[Rhodes22-list] Winter Sailing

[Roger Pihlaja]

Al,

When you talk about overnight low temperatures in the low 40's in Florida,
that's comparable to the overnight lows in lower Michigan in the spring and
fall or during the summer if you sail on Lake Superior.  Of course, nobody
sails up here in the winter because the water gets too hard.  Since spring
and fall usually have the best sailing weather on the Great Lakes, we have a
lot of overnight cruising experience with temperatures in the low 40's.

My sons & I enjoy winter polar bear camping in tents on top of the snow or
in snow shelters.  So, by our standards, the low 40's is really a pretty
reasonable sleeping temperature!  Starting around 0 deg F, your breath
condenses & settles on top of your sleeping bag as fine ice crystals.  You
need to have moisture barrier layers inside your sleeping bag and out when
it's that cold.  The outside moisture barrier layer prevents the ice
crystals from melting & soaking thru the outer shell.  The inner vapor
barrier stops the water vapor given off thru the sleeper's skin from seeping
into the sleeping bag's inner liner & insulation, condensing, and creating a
cold spot.  Obviously, that's pretty hard core, but your situation is not
that extreme!

My wife, Deb, is a cold sleeper.  We have been able to make her a happy
camper on the boat on nights with temperatures dropping into the low 40's by
using the hot flower pot trick at bedtime plus making certain that Deb had
on a warm hat, light gloves, fleece pants & top, & fleece booties inside of
her mummy sleeping bag.  Warming up the cabin in the morning with the hot
flower pot trick & handing her a hot mug of tea will usually entice Deb out
of her sleeping bag.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2004 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Winter Sailing


> Al,
>
> The short answer is "no".
>
> There are a lot of ways to fudge that answer, and some techniques are
safer than others, but in the end you always wind up doing something in a
tiny floating space that you would never consider doing in the bedroom
closet of your house.
>
> I take it you are talking about Florida winters.  Rik and Roger are
talking about Michigan and ... Minnesota?...winters.  The solutions are very
different.
>
> If I were you, I would just dress for the occasion.  There is plenty of
thermal clothing that can keep you toasty.  There are personal chemical
heaters that can warm you up.  Look in hunters catalogs.  As soon as you get
up to make the coffee, your cook stove will warm your space in short order.
I find I can comfortably sail when the outside temperature reaches 55
degrees.
>
> Bill Effros
>
>
>
>
> "Conservatives are so afraid of losing their majority
> status right now that.they're showing an astonishing
> willingness to spend now and dump all the cost in our
> children's laps, and an amazing unwillingness to
> reconcile the size of government with the amount of
> taxes needed to fund it."
>
> Brian M. Riedl
> Heritage Foundation
> November 24, 2003
>
> Source:
> www.QuoteWithoutComment.com
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Al Miller
> To: Rhodes List
> Cc: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 11:47 PM
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Winter Sailing
>
>
> Hi All,
> Michelle and I did not have time to sail this summer.  Work and
hurricanes!
> We plan to sail long weekends over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
> The temp will probably drop to  the low 40's during the evening, maybe
more.
> We do have the boom-room.
>
> My question is this.  Is there a safe heat source for when it is really
cold
> out?  We know how to layer our clothing and such, but we're curious about
> SAFE heat sources.  We will be carrying 12-15 gallons of gasoline in two
> regulation 6.5 outboard containers.  Should we hang them over the side at
> night?  Does Coleman make a SAFE (read- not explosive!) heater.  Any
> experienced answers appreciated.  We don't care to be a "Pan Pan Pan, Be
> advised that there is a reported 22 foot sailboat afire 5 miles off
> Clearwater Beach on channel 16.  Any vessels with further information
please
> contact the Coast Guard!!  :-)
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Al & Michelle-Tampa, FL
> S/V Mishka
>
>
>
>
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