What do YOU do in the winter?

While sailing season is getting into high gear in Arizona and Florida, snow is starting to fall up north. So what do you guys do in the winter? Downhill skiing? Crosscountry skiing? Frostbiting? Iceboating? Ice fishing? Build a boat in your garage? Vacation in Mexico? Go on bareboat cruises in the BVI? Play chess? Does your fleet have any organized activities, like skiing trips?

Today's high is predicted at 32 degrees. Snow is in the forecast. My N6.0 is always the last one to leave the beach at the end of the season. She will be sailed once more this year, probably next week, enroute to winter storage in the barn.

I've always told people that the only reason Vermont's population has not exploded is because of winter. You have to enjoy winter if you're going to live here. What do I do? Well, I can usually paddle my kayak on Lake Champlain through the winter. (Most of the lake freezes, but the "broad lake" section, where I live, often stays open.) Mostly, though, I tele ski, hike and climb in the Adirondack mountains, sled a lot with my kids, or spend time reading a book in front of the wood stove. To get a break from the cold, I guide a few trips each winter (with my kayak touring business) to the Caribbean coast of Mexico and Belize, and spend a week in Stuart, Florida with my inlaws (envying those who can sail year-round).

(I just realized that I left out reference to "work". I do that, too. My other job is a Geographic Information Systems consultant, working out of a home office.)

Cheers,

Our local sailing club actually has a winter series:
http://www.carolinasailingclub.org/events/series.htm#j2

They are set up to retrieve people quickly with a patrol boat if there's a capsize. I haven't actually sailed with them, though - they have an Isotope group, but no other cat group, and my wife has also declared it's too cold for further sailing this year.

For physical activity, I like to hike with my wife through the winter and work out in the YMCA. I also play flute in an English Country Dance band every two weeks, and in church on Sundays.

I'm not part of any fleet. Wish there were a general purpose catamaran fleet on Lake Jordan....

Jonathan

Mountain/trail bike season has begun. IMO, It's a poor substitute for Cat sailling. For one thing I have so far been fortunate when sailing, at least, to avoid surgery and months of painfull rehab.

Jonathan, in North Carolina, you talk about winter??? I've been using a dry suit for the past month! If the weather cooperates, we'll go once or twice this winter, but I'm pretty much done till April. If I could get to NC, I'd sail all winter.

Getting the fleet together for chalkboard sessions, tuning seminars, etc is an idea we're talking about.

Went Ice Boating two years ago. 40 mph under sail on a DN (I'm not good enough yet to do 50's like the experts) which is basically two planks, 3 roller skates and a windsurfer sail, with a seat on it to fool the unwary into believing it's a safe, comfortable experience.... That was pretty cool. Too bad the good ice only comes to LI a few precious weekends in a typical winter, more in a good one. Most of the real addicts spend weekends up north.

BWaaa haaa haaa! I live too far north to sail all year, and too far south to iceboat all winter.

So we try to get in a ski trip or two - last years' were ruined by my shoulder-shatter, see (mountain biking ref. above!)

And this year, I'm very proud of my most satsfying accomplishment - I posted enough of my particular brand of drivel to this forum to earn my "Decent Sailor" label, something made possible by my afformentioned convalescence.

Before all you would-be Decent Sailors out there start flinging yourselves off your mountain bikes at high speed, I can report that it hasn't helped my performance on the water at all.

Mary, I want my money back.

fix the boat and drink. curse the snow and try to stay alive with all of the people on the road
driving their big old SUVs that think they can drive at 125km/h in a blizzard and still be able
to stop. dumb butts.

What you REALLY have to be worried about is those kooks who are drinking, driving, cursing and towing their broken boats thru a snow storm at 125mph.... If you live in Wisconsin you recognize these people as being from Illinois.

SAIL SAIL SAIL.....we sail ALL year round here....ohhhh by the by I live in the US Virgin Islands. It was a beautiful 85 degrees here today...went out for a sail this afternoon....heres a pic fron the regatta here on St Croix in FEBURARY....

Downhill skiing (really my 1st love)
I can't wait for winter...sorry

Jonathan,

CSC still hasn't posted when the winter series starts. If you find out before I do, let me know. Couple of us want to come out there and check it out.

Mary,

Actually here on the jersey Shore (beach) its time for indoor chores paint, honey do's and the such. I will be securing the remaining items for surfer girl, for her maiden journey in summer 2003. As a side note another group named her "mother of all hobies".

Yes, the boardwalk is empty and the winds blow, but it is a restful period, until the tourists and sunshine returns.

