Pacific Northwest Boating News Winter cruising Why ... - Grey Goose
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1/14/2010 <strong>Pacific</strong> <strong>Northwest</strong> <strong>Boating</strong> <strong>News</strong>: <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>cruising</strong>? …<br />
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(http://www.threesheetsnw.com/blog/archives/category/features) » <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>cruising</strong>? <strong>Why</strong><br />
not?<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>cruising</strong>? <strong>Why</strong> not?<br />
By Deborah Bach on January 12th, 2010<br />
(http://www.threesheetsnw.com/files/2010/01/winterboat.jpg)<br />
Photos by Brian Pemberton<br />
For many <strong>Northwest</strong> boaters, <strong>cruising</strong> is a seasonal activity—<br />
boats are used during the summer and then mothballed for the<br />
rest of the year, left to sit in marinas, on trailers and in dry<br />
storage.<br />
Though winter <strong>cruising</strong> may seem unappealing to the<br />
uninitiated, the hardy few who do it know it offers a chance to<br />
experience familiar waters in new ways. The landscape takes on<br />
a new cloak, the crowds thin out and well-known places feel<br />
somehow different. And there are few pleasures better than<br />
curling up in a warm salon with a book on a rainy winter day.<br />
Author Migael Scherer, who has cruised Puget Sound for more<br />
than 30 years, had a lonstanding tradition of spending New<br />
Year’s Eve on her boat with friends, usually in Gig Harbor or<br />
Port Ludlow. They’d go out for dinner and champagne, or raft<br />
up with other boats to ring in the new year together.<br />
Among Scherer’s other favorite winter destinations are Poulsbo, Langley and Quartermaster Harbor, off Vashon Island. She looks for<br />
protected anchorages and likes to mix it up between dropping a hook in a quiet harbor and heading to a town with restaurants, galleries<br />
or other indoor activities.<br />
“I think the secret to winter <strong>cruising</strong> is to pick a good destination and be totally comfortable if you’re anchored, or pick a place where<br />
you can go on shore and it’s nice,” she says.<br />
Scherer recommends that before heading out, boaters come up with a plan for what to do if the weather turns bad. For example, she<br />
says, a Seattle boater might head to Tacoma, where it’s possible to take a train or bus back if the weather conditions change for the<br />
worse. The boat can be picked up later or staged for additional <strong>cruising</strong>.<br />
“If you have an out, it makes the trip easier, more relaxing,” she said.<br />
Scherer likes to observe the changes winter brings—the soft green of the mountains replaced by a bluish hue, the low tides at night<br />
instead of midday as in summer. To her, winter boating has a quieter, more contemplative feel.<br />
(http://www.threesheetsnw.com/files/2010/01/winterboat3.jpg) “It really has a different<br />
mood,” she says. “The light in the winter can be so pretty. And that beautiful sea<br />
smoke – when the sun rises and the water’s flat and you see this smoke coming off it,<br />
this mist. It’s so pretty. It just makes for a different perspective on the water. It’s more<br />
reflective.”<br />
Longtime boater Mark Bunzel, who owns Anacortes-based Fine Edge publishing<br />
company, enjoys winter “urban <strong>cruising</strong>,” which he describes as using a boat as a base<br />
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1/14/2010 <strong>Pacific</strong> <strong>Northwest</strong> <strong>Boating</strong> <strong>News</strong>: <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>cruising</strong>? …<br />
from which to explore on land. That could mean mooring at Bell Harbor Marina on<br />
Seattle’s waterfront and walking the short distance downtown to shops, restaurants<br />
and bars. Bunzel also likes staying in Meydenbauer Bay, a short walk to downtown<br />
Bellevue, or on Lake Union.<br />
He offers a tip for staying on Lake Union: most marinas there don’t have transient moorage, but Bunzel says yacht brokerages on the<br />
lake often have empty slips they’re willing to rent out, but bathroom facilities are typically not included. Call around to the brokerages to<br />
check for space.<br />
