Too hot to sail...

[imiloa]

While it was over 100 in the Chicago area on the 4th (and still is today) we went out of Waukegan harbor for a few hours sailing. There was a little relief on the water but the wind was very gusty and unpredictable. It would blow generally off the land anywhere between about 5 and 22 knots and the direction changed alot. We only sailed within a mile or two of shore so I wonder if the wind would have been steadier a few more miles out. I don't recall encountering conditions much like this previously but this kind of heat is rare here. Anyone have some thoughts on this kind of turbulant air closer to shore? (Remember, this is Illinois so the land is flat, no big cliffs or bluffs to speak of in the area.)

[SVAuspicious]

Originally Posted by BubbleheadMd

Auspicious Dave raced with me last night, in the heat and humidity of the Chesapeake.

It was pretty hot, greatly mitigated by good company and the chance to help keep the boat moving in light air. What great fun.

I miss foredeck but after three decades up there I'm just not fast enough anymore. Afterguard for me now... It is closer to the cooler. *grin*

[arknoah]

This whole heat thing is really making me crazy. I just moved to another job (Frederick, MD) and had to leave my boat in a marina off the Patuxent River, meaning I already will only get to sail on the weekends. To have the weekend be this painful is a real kick in the teeth.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by arknoah

To have the weekend be this painful is a real kick in the teeth.

Cry me a river: My Vacation.

Jim

[patrscoe]

I took Thur and Fri off hoping to sail with my family until Sunday but it was just too hot for us. This morning it was over 100 degrees out on the Yeocomico River and decided it was just too much for our kids, even with AC in the cabin.

[Sabreman]

Now I don't feel do bad. We're on the Yeocomico too and I've felt guilty not being at the boat. We felt that we'd hibernate in the cabin.

[deniseO30]

one more day of it according to most weather reports!

[Quickstep192]

Agree with all who say it' just too darn hot. There was a breeze in town toay, but 95 degree breeze is still to hot.

Gary, I'm wondering if a car type A/C system relies on having a tight cooling envelope in that in a car all the windows close much more tightly than drop boards would. Aside from that, I can't see a reason it wouldn't work.

As an aside, could you add a generator rig onto your engine to provide 120v to power your existing A/C system?

[rhr1956]

It's hot down here in Texas...for sure. 100 degree days are common from late June through August. If the breeze is decent and we stay on the shady side of the boat it's not too bad. Sometimes we drop sails, anchor, grab a beer and a noodle in jump in. It all goes with the territory.

[travlineasy]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

Gary, I'm wondering if a car type A/C system relies on having a tight cooling envelope in that in a car all the windows close much more tightly than drop boards would. Aside from that, I can't see a reason it wouldn't work.

As an aside, could you add a generator rig onto your engine to provide 120v to power your existing A/C system?

For summertime, my hatch boards are replaced with a couple doors with removable Lexan windows and screens. The rest of the boat is fairly air-tight, so I guess a quality air-conditioner, one big enough for a van, would do a good job.

I have a generator at home, but it's an 8,000-watt monster that weighs a ton and is very noisy. The boat's engine is a Universal Atomic-4 gasoline that is really quiet, and I can open two back hatches that would vent the entire engine compartment so the engine heat wouldn't be trapped and heat the cabin. I think the installation would, however, be cost prohibitive unless you did it yourself. I would install it if I were 20 years younger, but I'm too old and fat to crawl into the engine compartment.

Cheers,

Gary