Even if you don't really want to realise it yet, the season is coming to an end. There will certainly still be some nice sailing days, but it can still help to start planning now for the coming winter storage season and for spring. This doesn't have to be about projects in the hall, but about preparing for them. After all, some tasks are best done when the boat is afloat and the mast is still standing. This is the best time to take rigging measurements, for example, if new purchases or modifications are planned in these areas. The shape and length of bow steps or ladders are also best determined when the freeboard height and the height of the jetty at the berth can be taken.
You should do this before winterising:
The sprayhood, cake stand, awning or bimini are orientated to the height of the main boom. For the latter three, the position of the backstay is also decisive. With new sails, it goes without saying that it is best to take measurements when the mast is upright. The retrofitting of trimming devices such as barber haulers can also only be sensibly planned under sail. This also applies to the length of sheets, halyards and outhauls. If you use the last few trips before wintering to do this, you save yourself the otherwise necessary "rounding up" when replacing the rope in winter, which usually leads to unnecessarily long ends and thus to sometimes considerable additional costs - or, even worse, to lines that are exactly one or two metres too short. The main halyard then just reaches behind the stopper, but no longer around the winch, and the genoa sheet ends up on the running deck at every tack instead of in the cockpit and therefore within reach.
The installation of a bow platform or gangway does not depend on the rig, but on the hull height and the water conditions. It is particularly important to be able to get on and off board more easily at your own berth. Nevertheless, the ladder should be variable enough to make it easier to step onto the gangway even in unfamiliar harbours.
Exact measurements of both the rig and the freeboard in the water are necessary if a full tarpaulin is to be made. For wooden boats in particular, this is a good way of protecting the paintwork from premature ageing caused by UV radiation. This depends on the height of the boom, the position of the standing rigging and the exact freeboard. This can no longer be measured correctly after winterisation.
The waterline as an important criterion for many jobs
However, the waterline can also be important for installations in the ship: for example, if a cooling water filter needs to be retrofitted. If transparent hoses are installed in the engine room, the waterline can be recognised and marked immediately. If there are problems with the echo sounder and log, it is also advantageous for troubleshooting if the boat is still afloat.
Leaks are also best detected in the water. Leaks that only occur on upwind courses with overflowing water or in heavy rain are usually difficult to localise on boats with an inner hull. Searching with puddles of water over the deck would require a lot more effort indoors and create quite a puddle, much to the displeasure of the neighbours.
The crucial preparatory work should therefore be carried out during or at the end of the season, before winterising. This is all the more true as disrupted supply chains, material shortages and a lack of skilled labour mean that a time buffer is generally recommended when ordering sails, lines, fittings or electronics. Last-minute orders in spring could otherwise delay the start of the season by weeks or even months. This also speaks in favour of taking action early.
Done in autumn, faster on the water in spring
By planning and ordering in good time, it may also be possible to tick off typical spring work in autumn. Sometimes it's even better because the air temperatures are usually higher in autumn due to the moderating influence of the sea and the keels don't have to "thaw out" first. Painting the underwater hull with antifouling and polishing the hull is definitely worthwhile before the first frost. However, this requires an indoor space or a constant high-pressure situation.
It's nice if these tasks are already done in autumn; if that doesn't work out, there will still be time in spring. Winterising the machine with antifreeze in the cooling circuit, on the other hand, is non-negotiable. Biodegradable agents can even be filled directly under the crane. To do this, the sea valve is closed and the antifreeze is poured into the open cooling water filter. As soon as the cooling water coming out of the exhaust is the same colour as the antifreeze, the agent is well distributed in the cooling circuit and the machine can be switched off. Radiator antifreeze that is not of an environmentally friendly colour must be collected at the exhaust. Winterising can then also be carried out on land.
In addition to the major conversion projects, retrofits and measures mentioned above, the last sailing days of the season can also be used for preventive maintenance. It helps to walk round the boat with your senses alert: Does the winch sound funny? Is the halyard running sluggishly over the mast roller? Does the rigging show signs of chafing? Is the bus system of the navigation electronics acting up? Do the electronic chart or the operating system in the plotter need to be updated?
Documentation before winterising
Each of these observations should end up on a checklist, which is best kept permanently on board in the last few weeks of sailing before winterising so that you can make any necessary additions. This will make it easier to decide what needs to be done before uncraning and what needs to be done in winter storage or in spring. You can also document any noticeable changes or tricky tasks with a photo or voice memo on your smartphone. This makes work much easier later on.
The items for the to-do list are then derived from these notes: Spare parts orders, appointments with mechanics or sailmakers and planning tasks. The earlier a problem is recognised, the easier it will hopefully be to solve it yourself. If it only appears in the coming season, the repair may take longer and thus shorten the free time on board.
On the really last trip before winterising, all the food and tinned food that could expire in winter or be damaged by frost can then be used up or removed from the boat: less shopping for the weekend and less to clear out after the crane date - a win-win situation. And don't forget to enjoy your last few days on board while you're taking notes, taking photos and looking for potential problems!
In fact, the better prepared you are for the crane appointment, the more you can do this. Because having an overview of the necessary points makes working on the boat much more relaxed - with the certainty that no unpleasant surprises await you in spring and that you can get started on time.
