The weather this year has been nuts (and I'm afraid that may be the new normal). We had something like 14 days of rain in a row, and now we're going into our eighth day of heat warnings, with heat indexes that have soared into the 116-degree (Farenheit, that is. That's over 46 degrees Celsius) range. Neither the wife nor I were raised with air conditioning (she in Wisconsin, me in Florida) and neither of us really like it. As a result, Tesla's Revenge like Floating Empire before it, has no AC.
yeah.
In any case, weather can change the way you deal with your daily routine, and living on a vessel and that much closer to nature, you feel it more. Wind knocks you around in the slip or at anchor, heavy rain makes conversations aboard impossible, cold can rather trap you aboard in winter. As with everything, you adapt, you take the conditions into consideration. It's a part of living aboard.
Now as to heat: you have to watch your butt with heat. It's exhausting. It, like extreme cold, makes even the simplest things more difficult, and like extreme cold, it can kill. I was returning to the boat yesterday and ran into one of our slip-mates. He looked like absolute hell. "I got sick." he said. He'd been working in the sun, re-doing his hull, sanding, painting. . .he got overcooked. It happens, but heatstroke is nothing to fool with. In our friend's case, he retreated to the cabin of his air conditioned boat to recover. Mulling on it, I realized, we don't have that option. So I thought I would pass along some of the ways we deal with the heat, some of the ways we modify our behaviours and schedules to make life livable.
First of all, it must be said, most of the year it isn't an issue. Water tends to come with it some lovely breezes and moderates the temperatures, even in the tropics. This week-plus blast of temperature has been an anomaly. Most of the time, spring, summer, and fall, the temperatures are moderate, the waters refreshing, and it's pretty pleasant. Sometimes, however, nature fails to cooperate.
We try not to be stupid. When the heat index is over 100, you're not going to be working on deck, or in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces. I don't care how much you "need to get things done" or how much free time you may have to work on the boat, you're not immune to the heat. Worse, when you do get heat-affected, you tend to get stupid and make poor choices that are at best counterproductive and at worse, dangerous. When the forecast is "this week, expect the third ring of hell during daylight hours" you need to re-make your schedule accordingly. Do paperwork. Read. Nap. Just accept the fact that, living aboard, you live closer to nature and have to partner with it, even if inconvenient. I watch our beloved ship's cat Magellan in the heat. He naps up on shore in the shade and the breeze, or parks himself on the galley table in front of the fan. I make sure he has lots of water when he needs it. You need to do the same for yourself. If you're not behaving like your pets in the heat, you're doing too much.
One of the other reasons we have no AC is that Tesla's Revenge is all solar-electric, and power management is an issue. Air Conditioning compressors eat a lot of power (as does refrigeration ). We were afraid, with only so much deck space for solar panels, that the draw would be excessive. Fortunately, there are some simple, low power options. The market has recently be flooded with a plethora of USB powered fans that can efficiently provide you with spot cooling and can clip anywhere on the boat.
Another great option is the venerable box fan. They don't eat up a lot of power, move a lot of air, and can flush the hot air out of your entire vessel. Just position at one end, open the hatch at the other, and let her rip.
Nights can be a challenge. There are few things more unpleasant than being there in bed naked, uncomfortable, and bathed in sweat. Fans, of course, help. We have, at times, resorted to the "redneck air conditioner" technique of sitting an ice block (frozen water in bags from wine boxes work well btw) in front of a fan. It's short term and inefficient, but it works. The heat has led some folks to creating some great DIY versions that are far less wanky and more usable .
.
There are even commercial versions available now
We've used a lot of other techniques, from soaking hats to draping towels over the fans. All of them work and can make your nights a little less miserable.
And remember, if things get nasty, you're on a BOAT for pity's sake. MOVE! Go find some nice cove with a nice breeze and anchor out.
Stay cool, guys.
More shortly
M
yeah.
In any case, weather can change the way you deal with your daily routine, and living on a vessel and that much closer to nature, you feel it more. Wind knocks you around in the slip or at anchor, heavy rain makes conversations aboard impossible, cold can rather trap you aboard in winter. As with everything, you adapt, you take the conditions into consideration. It's a part of living aboard.
Now as to heat: you have to watch your butt with heat. It's exhausting. It, like extreme cold, makes even the simplest things more difficult, and like extreme cold, it can kill. I was returning to the boat yesterday and ran into one of our slip-mates. He looked like absolute hell. "I got sick." he said. He'd been working in the sun, re-doing his hull, sanding, painting. . .he got overcooked. It happens, but heatstroke is nothing to fool with. In our friend's case, he retreated to the cabin of his air conditioned boat to recover. Mulling on it, I realized, we don't have that option. So I thought I would pass along some of the ways we deal with the heat, some of the ways we modify our behaviours and schedules to make life livable.
First of all, it must be said, most of the year it isn't an issue. Water tends to come with it some lovely breezes and moderates the temperatures, even in the tropics. This week-plus blast of temperature has been an anomaly. Most of the time, spring, summer, and fall, the temperatures are moderate, the waters refreshing, and it's pretty pleasant. Sometimes, however, nature fails to cooperate.
We try not to be stupid. When the heat index is over 100, you're not going to be working on deck, or in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces. I don't care how much you "need to get things done" or how much free time you may have to work on the boat, you're not immune to the heat. Worse, when you do get heat-affected, you tend to get stupid and make poor choices that are at best counterproductive and at worse, dangerous. When the forecast is "this week, expect the third ring of hell during daylight hours" you need to re-make your schedule accordingly. Do paperwork. Read. Nap. Just accept the fact that, living aboard, you live closer to nature and have to partner with it, even if inconvenient. I watch our beloved ship's cat Magellan in the heat. He naps up on shore in the shade and the breeze, or parks himself on the galley table in front of the fan. I make sure he has lots of water when he needs it. You need to do the same for yourself. If you're not behaving like your pets in the heat, you're doing too much.
 |
| Magellan is disamused by the heat. |
 |
| These little 5V USB fans can clip anywhere, take little power, and can make the difference between typing and sticking to your keyboard (which this one is doing at the moment). |
 | ||
| A staple in pre-AC days, the box fan is still a durable and effective way of moving air about. |
Nights can be a challenge. There are few things more unpleasant than being there in bed naked, uncomfortable, and bathed in sweat. Fans, of course, help. We have, at times, resorted to the "redneck air conditioner" technique of sitting an ice block (frozen water in bags from wine boxes work well btw) in front of a fan. It's short term and inefficient, but it works. The heat has led some folks to creating some great DIY versions that are far less wanky and more usable .
.
We've used a lot of other techniques, from soaking hats to draping towels over the fans. All of them work and can make your nights a little less miserable.
And remember, if things get nasty, you're on a BOAT for pity's sake. MOVE! Go find some nice cove with a nice breeze and anchor out.
Stay cool, guys.
 |
| Of course, some cooling options are better than others. . . . |
M
Peoples of the Caribbean have a saying, "Only mad dogs and Englishmen are out during the heat of the day." Be smart, keep cool, and stay safe when it's hot out.
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