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Gearing up for Winter Cruising

2K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  outbound 
#1 ·
Up here in Western Canada the summer cruising season is all too short. Many boats are covered up and put away for the season by October. Our last boat had no heat and limited interior living space, so we rarely took it out past September. It is a shame really, because the west coast in winter has it's own kind of beauty and tranquility.

Now that we have a boat that is better equipped for inclement weather we are looking forward to getting out for the occasional weekend throughout the winter. Azura came with a full cockpit enclosure that appears to have never been used. This weekend we decided to go down the the boat and install it and see how it looks. I have always referred to enclosures such as ours as "oxygen tents", but now that we have one, I can see the appeal! I cant see myself sailing with all of the side panels in place, but they are easily rolled up when not needed, however once we get to our destination being able to enclose the cockpit will massively increase our living space.


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#2 ·
I did some snow sailing this weekend in my Catalina 22. Friday night it was snowing a little, and blowing 20 knots with gusts to the mid 30s. Big stuff for a little boat!

Obviously I wouldn't have a full enclosure for a small boat such as mine, but I was wishing for a dodger.

I have a bimini that's set low and far forward. You can stand under it in the companionway, but you have to sit when in the cockpit. It's far enough forward that it covers the hatch so if it's raining straight down you can have the hatch wide open. If it's blowing you'll have to slide the hatch partway or all the way shut. I can be protected under it and reach the tiller easily, and all I have to do is lean backward a little to look up and see the sail and windex.

Anyway, the way snow swirls around it was finding its way down in the cabin even with the hatch slid shut. I was wishing for a dodger insert I could zip to the front of the bimini and attach somehow to the cabin top. Snaps, maybe? It might be a fun project to make one.

I really enjoyed the snow sailing, but a little more protection would have been nice.
 
#5 ·
was wishing for a dodger.

I have a bimini that's set low and far forward.
My Bay Hen has a dodger that zips into the bimini. Its pretty simple. Uses shock cords to hooks on the coach house, then zipper on the bimini end. The dodger is 3 pieces, clear plastic, so you can remove one or all panels as the conditions warrant.

In cold weather, the full enclosure goes up in the evenings, alcohol heater on in the cockpit. Cozy.
 
#4 ·
.....I have always referred to enclosures such as ours as "oxygen tents", but now that we have one, I can see the appeal!
Me too, but we have them as well and they truly extend the sailing season. We notoriously sail to Block Island around the first of May. No one is there, but us (and friends we talk into the flotilla). It usually pretty cold, but I wear a t-shirt inside the enclosure. The key to making ours so versatile is that all our winches are inside the enclosure and allow full swing of a winch (if necessary, as most are electric).

I cant see myself sailing with all of the side panels in place....
I say, don't be a hero. Enjoy the comfort and extended sailing. The greenhouse affect may actually warm the cockpit too much. We often roll up the rear panel, but keep the rest in place to prevent the cold air from requiring foulies. Literally t-shirts. The big downside is view of the sails. I can look up through a clear panel above the helm. We can see through the front of the dodger, of course. I will often poke my head up over the bimini, by standing at the open rear panel. However, the typical position of hiking up on the rail, near the helm, to watch the sails is out. No matter, I'm better trimmed there than I would be on the hard.

Have a great time this winter!
 
#9 ·
Me too, but we have them as well and they truly extend the sailing season. We notoriously sail to Block Island around the first of May. No one is there, but us (and friends we talk into the flotilla). It usually pretty cold, but I wear a t-shirt inside the enclosure. The key to making ours so versatile is that all our winches are inside the enclosure and allow full swing of a winch (if necessary, as most are electric).

I say, don't be a hero. Enjoy the comfort and extended sailing. The greenhouse affect may actually warm the cockpit too much. We often roll up the rear panel, but keep the rest in place to prevent the cold air from requiring foulies. Literally t-shirts. The big downside is view of the sails. I can look up through a clear panel above the helm. We can see through the front of the dodger, of course. I will often poke my head up over the bimini, by standing at the open rear panel. However, the typical position of hiking up on the rail, near the helm, to watch the sails is out. No matter, I'm better trimmed there than I would be on the hard.

Have a great time this winter!
The reason I am not sure about sailing with the full enclosure is because of the visibility ahead. I don't even like looking through Dodger windows so I tend to look over the Dodger or sit outboard and look around it. The distortion caused by the soft plastic windows with rain on them makes it much harder to spot crab pots and deadheads. Maybe I will get used to it.

The side panels have zippered cutouts we can remove to allow full use of the winches, so if I can get used to the visibility we could stay pretty warm and cozy while still sailing.

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#7 ·
Me jealous.

Over here on the east coast of Newfoundland only the truly daring, or foolhardy, would dare attempt to sail into late Fall and Winter. My boat is high and dry till next May/June :(.

I’ve spent a little time sailing the west coast out of Vancouver. I have a grand vision (which is far less than a plan) of eventually washing up on your shores. At my current speed I should make it there in 15 years. Although if the NW Passage continues to open up maybe I could cut that down to 10 years :).
 
#8 ·
That is awesome Schock. With your "mild" winters and nice enclosure you should be able to get some year round sailing in. I think it will be really nice in spring when you can get a head start on cruising with an enclosed porch on your boat.
 
#11 ·
I've never had a boat with a Dodger before this one. It is nice to have an unobstructed view. I am still of two minds about the bimini. I like to fold it back and have an open cockpit when I am sailing, but it is also nice to have the shade on a hot day. Fortunately it only takes about 10 minutes to fold the bimini back and put the cover on.

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#12 ·
Where you sail you can get away with that.

