going to do all winter(hopefully) are you? have you?

[zookeeper]

I have decided to try and get some winter ribbing in, those nice flat sunny days should be fun.I have done it with my sib s before so why not my rib, i am interested in other members who do the same. Stories and plans, places to go and what you do to equip your self. Looking forward to it.

[cgf10]

I've kept mine going for the last couple of years, I never do as much as I hope especially as it gets really cold but there are certainly days worth going out for. For me its meant some new wardrobe and I've been close to buying helmets if only for winter ribbing and keeping my head warm for a while now. The main thing if you keep the boat ashore is to remember to keep the leg fully down and clear of water in the event of a hard frost (sorry if you already know this).

[willk]

Best of days (because they're a bonus)

The RIB:
Keep the batteries well charged
Watch for "dry" linkages
Keep all the small stuff handy in a big box, ready for deployment to the boat when the WX settles
Keep a track of how old the fuel is and plan accordingly

The Crew:
Keep 'em warm and dry. It WILL be cold. Balaclavas suddenly don't seem quite so passé
Take hot drinks and lots of food
Take spare dry clothes and ideally, survival bags - if you have an immersion, it will be VERY serious.

The Plan:
Keep it simple and keep the shore party informed. Don't be overly adventurous, it WILL be dark early and the WX IS going to change pronto.

I usually aim for no more than two hours at speed and a short while ashore or drifting somewhere for a "picnic" or whatever. The day out is what matters here, not the distance travelled.

Now, if I had a heated wheelhouse....

[Nasher]

Some of the best ribbing we've done has been during the normal 'off' months.

In the solent you get some cracking days when the sun is out, the air is so crisp and fresh and the surface turns like glass.

There are so few boats about that you can tie up right outside The Folly, and Yarmouth loses some of the manic packed feeling it has during the summer.

All four of us have drysuits and helmets with long visors, which I believe are a must to be comfortable in the colder weather.

Nasher.

[zookeeper]

brilliant... im just out to pootle about nothing adventurous or risky.. a good settled weather forecast is a must. We have immersion suits and will get head gear evenif it is knitted by my nan!!

[GJ0KYZ]

Winter ribbing is fine so long as you wrap up warm. Notice I have two coats on in this photo. It was taken last February on a still, sunny morning; I remember it well. God it was cold! Good job I had brought some soup with me as it's a 90nm round trip from Jersey to Mont St. Michel.

[boristhebold]

I'm planning on going out regularly over winter as others have mentioned you can have some lovely sunny days. Have just bought a personal epirb thingy just in case and will be considering dry suit.

[Stoo]

In this part of the world, we can get into sub-freezing temperatures starting any time now. While we can get some nice weather, the Great Lakes tend to get pretty rough into the Fall and early winter.

When we go out, we wear full flotation suits, toques and gloves or mitts. We also wear winter boots as I find it's my feet that get coldest. We leave them loosely laced in case they need to come off in a hurry. Mrs. Stoo has a suit which is a size larger than she needs so she can stuff about 6 layers underneath.

In a few weeks, I will start to bring my batteries inside and leave a trickle charger on them. Also, when I pull my boat out, I turn the engine over for just a second to make sure there's no water stuck in it anywhere. Similarly, drop your trucks (well, the boat's) and remove the drain plug in the hull. You don't want any water trapped where it can freeze.

Usually, our season comes to an end when the first major snow comes. The ramps (slipways) get piled in with snow and there's always the risk that you will launch your truck too!

A few years ago we were up north to get in one last weekend of diving. We stayed in a motel the night before, but when I got up in the morning, my boat was filled to the top of the tubes with snow. I learned that dive fins actually make pretty good snow shovels!

When we got the the parking area near the ramp we had some trouble though because as we tried to back up, the surge brakes kept activating. We could have "pinned" them to get around that problem, but then I started to wonder if I'd be able to get my truck up the ramp again. Mrs. Stoo was beginning to protest and eventually prevailed. She's a sensible woman at times.

[Trevor G]

Originally Posted by zookeeper

I have decided to try and get some winter ribbing in, those nice flat sunny days should be fun.I have done it with my sib s before so why not my rib, i am interested in other members who do the same. Stories and plans, places to go and what you do to equip your self. Looking forward to it.

