Lay up or sail away

How to set your boat up to enjoy late-season sailing in comfort

Cooler weather and shorter days don’t need to mean a long, enforced break from spending time afloat, but there is more chance you will use your boat in winter if it’s kept somewhere that has a choice of harbours or anchorages in reasonably close proximity. Even better if it’s in relatively sheltered waters.

In general, I try to keep passages short – it's really hard to stay warm on deck on the very coldest of days for more than a few hours. The East Coast rivers, for example, can be fantastic in this respect. While the West Country is more exposed to prevailing southwesterly winds, larger or faster yachts can hop between the