On the Chessie you’d die in the summer with no Bimini and the hot sun beating on your head on a 90+ day. Our dodger is a Bimini essentially with a whole. Front panel ( not just a section the whole front) able to zip out to increase air.

If constructed right a dodger can have no lines in it and the strata glass is just like looking through a picture window so there is no sight obstruction at all. Your front dodger appears to have 3 sections
 
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#14 ·
My boats have always had dodgers, and my current one has a simple partial bimini (made of solar panels). I can’t imagine sailing where I've sailed without this kind of protection. The waters are cold, and the winds and seas are often challenging. Hypothermia would be a fast reality without some sort of protection.

Many boats up here use full enclosures of some sort. I sometimes look with envy at them. My hesitation, other than cost, is that sometimes these bubbles make it hard to access the side and foredeck. And the times when I’ve sailed on these enclosed boats, I feel somewhat disconnected from the environment. I like to feel the wind, to hear the seas.

But I can certainly appreciate the added protection, and a full enclosure would be wonderful while swinging at anchor when weathering another Newfoundland gale.
 
#15 ·
Our boat before the current one was a center cockpit with a full enclosure. It had 2 side panels each side, one in the front and one towards the stern. I could leave out the aft side panels and rear panel, and sail it like it was a pilot house, still getting to the winches, etc, but being nicely sheltered. Loved that configuration when running the boat up to Cape Bretton on a "Canadian Warm" summer day.

O2 tent maybe. Comfort for sure. Place an Espar or equivalent duct into the tent and you got yourself a floating winter sauna, even at night.
 
#16 ·
Lin &Larry were dead set against dodgers or any form of enclosure. Although ancient history worthwhile to read their thoughts.
We have a hard dodger. It is divinylcell cored so you can walk on it. Same with our hard dodger. Have two hatches on the hard dodger but it does get hot in the tropics so have the one way visibility cloth the sportfish crowd uses which solves that completely. Builder wanted tint. We refused as do a lot of night sailing. Have UV membrane which is enough.
In the north take watch either sitting or standing in the companionway with the Webasto on and the slider half closed. Can take watch in a t shirt in a sleet storm. Of course wear foulies so can attend to things. Have 360 vision but totally out of the wind,cold or wet.
Have done multiple fall salty dawgs. See them leave with full enclosures. See them arrive with them having very significant damage. Just one boarding wave and tubing bends and cloth rips. Even just the strong winds of a squall line seems enough to mess up the rinky dink ones.
If I was doing high latitude I’d want a true pilot house or at least a dog house. If I was doing mid latitudes and tropics think our current set up is perfect.
Think anything that impedes quickly going forward is dangerous. Already have had occasion where getting forward quickly has meant a non event instead of a major issue. So not a fan of enclosures while sailing. No issue when in a slip but would not even use it if at anchor. A hard dodger is enough imho. Get out of the wind and wet you’re fine.
 
#21 ·
Lin &Larry were dead set against dodgers or any form of enclosure. Although ancient history worthwhile to read their thoughts.
We have a hard dodger. It is divinylcell cored so you can walk on it. Same with our hard dodger. Have two hatches on the hard dodger but it does get hot in the tropics so have the one way visibility cloth the sportfish crowd uses which solves that completely. Builder wanted tint. We refused as do a lot of night sailing. Have UV membrane which is enough.
In the north take watch either sitting or standing in the companionway with the Webasto on and the slider half closed. Can take watch in a t shirt in a sleet storm. Of course wear foulies so can attend to things. Have 360 vision but totally out of the wind,cold or wet.
Have done multiple fall salty dawgs. See them leave with full enclosures. See them arrive with them having very significant damage. Just one boarding wave and tubing bends and cloth rips. Even just the strong winds of a squall line seems enough to mess up the rinky dink ones.
If I was doing high latitude I'd want a true pilot house or at least a dog house. If I was doing mid latitudes and tropics think our current set up is perfect.
Think anything that impedes quickly going forward is dangerous. Already have had occasion where getting forward quickly has meant a non event instead of a major issue. So not a fan of enclosures while sailing. No issue when in a slip but would not even use it if at anchor. A hard dodger is enough imho. Get out of the wind and wet you're fine.
A quick pull on a zipper and your out on the deck. I've been in a number of Caribbean 500s. Certainly some of the canvas had some damage....most did not. The nice thing about canvas is that you can unzip it and put it below in a blow. Takes a short time. Wonder how long it would take to unbolt that hard dodger. Doubt it would survive a real wave.

Most of us aren't sailing the Ocean blue but are weekend sailors. Dodgers and biminis certainly make it more comfortable. Some might argue that the protection prevents a crew becoming wary from weather and making good decisions.

There are situations Biminis and Dodgers could impair a vessel, but for most of us we aren't out in weather offshore where that can happen. For most of us we won't face the emergencies you speak of. The only concern I have ever had is dodgers or Bimini which cut down on visibility.
 
#18 ·
Our enclosure has a single side zip and I’m out on the deck. I don’t see how it would materially slow me down in an emergency. I’m genuinely thinking about the point. In what circumstance would those couple of seconds cost me. I’ve seen enclosures that block winches. Those are problematic.
 
#22 ·
Through bolted every 4” on center plus 5200. Same glass set up they use for the sides of oysters. As strong as a cored hull. Has seen boarding waves. No issue. The Bimini is on 4” ss tubing with multiple reenforcements. However do have some concern about that after seeing the tubing on a monitor bend from a wave.
Spent a lot of time thinking about height. Got it so wife (4’10) looks through it and I (6’) look over it . Even good vision with insert in.
Routine is to take boat off AP periodical. Allows you to feel trim. Good trim less electrons and less helm also means you go faster. Being behind the wheel you get a visceral sense of conditions if looking at the screens doesn’t do it for you.
 
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