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How cold is too cold?
How cold is too cold?
It’s that time of year when our weather has turned from balmy to bitterly cold. Before every race day, PROs and RCs talk and make the difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions of whether or not to sail.
MFA does not have hard guidelines, and there are many factors that go into the decision making. For example, the forecasted winds may be sailable, but the temperatures (and wind chill) could make it challenging.
We do our best to balance safe sailing and not cancel racing in advance. That said, it’s helpful for the MFA budget and members who travel long distances to have early cancellations when conditions warrant.
Considerations
Considerations
Wind direction, precipitation and sea state:
Easterly directions give us significant waves in our sailing area which our Dyers do not take kindly to.
Northerly breezes will sometimes even allow us with flat water and the right high tide to sail in the harbor or close by the breakwater.
Temperature:
Under 28 degrees has recently been a hard stop for us (seawater freezes at 28 degrees) crashboats and lines freeze and ice up.
Windchill is another factor entirely:
some clubs use a 20/25 rule, so over 20 kn or under 25 degrees the RC would cancel racing.
See the frostbite chart from NWS which is another consideration in all of this, generally the single digits are dangerous.
Reminders for sailors
Reminders for sailors
sign up on the spreadsheet for Saturday sailing by Thursday night. If we do not have (7) participants by Friday morning, Saturday sailing will be cancelled.
for those that have not signed up yet, it's time to get on the spreadsheet and do your PRO or RC2 duty! so SIGN UP!!
arrive early, it takes longer to set up in the cold
bring boiling water in a thermos to help free frozen centerboards.
Always layer up with many layers and good gloves
keep your feet and boots dry (plastic bags over socks do work!)
never wear cotton or absorbent layers
If you are shivering uncontrollably, your body is trying to warm itself up and a sign that you risk becoming hypothermic.
drysuits do keep you safer when wet.
Crashboats are colder than dyers
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