Keeping warm

Summer may be on its way but springtime and night sailing can still be cold affairs. Toby Heppell looks at how best to stay warm on board whether you are sailing in spring, summer, autumn or winter

- Toby Heppell

While the darkest and coldest months of the year are now behind us, and we can all start to think about the summer sailing still to come, you don’t need many years of sailing experience in the UK under your belt to know that keeping warm at sea is an almost year-round task. Sure the balmy evening sails of June through August can be a delight, but the same months can still be chilly when sailing into a headwind in the rain. For those looking to start early and make the best of the spring sunshine, staying warm is an even bigger priority.

All this means that sailing in the UK, be it winter, spring, summer or autumn can be a cold and tricky business, but if you take some simple precautions there should be nothing stopping you getting out there and enjoying yourself, no matter what the weather throws at you.

If you’re able to get your boat in the water early – or even keep it in year-round – you’ll extend your sailing season and be able to break the year up with some truly memorable sails. But how do you keep your boat ready, and do you need extra kit?

MAINTAINING YOUR CLOTHING

To keep yourself warm, clearly one of the main elements is your clothing. There continue to be advances in sailing clothing. In reality, few of us will be inclined to spend the money on a new set of foulies each season, but outer layers are now more breathable than ever and so do a better job of making sure your sweat is wicked away from your skin, keeping your inner layers dry and better at insulating. They also have much better waterproofing properties than before and if you’re sailing in the UK, rain is always possible.