living on a boat in fall

TheMadchef · #1 09-21-2011

hey all.
Just wondering how many of you in northern climates still live on their boat? I'm on Georgian Bay in Ontario and plan to stay on the boat until Nov 1, at which time I'll move back to the hard. My boat is usually one of the last ones to get pulled at the end of the year - my last sail last year was in the 2nd week of Nov., pretty cold but I love sailing in all conditions when I'm well prepared plus fall sailing = big wind and BFS. Anybody else slugging it out at the end of the season? funny stories about cold weather boat living/sailing would be awesome.

RobGallagher · #2 09-21-2011

I'm in CT at the mouth of the Mystic River on a mooring. I try to spend weekends on the boat up till the first or second week in November, but that depends on the weather. I'm supposed to be off my mooring by Nov. first so I'm usually the last one out there. My yard is small so if I haul out for the winter I'm the last one out on the end of the yard so I MUST be the first one in. This gets me in early because if I'm not ready I hold up the entire yard.

Every other year or so I stay in the water on a slip. If so, I leave my sails on till Dec hoping to get a couple more weeks out of it.

My dream has been to catch a nice sunny December day when there are snow flurries and sail in the snow, but, it's never worked out

Maybe this year

Tim R. · #3 09-21-2011

We live aboard in Maine year round but may have done a little more to prepare the boat for this.

But we love fall and winter aboard the boat. Quiet and cozy. We do step the mast around Dec. 1 and cover the boat in clear shrinkwrap which creates a nice warm sun room for us. We also decorate with lights to give that festive feeling.

Nothing really funny to convey but we did have a party last January with 30 folks on board.

MacGyverRI · #4 09-21-2011

Kinda Funny? 1st major snow storm I couldn't get the hatch up w/ all the snow. I had to raise the heat to melt some and try it later (it opened). Now I make sure it's free every 2" of snow. Then, I had to shovel 2' of snow off the cockpit.