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The three secrets to being on the water out of season
Few of my out of season trips have been quite as epic as that. But the only thing that made it difficult was the snow on land, and the flat battery in the quad bike. The sea itself was no trouble
at all.
More recently a calm day in mid February tempted me to take Selkie (my first Selkie, the sailing
canoe) for a trip a couple of miles along the coast and up the River Esk on the high tide.
Secret 1: Have a boat that’s quick and easy to launch.
If you need to use an infernal combustion engine, keep it in working order. Living a few
minutes walk from the boat park helps too.
Secret 2: Grab the opportunities when the weather is in your favour.
Those crisp, clear high pressure winter days are wonderful. Check the forecast of course, as
conditions can change rapidly, and be aware of how much daylight you have.
Secret 3: Have a boat that’s a pleasure to row.
There are probably few sailing canoes equipped with oars, but this one is!
While sailing is often possible, sitting still gets cold pretty quickly. Rowing on the other hand
keeps you warm however cold the air. But take extra layers for when you stop and rest. Also
leaving the sail and rig behind makes the boat lighter to handle up and down the beach.
This winter I’ve been experimenting with my new Selkie, a Drake design rowing boat, that is
much more capable in rougher conditions than the canoe and quicker to launch than Scratch.
Initial indications are that she’ll open up more days on the water, especial-ly if I can rig a
spray deck for launching through surf.