Other possibilities for urban <strong>cruising</strong> include La Connor, Edmonds and the town of Winslow on Bainbridge Island, which all have<br />
restaurants and other onshore activities.<br />
“You’ve got these close-in destinations that can be a lot of fun,” Bunzel says. “Many of them are urban destinations with a lot of<br />
restaurants and activities. You can use your boat like your RV on the water and have these nice, relaxing trips.”<br />
For boaters in search of a quieter experience, Bunzel says places that might not seem exotic in the summer often make for good winter<br />
destinations, mentioning Chuckanut Bay near Bellingham as an example.<br />
“We’ve got such incredible variety here of different options, and so much of it it is in very protected waters,” he says. “In the winter<br />
time, don’t be afraid to get on the boat and go.”<br />
Of course, there are additional considerations involved in winter <strong>cruising</strong>, weather and comfort being among them. <strong>Winter</strong> often brings<br />
more severe weather, such as windstorms and arctic flows that blow down from northern Canada. Check forecasts and look for<br />
anchorages that are crosswise to the prevailing wind and therefore offer better protection.<br />
Dressing properly is key to enjoyable winter <strong>cruising</strong>. Start with long underwear and add layers. Though scientists recently debunked the<br />
belief that the most heat escapes through the head, it’s still advisable to wear a warm hat and warm, water-resistant gloves. Some winter<br />
cruisers invest in exposure or flotation suits. Similar to skisuits, they are insulated and keep boaters warm over just a layer of light<br />
clothing.<br />
Though fairweather boaters may be reluctant to head out when the mercury drops, Scherer says there are some practical reasons to cruise<br />
in winter. It helps ensure boating skills don’t get rusty, she points out, and it’s good for a boat to run its engine and various systems.<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>cruising</strong> is also a way to get out and embrace the <strong>Northwest</strong>’s notoriously gloomy season. “It’s a way of playing in winter, (rather<br />
than) just lumping around,” she says. “A boat’s something of a toy, and you should play with it. It’s a nice thing.”<br />
Bunzel offers the following tips for winter boating, reprinted with permission from a 2005 story in Power Cruising magazine<br />
Prepare Your Boat<br />
Before departing, service and inspect all systems on your boat for proper operation.<br />
Have the boat’s furnace inspected and checked.<br />
Check the ventilation system for proper and adequate air flow through the boat.<br />
Check anchor and rode for wear, and consider increasing the size of your anchor for additional holding.<br />
Carry additional fender and lines.<br />
Check or add chafing gear for anchor rode and lines.<br />
Carry a snow shovel and ice scrapers onboard.<br />
Bring an umbrella, useful for hustling from the boat to the pub or marine store.<br />
Prepare Your Crew<br />
Make sure each crew member has the proper cold weather clothing layers for comfort, both inside or outside the boat.<br />
Pack rain gear including boots, hats and goggles for deck crew.<br />
If your crew is prone to seasickness, pack the preferred remedies.<br />
Prepare Your Mindset<br />
Study <strong>Pacific</strong> <strong>Northwest</strong> weather and research weather patterns for the areas where you intend to cruise.<br />
Consider ahead of time the <strong>cruising</strong> routes that will work best for specific weather conditions.<br />
Determine your limits and allow for extra time at anchor or in port to avoid venturing out in weather that may be beyond your<br />
capabilities or those of your crew or boat.<br />
Consider your boat’s limits for winter operations, covering performance in weather and including<br />
critical items such as water, which may be harder to obtain when many docks turn off their water for the<br />
winter. Choose your destinations accordingly.<br />
Take a short shakedown cruise in the winter before any long cruises to test your boat and crew.<br />
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1/14/2010 <strong>Pacific</strong> <strong>Northwest</strong> <strong>Boating</strong> <strong>News</strong>: <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>cruising</strong>? …<br />
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