

I'd say no, just hold your nerve.

I had three glorious weeks last summer, this summer I intend to double that time and get further afield.

According to the log we have put a pretty average number of miles under the keel but we didn't travel very far as the reported limitations on capacity each side of Lyme Bay put me off and we didn't feel 'brave' enough to go foreign.

 

[flaming]

Do you think we will see nearer a 2019 normality this time around? Last season some places never re-opened for visitors after the closing down for March restrictions.

I hope so. I think the big difference will be the psychological boost when those who are in charge of the visitors etc get the vaccine in their own arm sometime in the spring or early summer.

All of course assuming that we don't get a third wave of a variant that the vaccine doesn't protect against...

I've booked our crew accommodation for Dartmouth regatta at the end of August, pretty confident about that one now,

 

[Babylon]

The only reason I personally didn't extend much beyond the Solent last July/August was because I was single-handing with my hyper-energetic nine-month old puppy (didn't want to break my own rule of "make life as easy for yourself and your crew''!). Whereas several club members in their much bigger yachts cruised as far as Cornwall etc: from the WhatsApp group chats I don't recall anyone not being able to get in anywhere.

Once all the old, the truly vulnerable, key workers and enough random neurotics have been given the jab, it'll just be a mopping-up exercise. I wouldn't hold my breath for a normal Easter, but cannot see what justification our politicians and/or harbour/marina managers would have for wrecking the actual summer.

 

[Frogmogman]

I hope so. I think the big difference will be the psychological boost when those who are in charge of the visitors etc get the vaccine in their own arm sometime in the spring or early summer.

All of course assuming that we don't get a third wave of a variant that the vaccine doesn't protect against...

I've booked our crew accommodation for Dartmouth regatta at the end of August, pretty confident about that one now,

We've registered for the Porquerolles Cup (30th/31st May), but I'm not hugely optimistic that it will happen, the way things are in France right now, with the roll-out of vaccination proving frustratingly slow (only 1.1 million vaccinated so far). I'm hopeful that things will be ok for the Voiles de Saint Tropez at the end of September.

 

[ctva]

...
According to the log we have put a pretty average number of miles under the keel but we didn't travel very far as the reported limitations on capacity each side of Lyme Bay put me off and we didn't feel 'brave' enough to go foreign.

We're very welcoming up here for visiting cruising yotties. Not that foreign.

 

[ryanroberts]

Do you think we will see nearer a 2019 normality this time around? Last season some places never re-opened for visitors after the closing down for March restrictions.



According to the log we have put a pretty average number of miles under the keel but we didn't travel very far as the reported limitations on capacity each side of Lyme Bay put me off and we didn't feel 'brave' enough to go foreign.

Yes that and being a newb / wuss / solo put me off going further west than Portland this year

 

[Lucky Duck]

The only reason I personally didn't extend much beyond the Solent last July/August was because I was single-handing with my hyper-energetic nine-month old puppy (didn't want to break my own rule of "make life as easy for yourself and your crew''!). Whereas several club members in their much bigger yachts cruised as far as Cornwall etc: from the WhatsApp group chats I don't recall anyone not being able to get in anywhere.

Once all the old, the truly vulnerable, key workers and enough random neurotics have been given the jab, it'll just be a mopping-up exercise. I wouldn't hold my breath for a normal Easter, but cannot see what justification our politicians and/or harbour/marina managers would have for wrecking the actual summer.

A combination of there seeming to be more boats out and limitations on facilities to accommodate them (for example Weymouth Harbour had forbidden rafting and required a non -refundable deposit to book a berth) made me concerned that available space would be a major factor in where one could go.

 

[Babylon]

I appreciate that, but - being pragmatic about it - not being able to get into Weymouth wouldn't be a deal-breaker as there's always Portland just down the road.

One of my reasons for staying close to home was that I was having outboard problems and couldn't rely on being able to row the dog ashore in the inflatable from a mooring or anchorage somewhere - there was a stiff offshore wind when I tried it in Swanage (buoy as I didn't trust the thin layer of sand) and had anxieties about being blown right out into the Channel

 

[Lucky Duck]

I appreciate that, but - being pragmatic about it - not being able to get into Weymouth wouldn't be a deal-breaker as there's always Portland just down the road.

One of my reasons for staying close to home was that I was having outboard problems and couldn't rely on being able to row the dog ashore in the inflatable from a mooring or anchorage somewhere - there was a stiff offshore wind when I tried it in Swanage (buoy as I didn't trust the thin layer of sand) and had anxieties about being blown right out into the Channel

To take that example the concern was that those who would normally visit Weymouth Harbour would take up any available space at Portland and the marina beyond the town bridge. I did visit Portland in mid-October and for some reason the visitors' pontoons were full of boats which appeared to be laid up.

In retrospect we probably should have 'gone for it' but as we typically cruise outside the school holidays I had in mind a late season cruise which didn't really work out.

 

[RJJ]

Not sure I'm that pessimistic. Vaccine roll out is seemingly going pretty well, and given that the most vulnerable are being done first at some point that is going to start to have an impact on the hospitalization rate, and the death rate, which after all is what makes the reaction to covid different from normal winter flu. At this point I'm expecting a fairly normal racing season from June onwards as the hospital admission rate dwindles to almost zero.

I'm also more optimistic, however be aware that the most vulnerable people are not those causing the biggest problems for the NHS, for obvious reasons. Looking at the over-80s, there are fewer of them in the first place, and if they get severe Covid lasting some days, the sad outcome tends to follow fairly quickly.

The biggest cohort in terms of hospital occupancy is the 60-69 year olds.

 

[flaming]

The biggest cohort in terms of hospital occupancy is the 60-69 year olds.

All over 50s are supposed to have 1st dose by end of March though right?

Vaccine Queue Calculator for the UK

If you put 50 in that calculator, then even if you back the number of vaccines off to 1.5m per week, they're still saying end of April. Which looks ok for restrictions backed off enough for a sailing season by June.

1st dose is supposed to be enough to keep almost all out of hospital.

All over 30s should have 1st dose by end of June at 1.5m vaccines per week. If it's faster than that, then great.

 

[dom]

After a bad start I found sailing in 2020 to progressively more interesting: perhaps the trick is to remember that boats = freedom!

We for example set sail for Brittany late July, but had second thoughts mid-Channel and turned back to Salcombe. Absolutely rammed, streets heaving, and restaurants booked out. So we had a walk and headed around to Dartmouth where we spent a few lovely days. Then on up towards Torquay where we anchored in some picture-postcard coves. The holding was great anchoring in thick sand, so we headed ashore in the evenings to grill fish caught earlier in the day with a nice bottle of wine

Then back across Lyme Bay to Lulworth where my daughter came to spend a couple of days kayaking, swimming, and having fun.

On the season went, nobody got bored, even the young Rotty pup who seemed happy trying to catch minnows swimming in the shallows.