Mike

We sail year around here in Southern California despite 55'F water temp and air in the low 50s to low 60s. There really isn't much reason for most people to not sail year around now that the drysuit technology has advanced so much. We take care of Harvard University sailing team and they sail year around on the Charles in Boston, MA. IF you can sail in winter there,...you can sail anywhere. The Gill BREATHABLE suit has been their suit of choice this year.

Just FYI...we sail in drysuits here in California almost year around.

MM

Just this past week, I purchased a table saw, in the hopes of passing the time over the winter in the garage doing some woodworking. Should be a fun time.

Since taking up sailing, it has made the winters a little more of a drag, but luckily I can always read about it here. The boat not only satisfies my sailing fix, but it satisfies my "tinkering" fix as well during the summer, so I hope to have woodworking be the winter passion.

Of course, I can also spend time making the catsailor internet store the best sailing store on the face of the planet. Which reminds me, we'll be selling everthing needed to make your sailing season warmer. Drysuits, wetsuits, and everything you need to stay toasty! And how could I possibly have time to saili when working on that???!!

Fair winds,

Tim J.

Mark, there is a reason you can't sail cats year round in the midwest... the water gets kinda hard! Unless there is a warm winter and the water doesn't freeze, our choice is ice boating or other sports.

A little story to add to Mark’s Harvard story. I used to drive along the Charles River to work everyday. It's does freeze in the winter. One morning I noticed three flat bottom powerboats breaking up the ice with poles. My first thought was that someone fell threw ice and it was a search and rescue. On my way home I found out what was going on. They were the Harvard sailing team breaking the ice so they could sail. They cleared about a football size area with a small path to the dock. I think there were about ten boats sailing.

Winter? What's winter? Here in Socal, all I hear are complaints from out of towners that we don't have any seasons. Nonsense..I saw three trees with yellow leaves today!
It does get a bit cold, but we sail anyway...wetsuits, drysuits. I also teach sailing classes all year, but have to say, I'm happy that I don't have to demo the capsize drills in late January!

Sheldon
P-18

are we supposed to stop sailing in the winter? nobody told me. i try to sail the cat in the winter, but usually sail monohulls because the wife gets cold when the water drops to 70 degrees. i was in the water just yesterday (monohull race)unhooking our rudder from the committee boat after another boat sailed into us and pushed us into the committee. the water was about 79 degrees. damn cold if you ask me. i hate the bitter cold winters we get in florida (he he he he).

by the way, the other boat was at fault (see rule 18.2)

we get the same stuff regarding no seasons in florida. we do too have seasons: football, baseball, hockey, and basketball.

What do we do during the winter ?
Mostly preparing our cats for the next season.
Because of a huge storm last week we lost a A-Cat (tree big holes in the hull and a broken mast).
We Also lost one hull completely of a Dart 18 from one of our friends.
Last winter we restyled (gel-coat gear etc) and spray painted my N6.0 .
The winter before we did the same with the Nacra 5.7 of the friend who lost his A=cat last week.
Because of the cold water temp from November till March, we have enough time to prepare for the next season.
If we did not have any damage this year we would have bought a old used cat and made in a good shape to make some money to pay our contribution for the next season.
Further we like to go Skiing, and do some ice sailing when the ice is safe enough.

Have a nice winter,

Mary,
Thought you might enjoy a photo from Ohio that I took this morning (Nov. 22).
Jack Hoying
Fort Loramie, Ohio

i guess sailing is out of the question.

Jack,

Is that the view out your window? yow....make a return trip to Socal this winter and we'll take ya sailing.

Sheldon

No we don't have snow on the Chesapeake Bay yet this year. This is an old picture.

RE: "...what do you guys do in the winter"?

My fleet (CRAC) and "club" (SMCC) do not have any organized activities in the winter, except maybe an awards banquet, but sometimes Hobie Fleet 416 in PA invites us to a ski trip they organize. Downhill skiing is also my winter sport, although I don't get out as much as I used to as I now have family commitments.

Call me suicidal, but I'd love to try and take an old, busted, mastless catamaran down a snow covered hill. Not a ski slope, but something that would give the neighborhood kids something to aspire to

I think an aquacat 12 with those wide flat hulls would be great for snow sledding. I knew they must be good for something

Billy Kidd, Olympic skier, took a Hobie 14, sail up, down one of the ski areas in Utah. If I took the time, could probably find it in an old Hobie Hotline. Locally, we had the Nutfreezer Series in the 70's with a race each month at a different location. Only one I remember that was cancelled, was Green Lake in Seattle, because the lake was frozen. [color:"red"] [/color] We also included a Sea and Ski, with a race on Saturday then a NASTAR course downhill race on Sunday. Combined scores determined the winner.

