Winter Weather

Well it's winter once again and for those of you new to sailing I would like to talk about what you can expect this time of year. As you are probably aware the sailing season around here doesn't shut down for the winter like it does in some of the icier locations around the world, but the weather does get to be a little unpredictable and you will definitely see more variety of conditions during this time of year than any other. You will be confronted with no wind, lots of wind, some wind. Rain- rain without wind, rain with some wind, rain with lots of wind and lets not forget about occasional lightning and gale force storms.

The wind direction also is fairly schizophrenic and it could come at you from just about any direction and sometimes more than one at a time. I have had more than one occasion where I tacked close hauled to close hauled and the wind took me on a ride about 140 or so degrees on the compass. And on more than one occasion in the winter I had to tack out of the channel AND back in.

Tides-lets not forget about the BIG tides we have this time of year and while the wind can be light, the current can be stronger which makes trip planning a little more challenging. Also- Don't Go Aground. You may just stay there for weeks or months depending on where you are and at what part of the extreme tide you grounded on. It is also quite possible to go aground at low tide and get dragged uphill as the tide comes in, pushing you higher and higher, leaving you at the top of a nasty high tide. In these situations, a little anchor goes a long way. You may need to wade out and set the anchor farther away in order to get enough scope for the anchor to set.

As you can see this time of year produces the most variety of conditions and will most definitely keep you entertained. What I haven't told you about so far are the benefits.

Winter is by far the most beautiful time of year to sail. The east bay hills are a lush green and after a few good storms blow through they have usually knocked out almost all of the smog in the sky making for a view you cannot capture with a camera. I call it, "Sailing in Hi-def." Sometimes you can see from one end of the bay to the other with superb clarity. The dark blurry objects on the hills are now trees with actual stumps and branches, houses with windows and roofs. It is stunning. If you can go out in the winter, make sure that if there is a front blowing through that you go sailing on the back end of it so the wind is getting lighter as the day progresses. Winter sailing is some of the best you will ever have.