Would you mind going through some general questions with an idiot newbie?

Chiara’s slave said:
I can’t be alone here is sailing dinghys through the winter. Mrs C feels the cold though. She was fine when she was pregnant, apparently it’s like hav8ng your owm central heating. Drysuits helped though. We are in commission 12 months these days too, there are some fantastic winter sailing days.
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You are a proper sailor. Yes there are some blue sky bright sky beautiful winter days., and you usually get the river or lake to yourself., and as you pass marinas heads pop out of boats
(maintenance) thinking he must be mad.
 
I've kept my boat in through winter. My area (East Coast) gets quite a lot of fogs. Many winter days are either too windy or too still. The short days are also a bit of a limit. So there are fewer winter days that work than I'd like, but when they do, it's good. Other winters I've just had too much to refurbish so I've stayed out longer. This year I'm staying in til early December but undecided on whether that will be for a short time or whether I'll take on more improvements and stay out longer. I quite enjoy a solid day of winter boat renovation work, and the pub dinner I clearly deserve after 😀

I've done courses over winter months and been glad I did. Training in tougher conditions and then it all seems easy on my own on a mild day in late spring.
 
To be sure, you can enjoy the same bracing, wintery experience in mid July anywhere North of the Clyde. Last year being a point in case. Think of it as a training exercise for proper summer cruising.
Offseason sailing has many benefits, here in Brittany harbour fees drop by 30%, there is no need to make reservations at the local restaurant and with the understanding that you are now a valued customer, rather than some touristic annoyance.
 
Skylark said:
A bit of a contrary view.

I did a sailing course based from Largs in a February a few years ago. It was the type of course that involved long hours and a fair bit of night sailing hours. It was bitterly cold and I’d never do it again. Negotiating heavy morning frost on the pontoons is not my idea of fun.

Choosing a bright day and enjoying a few hours in the water is not the same as the commitment required to complete a 5-day Comp Crew course.

I keep my own boat in The Clyde and it really is a wonderful playground but, personally, my season is generally only 5 months. Living within Greater Manchester, I’m quite content with other hobbies and frequenting country pubs with open fires during the winter season.
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Having to sail regardless of weather because you’ve booked it is definitely a step beyond having a sail on a beautiful winter day. And sailing catamarans on inland waters might be cold, but it’s only a couple of hours, followed by a shower and a coffee. I find sailing throughout the year keeps me on top of the game, it’s very noticeable how rusty some people are in the spring.
 
Boats are designed to float, and so are structurally happier in the water than when propped up on land. I have found, though, that damp is more of a problem when in the water and some means of managing this, by ventilation or dehumidifier will often be necessary.

I have enjoyed winter sailing when younger, but the shorter days means that the available time may be much less than you expect, and no expense should be spared on good clothing. In popular areas you may be able to enjoy the kind of peace and quiet that was normal a couple of generations ago, but the insurance company will need to know about it.
 
Zinfandel said:
Good evening all, I hope you're doing well!

This year I got in to dinghy sailing. I've always loved being on the water and it's annoying that I always though most any kind of water sport I'd want to do was completely out of reach and it turns out Dinghys are incredibly affordable and boats aren't too unaffordable either.

With that in mind. I've crewed for a few people at my local yacht club and I know these are questions I could asked them but I'm a little embarrassed.

So first question is, do you absolutely have to take the boat out of the water over winter? I know it's generally a summer activity but I don't mind the cold and rain, even at six knots. Or would it be possible to take it out for a couple of weeks and do the work you need and put it back in the water? I'd be looking to sail out of Whitehaven or Fleetwood I think. There aren't too many opportunities to crew around here (NW England) and I'll be doing my training at Largs. How much training do you think you need before you're able to take command of the boat yourself?

I appreciate this is all a bit naieve and annoying but I would genuinely appreciate some help. I'd like to generally sail around the Irish sea and potentially up the coast of Scotland and I'm hoping to meet some people who do ISORA stuff and maybe bribe my way on to a boat!

Thank you.
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Generally the older boats need to come out off the water to dry out. The early resins whilst good, still absorbed water and in bad cases osmosis forms. My boat nearly 50 years old, was out of the water every other year for around 5 months, and it made a difference as to the level on the water line.

