What to do in the winter?

[Mirelle]

What would you do?

Boat is wooden, in good order. The choice is either to lay up ashore under a cover as usual or, at slightly greater expense, to take a winter berth in one of the Orwell marinas for six months, and carry on sailing on fine weekends.

There is a huge temptation to do the latter, at this time of year, but I suspect that the true cost, in terms of wear and tear on sails and gear, would be greater than I now imagine, with nothing getting properly dry for weeks on end on deck, plus frost, etc. And I would have to slip the boat in the spring anyway.

A friend with a similar boat took the "keep sailing" option last year, and took a six month marina berth at Levington, but found that he only went sailing six times.

What does the team think?

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I find that I need to take so much home to prevent it getting damp (such as cushions), that winter sailing becomes far less appealing....

 

[duncan]

got to be a relative call for you surely - what would you normally be doing if the boats layed up under cover?

personally I love those crisp early mornings and the contrast between air temp and me being snug (in whatever!) - but they are available in early spring too!

Room for compromise - lay up late for just 3 months and go back early?

 

[ChrisE]

I've ticked 'keep sailing'.

We've done this sporadically over the last 12 years and would concur with your chum you only sailed half a dozen times but would say that now we have a proper heater, as I know you do, we will sail more. There is something rather pleasing about being one of the few about and the joy of not having to prebook anywhere is wonderful.

You are right that is probably more wear on the gear but prob no more than leaving it in yard, which for us is the only alternative. As for frost, we kept ours in the water in Norway with air temps down to -15c (which is probably colder than even the East coast!) last year and found that a cheapy heater set to frost free running off the marinas power point kept the boat nicely aired and the bedding dry. I don't know if this is an option on a wooden hull.

 

[beancounter]

Would suggest that how much you use it will depend on two things:

a) Non-sailing comittments. They can increase over winter - e.g. the frenzy around the "festive" season, catching up with jobs ignored during the sailing season.... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

b) Weather. We delayed haul-out last year until early December, and, thanks to the fine autumn, sailed 4 or 5 times from early October to late November.

Can't comment on the gear issues, but all things being equal, wouldn't you prefer the boat there for you if a crisp & bright December weekend had "sailing" written all over it?

Edit:
Also, if you're paying for the marina , why not take up their electricity & put a tubular heater and/or dehumidifier on board? I think it cost us about £20 to run a tubular heater overnight and a de-humidifier for 4 hours in the middle of the day, from mid-December to the end of March.

 

[KRG]

I sailed through last winter and intend to do this year, I didn't notice any excessive wear on the gear and we had some great days out. It is a gamble on the weather but for me even just visiting the boat and messing about below with some of those little interior jobs is better than no boat. A good heater is a must though.

The only problem i had last year was the bl**dy crows every morning making a horrible mess of the boat /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[jenku]

As soon as global warming does away with the ice in the Baltic I'll keep mine in that's for sure!

 

[26ft_bathtub]

Sail her, you know you want to.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

If you can get electricity on the pontoon - keep her in. We did the last two winters and the sailing was great, but it was a good winter; also jobs on board were somehow more fun when the boat was in the water. A heater is essential and dehumidifier was a great help. Also being wooden, you'd benefit from the boat being in salt water?

 

[simonfraser]

sail her, how much longer do you intend to live for !?!?

 

[AliM]

The Orwell is beautiful, sheltered and almost empty in winter. You may only go out for a couple of hours, every few weekends, but what else would you be doing - redecorating the bathroom or something?... I rest my case.

 

[LittleShip]

"Boat is wooden, in good order."

Your words not mine........if you want to keep it that way put it under cover. You will however kick yourself everytime the winter sun comes out.
Why cant we have open sheds like they do in Canada and the States.

I will guarantee that most of the people who say leave it in and use it have plastic!!

Tom

 

[Mirelle]

Very good point, which I had managed to completely overlook... thanks.

 

[Mirelle]

Umm. Thing is, I know you are right!

One gets deceived by these lovely fine dry September days, and forgets just how wet, cold, dark and generally nasty the English winter is!

Better go to plan B; lay up early, get half the work done now, get afloat by Easter.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

here's what really happens;

Drive to boat, haul gear on board, start Eberspächer, cook, drink wine and watch film, do crosswords, watch tv, play games, think about maintenance, switch off Eberspächer, go home.

Look forward to doing it again next week.


ho hum.

 

[adrianm]

[ QUOTE ]
"Boat is wooden, in good order."

Your words not mine........if you want to keep it that way put it under cover. You will however kick yourself everytime the winter sun comes out.
Why cant we have open sheds like they do in Canada and the States.

I will guarantee that most of the people who say leave it in and use it have plastic!!

Tom

[/ QUOTE ]

I voted keeping it in but my boat is steel.

Not totally familiar with wooden boats but surely it can't be that damaging leaving them in? I don't remember all the fishing boats coming out every year as a lad.

 

[kengill]

Ventilate the boat well and use a dehumidifier if that does it for you.

I love winter sailing, the moorings are empty and there's very few pratts about trying to ram you.

Just take plenty of salt to melt the ice and snow in the cockpit

 

[DaveS]

[ QUOTE ]
"Boat is wooden, in good order."

Your words not mine........if you want to keep it that way put it under cover. You will however kick yourself everytime the winter sun comes out.
Why cant we have open sheds like they do in Canada and the States.

I will guarantee that most of the people who say leave it in and use it have plastic!!

Tom

[/ QUOTE ]

Well I said "leave it in" precisely because she is wood. My understanding (anecdotal / theoretical only) is that wooden hulls are happier kept wet, and that in drying out over winter they develop leaks which then gradually close up again after launching. I've only ever had plastic and, mainly because of that, I winter ashore to allow the hull to dry out, which I understand is good practice to reduce the likelihood of osmosis.

As for the superstructure, now that's a different issue and I entirely agree that some sort of cover would be beneficial. Nothing too tight, but with an adequate "roof" to keep the rain and bird crap off while allowing good ventilation. There must be a market for something like this that can stand up to winter storms yet be removed reasonably quickly on the days you want to sail. Business opportunity, anyone?

 

[tillip]

"I love winter sailing, the moorings are empty and there's very few pratts about trying to ram you."

"I will guarantee that most of the people who say leave it in and use it have plastic!!"

Yes to both,
Sailed in the wintersun on Christmas day last year, best chrismas present I've had in years /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Sheff]

Best of both worlds........... take mine out as on a swinging mooring so i don't want any damage from winter gales.

Persuade a friend with marina berth to keep his in and crew for him on Christmas cruise/frostbite race.

Oh bu&&er, forgot he reads these fora......... where's the delete button /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif