{"id":48070,"date":"2022-02-23T10:20:09","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T15:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=48070"},"modified":"2023-05-06T18:18:18","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T22:18:18","slug":"cold-weather-sailing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/how-to\/cold-weather-sailing\/","title":{"rendered":"Cold-Weather Sailing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Prince <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Celeste<\/i> on a raw day in Prince William Sound, Alaska. It\u2019s possible to sail comfortably in the cold.<\/span>\n Ellen Massey Leonard<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

In temperate latitudes, sailing traditionally has a season: summer. When the leaves start to fall and frost starts to form, sailors typically go about storing their boats for the winter. In places where the harbor freezes hard, this means hauling out of the water. In New England, yacht clubs and boatyards haul their floating docks out of the water too. All this makes sense, of course: No one wants ice to damage their boats and docks. But if you live somewhere just mild enough that the harbor might not freeze over\u2014or even if you would just like to extend your sailing season as long as possible before your harbor does freeze\u2014it\u2019s quite possible to sail comfortably in the cold months. And if you\u2019re up for adventure, there\u2019s some remote and \u00adchallenging \u00adcruising to be had in the coldest regions of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband, Seth, and I have had a decent amount of practice sailing in less-than-ideal temperatures: an unusually severe winter that we spent living aboard our 40-foot cold-molded wooden cutter, Celeste<\/em>, in the Pacific Northwest<\/a>; high-latitude voyages to the Arctic and Alaska; and, our introduction to offshore sailing and first exposure to cold-weather sailing, a voyage from Maine to North Carolina in December in a boat without heat or insulation. On all of these voyages, we\u2019ve found that the key to enjoying cold-weather sailing is to prepare adequately, both in terms of safety and comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that there are certain items and practices that are common to all latitudes and seasons, including having proper lifesaving equipment on board such as life jackets and harnesses and reliable bilge pumps, and preparedness in personal safety skills such as man-overboard drills. I won\u2019t go into the basics of offshore safety<\/a>, but here are some tips unique to sailing and living aboard in the cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clothing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an often-quoted saying attributed to a host of different cold-weather places: \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.\u201d As smug as it is, it\u2019s also true. With the right clothing, cold and wet weather can be tolerated and even enjoyed. Even with all the advances of our technological age, wool remains the best insulator: My cold-weather-sailing wardrobe consists of layers of wool long underwear, wool sweaters, wool socks, wool gloves and wool hats. The great advantage of wool is that it will keep you moderately warm even if it gets wet. Obviously, you won\u2019t be as warm as you are when you\u2019re dry, but your wool clothing will not sap the warmth from your body in the way that cotton does. Down is also a superb insulator\u2014and synthetic downs have improved tremendously\u2014but down needs to stay dry in order to work. Which brings us to waterproof clothing to keep out the wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"foul-weather <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The author staying warm in foul-weather gear, hat and \u00adinsulated gloves while enjoying a hot AlpineAire meal.<\/span>\n Ellen Massey Leonard<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Foul-weather gear is a great example of how modern technology has enormously improved our options. All the major brands produce superb\u2014albeit pricey\u2014jackets and bibs, trousers, and salopettes. Gore-Tex was one of the first waterproof-yet-breathable fabrics, and now many of the brands have proprietary equivalents. These all seem to work very well, especially the top-of-the-line models. My current kit includes the top-end Helly Hansen Aegir jacket, which has kept me warm and dry for over 20,000 miles. The Aegir jacket\u2019s effectiveness is also thanks to its good fit for a woman: When I first started sailing offshore, women\u2019s bluewater clothing options were all so boxy and bulky that they often didn\u2019t keep the wind out very well. I\u2019ve found that my top-of-the-line jackets, regardless of brand, have generally held up better than the less-expensive coastal jackets I\u2019ve had. My experience has been that no matter what the brand\u2014Seth and I have used Musto, Henri Lloyd and Gill, as well as Helly Hansen\u2014the waterproofing does eventually decline with age and use. For the top-end line, that tends to take about 30,000 miles of ocean sailing. I\u2019ve found that the coastal models, when worn as offshore foul-weather gear, tend to hold up for about 10,000 miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve settled on your base layers and foul-weather gear, make a plan to protect two other important parts: hands and feet. Hands are tricky, because you need to retain dexterity for reefing, trimming sails, steering and a host of other tasks. I haven\u2019t found one good solution yet, so I use a bunch of different gloves and mittens. For hauling up the anchor, for example, Seth and I use insulated rubber fishermen\u2019s gloves. For simple steering, or for long hours on watch without many tasks to perform, well-insulated waterproof mittens are in order. For tasks requiring a lot of fine motor skills in a short amount of time, I have yet to find anything better than unlined fingerless wool gloves. They can easily get wet when you\u2019re on deck near the mast, reefing down, so I keep several pairs on board and always have a dry pair ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feet are easier. There are lots of options for \u00adwaterproof boots, and one\u2019s choice just depends on personal preference. Mine is for neoprene insulated rubber boots such as XtraTuffs; Seth\u2019s preference is for simple boots without insulation so that he can regulate the warmth with wool socks. Others prefer Gore-Tex-type boots such as Dubarrys. As long as your feet stay warm and dry, you\u2019ve found a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm Cabin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having a warm place to retreat to when you come off watch makes a huge difference to crew morale\u2014and also, \u00adpotentially, to safety. Being constantly cold saps you of energy and can lead to lethargy and poor decision-making. Everyone gets better rest if they are warm, and this will improve both the safety and enjoyment of the cruise. The first step to this is easy and can be accomplished in any boat, provided the boat doesn\u2019t leak: a warm, dry sleeping bag. Seth and I have three bags\u2014a down one rated to 0\u00b0F and two synthetic-down bags rated to 20\u00b0F\u2014as well as a heap of thick, felted wool blankets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"drying <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Sea boots left in the \u00adcockpit on board in the Arctic. Keeping hands and feet warm and dry tops the to-do list in cold-weather sailing.