For many sailors, late winter is one of the good times to think about what items of sailing clothing and gear are going to be needed in the future. Here at Scotts of Langholm we are open all year round, so if you have indulged in this winter daydreaming, you may wish to visit us to get your new sailing clothing, so you are ready for the season ahead.

The trouble is that once you have your new sailing clothing in your cupboard, you want to find an excuse to try it out. However, you may feel that setting sail on the open sea is not such a good idea at this time of year, when the weather is so variable.

Luckily, there are inland lakes and rivers to boat on and chartering a yacht or cruiser could just give the opportunity to wear the new sailing clothing and remind you of the joys of being out on the water in a boat.Chartering a sailing yacht or a motor boat on inland waters is just as much part of life on the water as being on the open sea.

People have used waterways for travelling out of necessity for hundreds of years and now they are much given over to leisure use, with the advantage that today’s sailors have far better sailing clothing than previous generations of water folk ever had.

As long as your new sailing clothing will protect you from the worst that the elements can throw at you in the form of rain, snow and hail, you can enjoy the waterway scenery with bare branches against empty skies and the wildlife that overwinters in our lakes and rivers, and you can enjoy the peace and quiet and without the crowds of holiday makers with whom you would have to share it in the summer.