A slight cold snap has moved through my area and got me thinking. Anyone able to sail all year and if so, if in the cold, what sort of gear do you use to stay warm?
Way back when in the summer of 1987 I lived in the Sandestin/Miramar Beach FL area at a private place called "Tango Mar" and sailed a little 10 ft Sea Snark nearly every day from June until the last week of November. When the north winds arrived they made the Gulf very flat and I could see the wind gusts coming across the water, would catch one and off I'd go, leaning completely out of the boat to keep it level and would just skim across the water!!!!! Best Summer of my Life!!!!!!
Edited by martyr on Oct 01, 2016 - 07:24 AM.
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Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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Year 'Round Sailing?
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Posted: Oct 01, 2016 - 07:22 AM
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Posted: Oct 01, 2016 - 05:52 PM
We sail year round on the desert lakes, and the Az Yacht Club has regattas in November and January.
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Posted: Oct 02, 2016 - 01:00 PM
We sail year 'round up here in N Mississippi, Memphis area. There's always a weekend even in winter in the low 70s so we hit the lake. 3mm shorty wetsuits and a windbreaker is all that's needed. We have a lot of fun.
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Tim Grover
1996 Hobie Miracle 20
Two Hobie 14's
1983 G-Cat Restored
Memphis TN / North Mississippi
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Posted: Oct 02, 2016 - 01:07 PM
Cool, I'm in central 'Bama and should be able to sail all year as well. Thanks for the input.
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Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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Posted: Oct 02, 2016 - 01:36 PM
In Pennsylvania, the trick is to get hooked up with an ice boat. You can't believe these things turning a 20 mph wind into 60 MPH over clear ice. Snowmobile suits, goggles and yes....a life vest.
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Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
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Posted: Oct 02, 2016 - 03:08 PM
I sail year-round with my homeport being Ventura, CA. Fall and winter sailing requires a full wetsuit with polypropylene layering (I use it as a baselayer when I backpack) and I wear a waterproof, breathable smock, Gill) plus a neoprene beanie and full-time scubadiving gloves. You also might want some neoprene booties. I sometimes put waterproof hiking rain pants over my wetsuit for added protection. The important thing to remember is to bring your cat back in when you start turning blue!!! Sailbadthe Sinner -
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Posted: Oct 02, 2016 - 03:19 PM
full-finger diving gloves. Sailbad the Sinner. (3 Dart 18's, Prindle 18-2, Nacra 5.2) -
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Posted: Oct 02, 2016 - 07:18 PM
Yeah..... I know
https://youtu.be/-5umQeB07vE
but its fun!!!!
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Tornado (80's Reg White)
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Posted: Oct 03, 2016 - 12:14 AM
I guess we're pussies. We sailed Nov 5 last year, & were tempted to go out on Dec 2, but jammed.
Sailed yesterday, only took one boat, the Nacra 5.0. , figured it was way easier/safer to doublehand. Conditions were rough as Hell again, 26 mph wind, with short steep seas.
Two up on an N5.0, in rough water is a WAY better ride than the H18. The Hobie likes to Hobby Horse, & those round hulls fall off the waves like a fat kid belly flopping. The lips on the Hobie deck do diddly squat, you eat the belly flop wave.
The Nacra hull is a smoother transition, going up, & coming down. The guy on the hull gets wet, when every 5th wave buries the deck, but on the wire I never got my hair wet, as long as you can maintain your footing.
We damn near pitchpoled it, twice. The hulls went under past the front beam, I got a nice bruise from an interview with the mast,totally the skippers fault
), but it recovered both times.
Thinking of selling one place & acquiring a 365 day sailing place. I'm thinking Antigua.
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Posted: Oct 04, 2016 - 08:03 PM
Anything but pussies.
I am frequently jealous of your situation, and the conditions in which you get to sail.
I cannot edit my entry in this thread, but I wear a drysuit in winter.
I was in Antigua once. Beautiful, especially the beaches, but the locals seemed unhappy.
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Bob
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Posted: Oct 05, 2016 - 09:19 AM
As Tim says, we get plenty of sailable winter days in our clime (I try to sail at least once each month), but you have to gear up for the water (not air) temps.
A shorty doesn't always cut it for me, but a 3/2 full suit will get you through a lot. They aren't really comfortable, and the cheap ones are borderline miserable, so buy as much quality as you can afford. (I got a reasonably priced farmer jane/jacket combo from NRS last year for my daughter, and she loves it.) The thing about wetsuits is that, when wet but out of the water in the wind, you still get a lot of evaporative cooling. I have a light windstopper top from Kokotat that works wonders in that regard. A rash guard type layer underneath will add comfort as well.
