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Today seems like the perfect time to publish a list of tips on how to beat the heat while cruising. Below are some things we've been doing on Tarwathie recently while cruising The Erie Canal in New York.
- While under way, the helmsman stays under protection of the bimini all the time. Pity the prior owners of Tarwathie, they had no bimini.
- The boat has considerable thermal inertia. Even on the hottest day it stays cooler in the cabin until about 1500. But then it remains too hot until 2300 at night. By the way, thank God it does cool at night around here. We have no trouble sleeping.
- I tried wetting down the decks and hull hoping to cool down the walls. It has no noticeable effect. I think we would need continue the wet down for an hour or more to make a difference.
- We use muffin fans in the cabin and point them directly at our heads.
- Drink lots of fluids
- Yesterday I bought a package of Popsicle twin pops. Eating half a pop every hour or so during the day is a great pick up.
- (See the picture) We have a battery operated gadget that lets you spray water mist on yourself as you hold a fan. Directed at the head and the back of the neck it works well.
- I have a floppy hat with a wide brim to keep the sun off. On the hot days I put the hat on the end of a boat hook and dunk it in the river. Then I put it on my head soaking wet. That feels really good.
- Seek shelter when possible. Lounging in an air conditioned library, or a store is a great strategy. Failing that, go for the shade of a grove of trees near the water.
- Avoid the hottest hours. Travel from 0600-1200 is more comfortable than 1200-1800. We can also take evening walks and sit outside to vacate the boat after dinner until bed time. The only trouble with that is the mosquito hour around sunset. We've been using lots of bug spray this week.
- Go jump in the lake (or the river). Where the water is clean, cool, and free of nasty creatures, taking a plunge is what I call "instant attitude adjustment" The Chesapeake Bay is full of sea nettles, the man-made sections of the Erie Canal have dirty water, the Mohawk and Hudson rivers are OK, Lake Champlain waters are perfect for swimming.
- Most important, seek the proper latitude. Migrate!
With her heavy displacement, much of the hull in a W32 is under water. Ambient water temperature has a major influence on comfort in the cabin. Below are some rough numbers for the USA East Coast. Temperatures in degrees F
| Latitude |
Place |
Summer water temp |
Winter water temp |
| 47 |
Halifax, Nova Scotia |
50 |
33 |
| 45 |
Penobscot Bay, Maine |
60 |
36 |
| 45 |
Lake Champlain, Vermont |
70 |
frozen
|
| 42 |
Erie Canal, New York |
80 |
frozen |
| 38 |
Chesapeake Bay, Maryland |
80 |
35 |
| 25 |
Florida |
90 |
75 |
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