Chill out

[Bob]

Dress for it

I'm itching to try some iceboating, but there aren't many opportunities in Virgina. However, there are some good days on the Chesapeake Bay in December - like this one almost 30 years ago. Can you say "weather helm"?

 

[Bob]

oops, here's the pic for the previous post...

Necessary attire for winter in Virginia, or summer on SF Bay:

 

[oldsail]

Above 40 degrees

I sail my Hunter 40 out of Brooklyn on the Long Island and Jersey Coast. I Sail alone most of the time, and I find that when the temperature drops below 40 degrees, it becomes just too uncomfortable to sail more then a few hours without going below. However there are days like last Thursday. The sun was shinning, it reached in the mid fifties, and the winds were a steady 15 knots, it was the closest thing to heaven.AH MAMA SAYD THERE WOULD BE DAYS LIKE THIS. MAMA SAYD

 

[Calif. Ted]

No ice here except under the beer, but I do

use a little electric heater with shorepower and just got a propane heater for those chilly mornings on a mooring or on the hook. Plan to field test that heater this week in Catalina or Mission Bay. Call me a sissy if you must but I don't even want to get out of the bunk to start coffee at 50 degrees. Next boat's GOT to have a heater but do you know how rare they are on boats in So. Calif ? I'll abstain from the poll as winter here is like summer in some places.

 

[David11038]

Sail as long as possible

Here in Michigan, it is necessary to sail in cold weather to extend the season. A sailing club I belong to keeps the boats in from the beginning of April to early November, sometimes you need to break the ice off the sheets when you first go out, then it warms to low-40's. The advantage of cool weather sailing is there are few, if any, power boaters out there and the wind is usually steadier and stronger in spring and fall. I am talking CB boats so we need to wear dry or wet suits in case of a capsize.

 

[slinger]

Ice on dock

Headed out Sat afternoon on Lake Lanier in 25 to 30knot winds with one reef in and smaller jib -- well balanced and great sailing .. docked at the bullfrog Grill for a beer and when we came out there was ice on the dock, the wind had picked up and the moon was full. Sailed back to our dock under jib only on a broad reach. Cold as hell but great fun.

 

[nitejazz]

Iceberg Sailing

I sail every chance I get. Last weeks sail is posted on my sailing blogs:http://tfwbs.blogspot.com/http://www.sailblogs.com/member/pollypureheart/

 

[robert kasprzak]

hard water sailing

hard water sailing is the only way to last the winter . but you muust wait for that perfect day to come .to hit 50 miles per hour.

 

[Joe11688]

Sailing no, but kayaking, yes.

My boat Trinkka is fast asleep under her cover, so winter sailing is out of the question for this old salt. However, my little 9' kayak is always in the back of my truck inside the cap, and whenever we get a day in the 50s, I pack a lunch and take my First Mate, Penelope Pitbull with me to our favorite little cove on the other side of the Taunton River. We paddle to the other side of the river from the Somerset Waterfront Park, and when we get to the Cove near the Fall River Country Club, we hide the kayak in the bushes, and walk along the shore of the river beach combing. We do a lot of this in the summer months, both in this area, and areas of Mount Hope Bay near Bristol RI. On a good day, I can find 20 to 30 golf balls. We've found a yard cart,PFDs,life rings,duck decoy,mooring balls,fishing lures,boat pole brushes, and many Styro fish trap floats, which come in handy for stringing on a mooring pendant line, to keep it afloat. Pendant lines are know to sink and wrap around the mooring chain on the river. On this particular trip just before Christmas, I invited a fellow yacht club member named Bill, to accompany Penny and I. Bill found a boat brush on a telescopic stick. I looked up the price and they sell for around $50.00 in the marine stores. It's a lot of fun,but you have to pick the right days. A dip in that cold water can be disastrous. I wear a whistle on a cord around my neck, and of course Penelope and I always wear our Life jackets. Here's a picture of my friend Bill Mazz, and Penelope with the kayaks.

 

[BJV]

Been on a few frosty sails

An we enjoy them, at least part of them Every sail, regardless of conditions has good parts. On a cold brisk day its good to feel the sting of the air, the brisk breeze as you sail across mostly clear water (no power boats ;-))Its also real nice after to curl up down below with a cup of tea, a bowl of hot soup and some light tunes. Makes you feel alive. That being said, dont want to make a habit of this type of sailing.

 

[Dale Spencer]

Loving the lake to myself

I recently purchased my 2002 Hunter 240 in October 05. I have been sailing every chance I get. I was planning to take it out of the water over New Years but have kept it in due to the milder winter weather we are having. I have been out with the temps in the low to mid forties. I wear thermal underwear, turtleneck,sweatshirt, jeans and windbreaker jacket and ball cap. If in the fifties, I scrap the thermal. I plan to take the boat out for February and put it back in the water in March. I have had some great sails this winter and since our lake is fairly narrow and very crowded in the summer, it has been very nice to have the lake mostly to myself.

 

[Warren Milberg]

As you can see....

... in the attached pic, my mind and body are willing, but the body of water behind the boat is not....Only 70 days 'til spring launch! We all better get busy....!

 

[flyhop]

Dale Spencer...and sailing in AL

Dale...give my regards to Cindy Baker, et al. You can contact me at flyhop AT comcast.netWe sail down here in AL pretty much year round. Like Dale, we like having the lake to ourselves. The only downside is playing chicken with the barges going up and down the Tennessee River.

 

[Benny]

Going sailing Tomorrow.

Today the temperature hit 81 degrees and tomorrow they spect more of the same. Easterly wind 10-15 knots. I,ll wear T-shirt and shorts but will take a jacket as the water temperature is still 65 degrees. We went out this past Monday for a couple of hours to frolick in 25-30 knot wind. We hit 7.8 knots under shortened jib alone. Temperature was 67 degrees but the jackets came out.

 

[ex-admin]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending January 22, 2006:Mid-winter sailing is...45% Best done in the Caribbean24% Something I do now and then20% Something I love and look forward to10% Not for me under any circumstances!

 

[Jon W.]

That's us

Racing on Lake Union yesterday. 8-28 knots of wind, close to 50 degrees temp. Looks like the pre-start judging by the poor jib trim and the boat in the background.

 

[Mike]

O shut up.

Rub it in, will ya...

 

[Calif. Ted]

How 'bout just one more photo of Catalina

Island at Sunset last Saturday (1/21/06). Not much wind as you can see but it picked up again after sun was completely down. Sure seemed freakin' cold to me, I had on 3 layers top and bottom but didn't resort to the down parka. Spring is just around the corner!

 

[fgcfire]

got in trouble that way

I took a nice 65F day in feb a couple years ago with 15-20 mph winds and took the little 13 ft chrysler Pirateer out on lake anna.The weather channel called for 20 mph wind but forgot to mention 54-58 mph gustsgot bout 1/4 mile from shore with boat on a plane when the 55 mph gusts hit sailing soloBoat pitched back bout 40 degrees and heeled 18039 degree water is COLD and went back for boat in snow several days later after getitng pulled from water and spending hour shivering in back of squad is not fun. getting no signal on cell phone when dial 911 while hanging on to bow of turtled boat is a bummer too.Need to get the 23 ft aquarious fire princess out for a sail has not been out since august;-(Frank VA

 

[Ross]

Folks tend to forget that a fifty MPH wind

Blows 100 Times as hard as a five MPH wind.