Too hot to sail...

[Tim R.]

Originally Posted by travlineasy

I have AC on the boat, but it's 110-AC powered, which means you stay tied to the dock in order to run it. The boat cools down to about 72-degrees in less than an hour, and that's when it's in the mid 90s outside. Because of the balsa core, which is fairly thick, the boat tends to remain fairly cool for several hours. Also, the white topsides of the boat tend to remain fairly cool, even in direct sunlight.

I see a lot of boats out on the bay with dark blue hulls, and I often wonder just how hot they must be inside the cabin when that late afternoon sun is blazing down on the hull.

Gary

In that case Gary, you may be better server by installing an engine driven generator that can power your AC as well as other 110v outlets. Trying to adapt an automotive type AC to your engine will be time consuming and difficult at best.

[SchockT]

Engine drive refrigeration is nothing new, and if you know what you are doing it could easily be done using automotive components. How much horsepower it sucks from the engine all depends on how much refrigeration load you have. Factors like pulley sizes and engine rpm need to be factored in. You also have to figure out your condenser, since the automotive air cooler unit won't work.

[Cruiser2B]

Sailing in this heat when there is a breeze is not too bad, but went out yesterday for a day sail on the 4th, lasted about 30 min after the breeze stopped and turned back. The forecast called for more of breeze than there actually was(weather guesser was wrong again)....its just tooo damn hot in that direct sun, plus there is a pool back at the marina! I need a bimini!!!!!!!!

[St Anna]

A few years ago, I was in north qld [tropics]. I smelt what I thought was an electrical fire. I sniffed around the boat, stuck my head into lockers etc to no avail. The smell was strongest on the top of the hard dodger.

The temp was so hot and dry, the dust was heating up on deck and on top of the hard dodger. It was the same smell as the warning signs of an electrical fire.

Now that was a hot day [ and yes I was an idiot]

[BarryL]

Hey,

I'm sure someone could design an engine a/c system that would work well. I have a similar system on my boat, but it powers the fridge and freezer. It's made by Seafrost
Engine Drive
I see on their web page they list engine driven a/c but 'its under construction'

Here on Long Island it doesn't get too hot to sail very often. I have found that having a bimini makes all the difference in the world between being comfortable and roasting, but the air temp rarely gets into the 90's here.

Barry

[dvuyxx]

Last night we were out on the Severn for the Annapolis fireworks. At 10pm it was still blazing hot.

[travlineasy]

One of the neatest tips I have for hot-weather sailing, was something I inadvertently discovered about 5 years ago. I purchased a 7 X 9, heavy-duty, silver tarpaulin from Harbor Freight. The tarps were purchased mainly for winter storage, but I quickly discovered they have another great feature - silver reflects lots of heat. And, that 7 X 9 size was perfect for draping over my Bimini top. I anchored the corners of the tarp with bungee cords, and because the tarp was about 2 to 3 feet larger than the Bimini, it provided lots of side-curtain shad in the afternoon sun. A fellow sailor was on my boat a couple days ago when I had the tarp in place and he was amazed at how much cooler is was in the cockpit than on his boat. Then he reached up and touched the bottom of the Bimini. "Wow! No heat." He purchased a couple tarps the following day.

Gary

[ccriders]

On the fourth we went out for a morning sail. Winds SE 16 gusts to 24mph. Temps in the low 80's. Later in the day temps topped at 85* winds 24 gusting to 26mph. While the winds are normal, the air temps were lower than the water.

[Sabreman]

The Admiral and I are re-reminded of why I stopped taking vacation around Independence Day.

We don't either, but at least we'd go down to the boat for the weekend. It's been 2 weeks of relentless heat and while we have A/C, we'd end up hibernating in the cabin all weekend.

A number of years ago, we went on a cruise over the Independence Day holiday in our Sabre 28 (no A/C). It was 100 degrees in Urbanna, VA and didn't sleep for days. We finally sailed out of the Rapphannock under cruising spinnaker. We sat on the cabin top under the jury rigged awning the whole afternoon, letting the autopilot sweat it out.

[PalmettoSailor]

It truly has been brutal the past couple of weeks here in the Mid-Atlantic. We took a direct hit from the derecho that wacked NOVA and parts of MD. Lost power around 10:30 Friday and didn't get it back until yesterday around 5PM. We had lots of opportunity to "enjoy" the warm weather to say the least. No freakin' way would I have wanted to be out on the boat it this. I'd be sweating up a storm before we were untied much less out of the slip. I swear I'm close to planning my sailing seasons to haul out at the end of June and go back in in Sept. Only problem with the plan is nothing would get done on the boat since if its too hot to sail its way, way too hot to work on the boat.