Sweltering

We left Hampton Friday morning at 7:25.  It was already very hot.  There were numerous bridges ahead of us and a busy port to negotiate.  We had a fairly long day planned to get to Coinjock.

Getting through the Norfolk area proved interesting.  Work is being done on an underwater pipe system of some sort.  The entire channel from Hampton Roads to Portsmouth had areas blocked off where they were working on this system.  Some sections restricted the channel so much that if you met an oncoming barge or naval ship, you would have to wait until they passed before transiting yourself.  So we didn't think about the heat too much until we got out of the Norfolk area.

It began to really heat up after about 20 miles.  There was hardly any breeze blowing.  The occasional puff of 3-5 knots felt pretty good when sweat was pouring off of you, but really didn't do much in the scheme of things.  When we got to Great Bridge Lock and had to step out from under the bimini to tie up, the sun was scorching.  We were all dreaming of ways to stay cool.

So what do you do when the weather gods bless you with record setting heat?  Well, if you have air conditioning and enough power to run it, that is one solution. We have in the past, brought our generator out to run the AC while we were underway.  This allowed us to pop into the salon to cool off for a while before heading back out to the helm to watch for whatever might be ahead ready to obstruct our course.   Unfortunately, our air conditioner gave up the struggle with an agonizing mechanical scream Thursday evening.  Add a new compressor to the list of boat projects.

Callie has her own methods for cooling off

Second in line for cooling off are fans.  We have several scattered throughout the boat and they are very helpful if you are standing directly in front of one, or at night if the air flow is directed across your naked body as it tries to cool off enough to fall asleep.  We also have wind scoops that are great little inventions placed over an open hatch to catch any wind and direct it into the cabin where you are trying to sleep.  They work if there is a breeze.

Another way to get some relief from the heat is of course shade.  That's what our bimini is for and we all stayed under it as much as we could, only venturing out to sit in the shade produced when the sail was up or to handle some necessary task like tying up in the lock.  Our other cooling maneuver was to get wet by hosing off with the outside shower.  Wearing wet clothes that are drying in the breeze is quite cool.  So are wet bandannas to mop the face, arms, whatever.  We used this method throughout the hottest part of the day.

When we entered Currituck Sound, miraculously the wind picked up to 15-20 and we pulled out the jib to sail the entire length of the sound.  What a treat.  Not only did we get a break from the south wind directly on the nose, but the breeze also served to keep us dry (as in not sweating buckets).  Our attitudes improved measurably.

But the thing that really kept us going, and in the end was the ultimate heat quencher, was the swimming pool at the end of the trip.  Our marina in Coinjock has a swimming pool.  No sooner had we tied up at the dock and mixed a festive beverage, then we were in the pool dropping our body temperatures considerably.  Oh yes.  Life is good.  At least until we head south again today.