As others have said sailing upto December can be nice as the sea still has some warmth. January to March can be cold though March is warming up apart from the sea temperature.
 
Yes - winter sail, avoiding overnights and keeping the trips to 6-7 hours- then back to a warm pub !
Tests any crew's mettle and you can hone your hardy crews list !
 
thinwater said:
What they call "frostbiting" is pretty common here. Racing all winter, and yes, we get ice and snow. Popular right up into New England. Well, sort of popular;).

Fewer sail the larger boats as well. Some of it is the cold (with proper dress not bad). Complexities of winterizing. As for cruising, short days and many of the restaurants are closed.
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I have done quite a lot of frostbite racing over the years in the US; mostly in Lasers

Taking the cover off and finding the mainsheet frozen into a block of ice is a normal thing.

It's hard to explain, but it is incredibly popular in the US.

I would say most clubs in New England Frostbite. Usually, Frostbiting is open to non-members for some small fee, and clubs get many new regular members through frostbiting.

Crucially, they are the right kind of member; they sail!

Typically a club will race only one class, so fleets are large; typically more boats on the starting line than in any one class raced in the summer. I was frostbiting for years at a club where 40-50 lasers on the start line was a regular thing. Its' declined a bit there - mostly because other nearby clubs have gone to the laser for frostbiting.

The Laser is not really a traditional frostbiting boat, rather it has become more popular over the last 20 years or so. Traditionally, frostbite boats required much less athleticism to sail well, the idea being to make it accessible to a wide range of sailors.

The Dyer Dhow was a typical frostbite boat.
 
We also keep our boat in commission all year, in a marina. I used to lay up for the winter but I now find the boat stays in better condition with regular visits and use. It does mean things like external canvas wear out quicker. Winter sailing is a case of grabbing the good weather when we can, but we also use the boat as a floating caravan for the family, and knock the jobs off the list as we go. I usually take her out once a year in June for anodes, a hull polish and anything underwater that needs doing.
 
Go for it. I used to be a a 'summer only' sailor, until I got my own boat. I've now become so obsessed with being afloat that this year I plan to sail all through the cold months. Also, you get a lot more maintenance done ashore in the warm summer months too. Had a lovely pootle around the harbour yesterday under very dark skies with barely another boat in sight, and for me that's the beauty of winter sailing...lots of open water where you can set a tack, settle down and just keep going without interruption, bliss.
 
Years ago I had a small motor boat wth a cabin so went on a fishing trip in January on the clyde and in the morning my sleeping bag was frozen to the hull with frost so that was my last winter trip.
 
Atabnab said:
Years ago I had a small motor boat wth a cabin so went on a fishing trip in January on the clyde and in the morning my sleeping bag was frozen to the hull with frost so that was my last winter trip.
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Lots of boats have cabin heating, hot water etc these days. Generally makes much more comfortable.
However, I do admit that one January weekend with a forecast of gentle winds and full sun both days, but -8C overnight, we sailed to Tarbert Loch Fyne but went to a local B&B for the night. Water had frozen round the boat in the morning. But was brilliant weekend to be out on the water.
 
Actually, just remembered the OP may be sailing out of whitehaven, so he’s bound by the gates and has the solway tides to tend with, plus doesn’t really have many interesting places to go on a daysail.
So go out for a few days, and your world opens right up. Isle of man, great place to visit, kippford and kirkcudbright, hestan island, luce bay, there is a lot of great little trips you can do in winter but almost no day trips.
I started sailing out of Maryport, after just doing a comp crew course and using an iphone for navigation. But I could already navigate in mountains, so just had to factor in the third dimension of the ground(sea) moving forwards and backwards and variable altitudes (depths)
If navigation is new to you would probably find a dayskipper course useful. Make sure you jump straight in soon after and make some wee passages while its fresh and then you will be confident you can do it.
Incidentally, maryport has some very good pubs so could be worth a wee trip one weekend.
If you need a cheap mooring in cumbria, as opposed to a marina, join vanguard sailing club in workington. Drying moorings in their little bay opposite the harbour.
 
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