Maybe it is time to bring this back to our Fleet. [color:"blue"] [/color]

Caleb Tarleton, Div 4, Fleet 95

[color:"purple"] [/color] How do you guys do it?????

Months without sailing would drive me nuts. We sail all year round with various cat clubs doing winter series. Also have a few regattas on during winter. Is cold here but nothing a wetsuit can't handle. Guess we are blessed in Sydney, Australia, however Queensland would be nice. They say it is more pleasent to sail winter than summer in the north.

Must say though, ice sailing looks cool. Dose not get any where near cold enough here for that. I suppose you have to make sacrafices.

Stephen Medwell
Team Tornado 'ALIVE'
AUS-260
www.tornadoalive.com

This was a few years ago. That's ice not beach. Feb 15 - air temp. 50, water temp. 33? You do what you have to do. ( I hope the pic works )

just another day of sailing in the caribbean..sat,,,85 water temp about 80,,,light wind about 12

Harper,

Don't rub it in!

What do I do in the winter? Memphis winters aren't so harsh that we couldn't get out a few times, that is if the Corp. of Engineers didn't drain our lake! In the winter I go stir crazy, eat a lot, gain weight, and spend a lot of time on the computer.

Hi Damon,

I enjoyed browsing the pages on TheBeachCats.com, particularly the "16 Reasons Sailing is Better Than Sex".

1. You don't have to hide your Sailing magazines.
2. It's perfectly acceptable to pay a professional to Sail with you once in a while.
3. The Ten Commandments don't say anything about Sailing.
4. If your partner takes pictures or videotapes of you Sailing your beachcat, you don't have to worry about them showing up on the Internet if you become famous. . .

Etc.

Harper,

Post more pics,.....do you still have the one I gave you of John Holmberg I-20 w full spin and Buck Island in the background...?...if so,...post it.....ha!

By the way, I am originally from Toledo, Ohio.....(nice place to be from..)

the I-17 vs FX-1 showdown is this Saturday between Harper and I,...will report info to you all later...

We have had cool weather here in St. Croix,...it got down to 72 last nite,...we felt cold too!


Bruce
I-17n
St. Croix
Virgin Islands [color:"blue"] [/color]

this is John Holmberg,,,,,brother Peter is or was the driver for BMW Oracle...this was the 2001 St Croix International regaggta,,,,

This is Nigel Pitt same regatta

Here on Galveston Bay, or Galveston Island (just southeast of Houston), we sail pretty much all year, at least I do, went last weekend.

It's a shame holidays and what not get in the way!

Holidays!!!! we have a race the day after Christmas

Thanks Kevin,

TheBeachcats.com is still new but I think it's developing into a solid resource. We now have over 750 pictures in the photo gallery.

Harper,

Way cool pics,....thanks.....why don't you post one of your Cheney Bay sunset photos......

Bruce

sunset Chenay Bay....St Croix US Virgin Islands

What I do in winter is try to catch up on inside stuff that I put off all summer when I'm busy doing outside stuff. I put in a new vanity in the bathroom and now am looking to put in new kitchen countertops. Not too exciting I know but it still has to be done I sure don't miss mowing the grass and swating mosquitoes.

Tudy

Winter Time:

1. Hockey, Brats & Beer...
2. Hit Vegas for a week
3. Work on my boats
4. Work on other people's boats
5. March Madness!!!
6. Fleet stuff
7. Stay in shape
8. Prepare for the College World Series
9. Fix the house
10. Visit the Cantina now and then

I am glad I can't sail all year around. I would be burned out. Sailing is a great past time, but I would not value it as much if it was easy to hit the beach every weekend.

I'm with you. The most enthusiastic cat sailors seem to live in the areas that have the shortest sailing seasons. When we were sailing up in the Ohio, Michigan area and the season was only about 12 weeks long, everybody tried to get to every regatta, regardless of weather, because we had a time limit. But in Florida, because we are able to sail year round, it's too easy to say, "Hey, it's too much wind, it's too little wind, it's too cold, it's too hot -- catch ya next time."

It IS still winter up North, isn't it? Mike Fahle just sent this to me to put a nautical spin on the cold weather theme. I had also used this in the magazine sometime in the last year.

In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannon fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. But how to prevent them from rolling about the deck?

The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of thirty cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon.

There was only one problem -- how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling out from under the others.

The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with sixteen round indentations. But, if this plate was made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys."

Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come right off the monkey.

Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!"

Sail most of the winter, in 70's degree weather here around Galveston Is. and Galveston Bay. (Houston area)

Mary,

Great bit of trivia. Made me start wondering what happens when it gets "colder than a witches ### in a brass bra"?