Every year, I head down south for the winter in my sailboat. It’s nice to go down to the Florida Keys, if you can find the time. The Chesapeake area is a great place to spend the winter. Unlike the northeast area, the waters don’t freeze up in December, making it ideal for sailing. There are so many coves to explore that you can visit a new one on each journey. Conveniently located nearby is the Norfolk International Airport. North Carolina is another nice area to explore as its waters stay quite warm in the winter thanks to the gulfstream. Dowry Creek in Belhaven to Oriental and Beaufort (Bow-Fort) where they found Black Beards’ ship by the inlet are great marinas. The slip rates vary from $7 – $8 per foot per month. So for a 40′ boat you’re talking around $280.00 a month/6 months $1680.00 and sail her back up north in the spring. Very reasonable! The internet makes it easy to discover the numerous slips available there.