At the start of the school year Staples runs and ad featuring a dad dancing around the store to the tune “it’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. For me this is the case, and not because my teenager is off to another year of high school (although that is a pretty great thing). I’m excited because frostbiting season is about to begin - YAAAH!
Remember back when you were a kid out in your backyard playing an awesome game of touch football with all your friends. Afterward you’d top off the fun with hot chocolate and your mom’s chocolate chip cookies. Replace the back yard with Boston Harbor, the football with boats, and the sustenance with beer and chicken wings. That’s frostbiting.
Racing on Boston Harbor, whatever time of year, has always been one of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday and every year the Courageous frostbiting fleet becomes more competitive. We are blessed to have some of the best sailors in New England. For the newcomers this year - expect to be tested in all respects from boathandling, to strategy and rules, to understanding the unique wind and water conditions that make Boston Harbor such a fun, challenging place to sail.
If you’re new to the fleet, whether you’ve raced Rhodes 19 or not, make sure you come prepared wearing proper attire and with the tools to set your boat up for maximum sailing enjoyment (and safety!).
Boat preparation in the winter
- Scrubbing the bottom is essential cause even in the winter “Growth happens”. Get yourself a good brush with a telescoping handle so you can scrub ALL the foils.
- There will be days when you’ll have to chip ice and shovel snow off the boat. DO NOT let ice or snow live on your boat or you are likely to take a winter swim. For those days get a good multi-tool ice scraper and a dust pan and broom. Make sure they’re sturdy!
- Everyone needs a good tool kit. Yours' should include: electrical tape, sharpie markers, extra line, telltales, a rigging knife, and a rule book.
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| Clockwise from left: Atlas Nitrile gloves, Harken Black Magic gloves, Sperry Ventus boot, Landsend Trekker boot |
Personal gear to keep you warm and safe
Now in my eighth year of frostbiting I’ve experienced pretty much every weather condition and I’ve been both well and ill prepared. Getting wet and cold because you aren’t wearing the proper gear is not fun, it's dangerous. The average time spent on the water is 4 hours and not all of that is racing time. There will be days when racing is delayed due to commercial shipping traffic. When you’re racing you’ll work up a sweat but when you have to sit a while you’ll start to feel the chill.
- Wear layers with a waterproof (NOT water-resistant) outer layer cause on windy days you’ll get spray. Remember you can always take it off but you can’t put it on if you don’t have it.
- Footwear needs to be both warm and waterproof but you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg. I recommend the Snow Trekker boots from Landsend for $49.50. If you’re not into boots they also make these in a shoe for $39.50. If price is not an object check out Sperry’s Ventus boot for $180.00
- Gloves! I am a glove fanatic and will typically bring at least three pairs of gloves with me. On windy day gloves get wet, especially when handling the jib sheets. My favorite pair for most conditions are Gill Black Magic full-fingered gloves. They are the right combination of comfort and flexibility with a nice grippy palm and they will keep hands warm in temps above 30 degrees, even when wet. For days when it’s not so cold but you still want some protection and a good grip try Atlas Nitrile Tough gloves. Order these online for a substantial discount. Some people like ski gloves but I find them to be too bulky. That said I carry a pair to wear between races or during race delays.
- Hats. I usually have a couple of hats but my favorite for cold weather is a knitted one with flaps and a chin tie.
- Sunscreen. You can still get sun damage in the winter - especially on a windy day. I keep a Nutrogena sunscreen stick in my pfd. It works great for the face and lips too.
One more thing. If you’re new to the fleet please make the effort to introduce yourself to your fellow sailors. We are a very friendly group and we’d like to be able to yell at you by name out on the race course (HAH HAH!). And if you have any questions the Courageous staff is always very helpful or come find me. I’m usually wearing something pink.
See you on the water!
