South Coast (UK) Sailing in Winter?

[rabbidoninoz]

Anybody sail on the Solent in winter? I have a Colvic Watson 24 on the River Hamble and am thinking about going to her for a couple of weeks in February-March to get out on the water. (Pilothouse is the open-aft type.) Realistic? Thanks in advance...

Don

[boatman61]

If the weather is good sure..
I remember a January sail from Poole to Weymouth around 1988.. great sail with clear skies and a full moon.. tied up on the quay around 3am and went to bed.
Got woken at 0700 by customs officers banging on the hatch.. it seems folk who sail in winter must be upto no good.. they searched the boat throughly then questioned my motives.. What can I say.. it seemed like a good idea.

[Pete7]

Don,

The weather will either be low pressure so wet and windy, or high pressure cold clear, sunny, but little wind. If you can handle either of these conditions go for it. Marinas are half price winter price at the moment and empty. You will need a heater, even a cheap electric one for the nights.

Pete

[rabbidoninoz]

Thanks, Pete! Yeah, not afraid of a little cold. She's lying on a mooring, but I guess if marinas are cheap in the winter, I can move her to a berth for the week or so I'l be there, so I'll have a place to plug in an electric heater! Getting her equipped with a diesel heater or some such is a project, one of a few on the list...

Don

[boatman61]

Check the limit before the box trips out..
Some Poole marinas are so tight boiling a kettle will trip out the box.

[Pete7]

Don, it took us 7 years to fit Webasco diesel heating, boy do I wish I had done it earlier. We have even run it in August on our summer holidays to dry out the boat, us and the wet dog.

However, short term an electric oil filled radiator from Argos.

Cowes was £20 per night last month for 31 feet plus £3 for electric hook up.

Pete