A better but much more expensive option is a dry suit. I got lucky and found an old military surplus anti-exposure suit on Ebay years ago for $50....it even has a relief zipper! It keeps me mostly dry, so I don't have to wear much under it to stay warm....way less bulky/more comfortable than a wetsuit.
You'll need neoprene booties also....the cheap ones from Academy or whatever have served me well.
If it's really cold, I wear some cheap neoprene gloves, but I hate the way the sheets feel with those on.
Keep in mind that you really don't want to go in the water for any length or time, and there usually won't be many other boats out, so prepare and use caution accordingly. If you're going solo, you'll need a righting aid. Also, I usually try to stay close to shore if it's really windy....but not the leeward shore since most of our lake is lined with rip rap. If I go over, I want to have plenty of drifting distance/time to right the boat before hitting the rocks.
Edited by rattlenhum on Oct 05, 2016 - 09:23 AM.
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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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Posted: Oct 05, 2016 - 09:50 AM
Amen.
I sailed over to a nearby Provincial Park beach yesterday, it was deserted, save for two geese sitting on the sandbar.
During a 4 hours sail I could have gone to sleep, & never got within a mile of another boat.
I saw one other Blow Boat several miles away, & a couple of Chuggers in the distance, probably headed for Lake Huron/Georgian Bay. It would have been very unlikely they would have noticed an upset Cat.
For the reasons you mentioned, I wore a Farmer John, with a windbreak top. I carried radio in pocket, & had a 4mm wetsuit top with me. The water has cooled off in the last week, not uncomfortable to wade in, but swimming would be chilly.
We will pull everything 1st week in November.
Edited by Edchris177 on Oct 05, 2016 - 09:55 AM.
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Dart 15
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Posted: Oct 05, 2016 - 05:21 PM
Andre,
What's the white stuff on the trampoline?
:)
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Bob
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Posted: Oct 05, 2016 - 05:26 PM
Don't let the Dartman fool you, he turns blue cuz he sails the Channel naked.
He is legendary butt naked.
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Bob
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Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
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Posted: Oct 06, 2016 - 07:53 PM
Sailing in cold weather , its quite simple.
There's 4 zones where the human body loses
heath most, in cold conditions.
- Head.
- Hands
- Feet
- And ( mostly forgotten)
the region between the neck an shoulder blades.
Dress accordingly and you will be fine.
Safety-measures, should not differ from a normal
outing on a cat.
Grtz, André
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Tornado (80's Reg White)
Prindle 18-2 (sold)
Dart 16 (hired and hooked)
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Etap 22, unsinkable sailing pocket cruiser.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Posted: Oct 07, 2016 - 09:57 AM
remember that additional gear adds weight if you capsize so get real gear.... don't wear a fleece sailing unless you have the ability to shed it quickly if you capsize.
One feb i learned this the hard way... i couldn't get on my cat after righting it due to all the layers of non sailing gear i had on
I now have a dry suit but no longer am interested in sailing in less than a sunny 60* day -
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Posted: Oct 08, 2016 - 02:04 PM
MN3,
Try this boarding aid.
http://www.thebeachcats.c…pic/topic/14029/start/20
Its light-weight, and if setup right, a real help for boarding.
Youngster at our club call it the "pensionados" line...
But for me, 57 years, its really helpful and won't go out
without the system working.
Grtz, André
Edited by catmodding on Oct 08, 2016 - 09:07 PM.
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Tornado (80's Reg White)
Prindle 18-2 (sold)
Dart 16 (hired and hooked)
13 mtr steel cutter (sold)
Etap 22, unsinkable sailing pocket cruiser.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Posted: Oct 08, 2016 - 06:30 PM
André,
Did you post the photos of this anywhere?
Your description is vey good, and I would like to see it.
Bob
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Bob
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Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
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Posted: Oct 10, 2016 - 07:44 PM
Hi Bob,
http://www.thebeachcats.c…opic/topic/14029/start/0
This Is the old thread, you even commented in this.
There are some pics and close-up vids, and on the
second page , ch_kurkio even made a video how it
works in real life.
I even remeber somebody on bc who was complaining it
brought his life in danger. He simply forgot to tie the lines
together in the central knot, and obviously forgot to test
the setup before going out sailing.
Grtz, André
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Tornado (80's Reg White)
Prindle 18-2 (sold)
Dart 16 (hired and hooked)
13 mtr steel cutter (sold)
Etap 22, unsinkable sailing pocket cruiser.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Posted: Oct 11, 2016 - 11:52 AM
looks good but i have a small front tramp that would prohibit this set up
I don't climb up the boat from the front beam... to high
I usually will grab a trap handle and pull my feet up first aft
I have wings on my 5.5 and they have a hiking straps that are very accessible from the water - easy to grab
