Winter sailing is often great, in these halcyon days before Christmas; we were out in just our jerseys yesterday, December 17, in the Heard 28 Isabel. Halcyon days are often associated with high pressure during the 14 day period around the solstice. They stem from Greek mythology and really refer to the Aegean – but it’s often calm in northern waters too.
The name Halcyon stems from Alcyone – a daughter of Aeolus – ruler of the winds according to Ovid, who was turned into a bird (kingfisher) after she tried to drown herself following her husband’s loss in a storm at sea. The halcyon days are the period of calm, granted by Aeolus to his kingfisher daughter so that she could lay her eggs on the beach in safety.