You should try out one of the dinghy frostbiting fleets! Lots of fun sailing in New England in the winter, believe it or not. They usually have loaners to try out if you like it. Until end of December you're fine with a wet suit. This is where you really learn how to sail!

As has been said there are plenty of dinghy fleets around New England that'll welcome you with open arms. When the water gets hard try some InterClub Dinghy racing.... http://interclub.org/ You'll love it.

If you're planning to shrink-wrap the boat and work on it thru the winter. use clear shrink-wrap and build an actual door with a frame to get in & out on a regular basis. The greenhouse effect will keep it quite a bit warmer on deck.

We are not particularly fond of cold water and cold weather altogether so there won't be much sailing dinghies for us this winter. If we could install a wood stove inside the boat, that would probably be more likely our strategy to survive the winter, but unfortunately we have a long list to work on before that can become possible.

The greenhouse wrap sounds like the best way to go to keep some warm on deck, thanks John.

hey what kind of foul weather gear are you using these days? I'm having trouble finding some for my wife. it seems that most major producers only make "small mens" sized stuff. have you found anything women specific that you like. especially cold weather stuff

thanks guys