admin Date , November 1, 2025 Sailing Previous Blog Raining No Wind Last Comments (0)
As the last few leaves fall into the Thames and the temperature dips, it's time for the annual tradition: laying up the boats for winter. This weekend, the boat park turned into a hive of activity as we moved many of the wooden boats — some of them over a century old — into the Century Boathouse, giving them shelter from the wind, rain, frost, and whatever else the British winter has in store.
Wooden boats and winter do not mix well. The cold and damp creep into every joint and seam, leading to cracked varnish, swollen timbers, and a springtime restoration job nobody wants.
Laying up is about protection:
From weather
From rodents
And from being used as a handy bench or ladder by accident!
Getting them all in wasn't easy. With limited space and more boats than ever, it quickly turned into a game of dinghy Tetris.
We had to:
Double stack most of the boats using racks and padding
Carefully place masts, spars, and sails in safe dry storage
Reposition trailers to maximise every inch of the floor
All without knocking into Vanessa, the 1902 B-Rater!
Many hands made light-ish work, and with teamwork and tea, everything slotted into place… eventually.
