Winter Boating Tips
Why winter is a great time to get on the water.
Just because it’s cold, it doesn’t mean you have to stay off the water! Don’t get us wrong, we love boating in the warmer months, but if you pick the right days, winter cruising can be quite spectacular. When the wind is gentle you’ll get glassy conditions all day long – as opposed to summer when sea breezes often ruffle things. And a huge plus – no crowds. While everyone is tucked up at home, you can be pulling into sheltered bays and have the whole place to yourself!
6 must-haves for fun winter boating:
Good Weather Report – check the forecast so you don’t get caught in a storm
Good Anchorage – find a place that offers shelter
Diesel Heater – keep your cabin nice and toasty
Fast WiFi – stream Netflix on your smart TV
Inverter – fire up your Nespresso machine
Warm Clothes – pack your bag for the conditions
Our favourite winter destinations
The Winterless North
The Bay of Islands has good anchorage all around (easy to find a snug anchorage in any wind directions). Opua Marina is close by, with excellent facilities, if the weather takes a turn for the worst. Urupukapuka Island is a favourite of ours, especially as there are good walks and a pub at the end! Sunrises and sunsets can be spectacular too. If you’re careful picking your weekend weather, Whangaroa Harbour is sublime on a good winter’s day. You might even luck into some decent fishing too.
Auckland and surrounds
Head to Waiheke and the inner islands for the weekend, with plenty of good anchorages and not far to go. For an extra quick day trip, consider going up under the Harbour Bridge, tucking up by the Chelsea Sugar Factory - beautiful bush clad cliffs and birdsong. Really surprising so close to the city!
The Riverhead Pub is a great lunch time trip, for smaller boats and runabouts, with a jetty to tie up too once you get there. But check the tides, as a rough guide, vessels drawing up to 1.5m (5 feet) should allow for a half tide or better for the trip up and return no later than two hours after high tide to avoid getting stranded.
How we check the weather:
www.windy.com - download from the app store
www.metservice.com - can be downloaded from app store
Coastguard NowCasting Weather Channel – CH19 for Auckland/Bay of Islands, CH20 Leigh/Kawau
www.predictwind.com – sign up on the website, excellent tool for racing yachts and cruising alike.