We've used our Rib for the last two winters (it's as long as we've had one) and have managed to get out every two or three weeks. Helmets certainly make it a lot more comfy if it starts to rain or sleet and are worth investing in - especially for the driver as everyone else seems to be OK with hoods as they can turn away from the wind and rain.
From Hythe, Bucklers Hard and Lymington are good in Winter as they are almost deserted which makes mooring so much easier.
We are now dry stacked at Saxon Wharf and fuel-up at Hythe so maybe we can meet up for a few runs this winter...

[Waterman]

Some of the best days Ive had ribbing were on lough Corrib in the winter months. Would have to agree the warm gear (Balaclava a definite) is one of the biggest factors. Your crew will lose interest very quickly once they get cold, something the driver/I usually forget while under way!!

[Steve_B]

Keep going, some of the best leisure trips we have had, have been in the Winter months. The last 3 New Years day's have been out on the water, you virtually have it to yourself and a great hang over cure!
Like most things, a boat used regularly is better than being laid up for long periods. Proper preparation and good quality protection is key, once cold it is very difficult to warm up out on the water. Your feet, hands, head and face need protection, these normally get ignored in the summer. And dont forget the sun cream on very clear days!
Steve

[Jeff]

Keep going - I usually get out ribbin and diving every month of the year
.... keeps the batteries charged

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Jeff

Keep going - I usually get out ribbin and diving every month of the year
.... keeps the batteries charged

Whitby in winter!!!!! You're a better man than me

[HUMBER P4VWL]

I did pb2 on a feb day with snow on the tops of the mountains but sunny and no wind or rain. I had a 2 t shirts, berghaus fleece and berghaus waterproof walking goretex jacket. At 20 mph the cold ripped through in 30 seconds and my hands in cotton gloves just died. Had to go back to the marina and get a decent thick winter boating jacket. It quite surprised me!!

Glorious flat weather though.

[willk]

Further to HP's observations, clothing is key. Typically I use thermal "longs" (v.sexy ), warm shirt, fleece, hat/s, buff, ski gloves and a Fladen immersion suit to top it off. Walking boots and socks provide good foot protection.

Pic of donegaldan and his Amazing Flying Sofa with a Frozen Background...

[GJ0KYZ]

Originally Posted by willk

Further to HP's observations, clothing is key. Typically I use thermal "longs" (v.sexy ), warm shirt, fleece, hat/s, buff, ski gloves and a Fladen immersion suit to top it off. Walking boots and socks provide good foot protection.

Years ago when I was a commercial fisherman, we used to keep our legs warm by wearing tights; yes, the kind you might find in your lady wife's chest of drawers. We also wore a towel around our necks fastened with an elastic band or tied in a knot. In my experience the cold is as big a danger at sea as anything else. With the cold comes tiredness, confusion, poor self-monitoring and the ability to use your hands. We were lucky back on the boats as we often had twin exhausts coming up through the deck and venting over the top of the wheel house. We used to hug these between strings of pots in order to keep warm.

[Razorbill RIBs]

We work all winter too.....as has been said, some of the best boating to be had IMO.

SPX100 undersuit and ex RNLI drysuit. Fleece balaclava, ski goggles and neoprene gloves....

But, also have a pair of Gil helms gloves....toasty warm...swap between the neoprene and these depending on what we're doing.

Always carry a flask of something hot....one of the scientists brings along those instant warm coffee things....it's all the packaging that puts me off. Plus, I enjoy playing 'mother' serving tea

This is a picture of a Dolphin (with a larger than usual melon) from a pod of 6, showing off last December... taken while we were stopped off Newquay. Who says it's a semi resident /migratory population????

[Maximus]

Keep it going... You wont regret it! We've had some GREAT days out in the winter months,less traffic on the roads,easy launching and fewer holidaymakers to get in the way too!Not TOO sure about encourageing Wilk with his Balaclava wearing though!!

[BogMonster]

This winter is the first winter I haven't been out regularly, but in my defence I didn't have a boat!

I wear a one piece Fladen suit, sometimes with a fleece underneath (depends how cold it is - the Fladen over just a t-shirt is warm enough most of the time - they are amazing suits and you very quickly cook inside them if you wear too much!).

Hands live in Thinsulate thermal gloves (not waterproof, but very warm and in the winter you tend not to do it in weather that sees lots of water coming over the side), and feet are a pair of thick thermal socks inside wellies, as otherwise your feet really suffer after an hour or so.

I have a Save Phace for really cold days or going into stinging rain, but normally don't bother with it, wind in the face is what blows the cobwebs away

[kwil]

Here is the cheap version of a Save Phace, but just remember to take it off before going ashore.

Keith