<\/span>\n Ellen Massey Leonard<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Of course it\u2019s better to have options in addition to your sleeping bag. If you have the electrical storage or generating capacity, one of the best heating options is a forced-air heater like an Espar. These use diesel to make heat, and then use electricity to pump the warm air through ducts and vents throughout the cabin. Our heater can get Celeste<\/em> up to a comfortable temperature in only about 15 minutes. However, it does use a significant amount of power, and so we also have a gravity-fed diesel heater. Ours is a Danish Refleks stove; Dickinson also makes these. They use no electricity and put out a really good amount of heat. They dry out the cabin nicely, and some models are built so that you can cook on top of them. If you are motoring a lot, it also makes sense to install a little bus heater that uses the engine\u2019s heat exchanger and a little radiator to warm the cabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hot Meals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A good way to warm up and have renewed energy is to eat something hot. Normally Seth and I cook regular meals in our galley; we often have hot meals three times a day. When the weather gets really unpleasant, however, the way we accomplish this is to heat up something easy. This might be a can of soup, or a jar of a homemade chili or stew that I prepare and then preserve in my pressure canner before passages. If conditions are really rough, we eat camping meals into which you need only to pour boiling water and wait 10 minutes. Our favorite quick meals are AlpineAire meals\u2014there\u2019s a lot of variety to the meals, and they\u2019re all quite nutritious. A mug of hot chocolate or a thermos of tea or coffee is also great to sip on during a cold night watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The stakes are higher when sailing in cold weather or high latitudes than they are in warm conditions, so it\u2019s a good idea to take extra safety precautions. Again, I\u2019m not going to get into things such as jacklines and life rafts and radios, which are good ideas in all conditions. But there are a couple of things that make good additions to your boat\u2019s safety kit in the high latitudes. Survival suits for each crewmember is one such addition. The US Coast Guard requires commercial-fishing vessels to carry these in waters north of 32\u00b0N on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts, which is about the latitude of San Diego, California, and Savannah, Georgia. San Diego typically has water temperatures of about 60 degrees, which can lead to hypothermia quicker than you think. In 50-to-60-degree water, one\u2019s expected survival time is between one and six hours. Immersion suits sound like a pretty good idea, even if you have an insulated, covered life raft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"raising <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Seth raising sail in the Arctic, above 71 degrees North. It\u2019s a challenge to protect your hands while maintaining dexterity for reefing, trimming sails and steering. Try a mix of wool mittens for sail work and fishermen\u2019s gloves for anchor work.<\/span>\n Ellen Massey Leonard<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Prevention is always better than a cure, however, so to my mind, safety starts with deciding whether put out to sea at all. And once at sea, the ability to receive good weather forecasts is crucial. For our voyage to the Arctic, Seth and I equipped Celeste<\/em> with an Iridium satellite phone and OCENS Sidekick router, through which we could receive weather charts and sea-ice charts from OCENSWeatherNet<\/a>. This enabled us to plan our passages even when we were anchored in remote places where there was no internet or phone connection. Once underway, we were able to keep track of any adverse weather developing and act accordingly. We changed our routes several times thanks to the information we received: ducking in behind protective headlands when gale-force headwinds were predicted; heaving to and battening down the hatches when a strong gale blew up against us in the middle of the Bering Sea; and staying an extra couple of days in one port when it was clear that wind and current would be setting strongly against us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Birdwatching by Sailboat in Alaska\u2019s Northern Waters<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Regarding the boat itself, it\u2019s good to be sure that your vessel is up to the conditions in which you\u2019ll be sailing. You can go for pleasant winter daysails in any boat; indeed, \u201cfrostbiting\u201d\u2014racing dinghies in winter\u2014is quite popular in New England. For extended voyages in the cold and harsh conditions of the high latitudes, however, you\u2019ll want to be sure that your boat has certain attributes. It needs to sail well to windward and therefore have a chance to claw its way off a lee shore, should that terrible situation come to pass. It needs to have a very strong hull if you\u2019re taking it into ice. It should preferably have an insulated cabin to retain heat, and it needs to be free of leaks. Nothing turns an enjoyable voyage into a misery like a cold, persistent leak over a bunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Seth <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Seth checks the OCENS weather forecast while staying warm by the Refleks heater.<\/span>\n Ellen Massey Leonard<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Finally, it\u2019s essential to have a good crew for cold-weather sailing. Because the conditions are so much more demanding than they are for summer or tropical sailing, it\u2019s even more essential that the crew get along well with each other and work happily together. Indeed, a positive outlook is perhaps the biggest key ingredient to a successful cold-weather voyage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then again, there\u2019s always the option to head south. Antigua<\/a>, anyone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer and photographer Ellen Massey Leonard has sailed nearly 60,000 miles on rudimentary classic boats, including a circumnavigation via the Cape of Good Hope, a voyage to the Alaskan Arctic, and three crossings of the Pacific. She and her husband, Seth, were the 2018 recipients of the Cruising Club of America\u2019s \u00adprestigious Young Voyager Award.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

High-latitude cruising and winter sailing require adequate preparations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":48071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Ellen Massey Leonard","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"164","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"High-latitude cruising and winter sailing require adequate preparations and safety precautions.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[164],"tags":[1225,1457,183,319,181,454],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48070"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48070\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}