Lately people have been asking me if I have air conditioning aboard my vessel (mostly from the brokers trying to sell the charters to future guest, but also individuals looking to charter with me). The answer is yes….and no.
Back when I sailed the boat to Kemah, TX in June 2009 I bought two window ACs from Target that fit perfectly into my solon hatches. I ran them nonstop during the hot Texas summer (When I was 20 I moved away from Texas, because the summers can feel like hell’s waiting room) and when I got back to the boat in Georgia last September I had them going a good amount. During the rest of the last three years I have used them less than a dozen times and almost always while tied to a dock.
The reason is because of the breeze. You would be amazed how cooling a sea breeze can be. In fact there are times at night when I am under a fleece blanket and still chilled. I will admit being in North Carolina and Virginia during July 2010 was hotter than I preferred, but as soon as I got back on the coast, instead of on the inland waterways, the temperature dropped considerably and life was great again.
In the Bahamas sub-tropics and the Caribbean tropics it is even nicer. The average temperature is barely 85 degrees and the trade winds are almost always blowing. Of course during the summer the trades can die out for a week or so at a time, but this is like living in Colorado for 18 years. There are a handful of days you wish you had air conditioning, that you could easily get with AC company in Brisbane, still the rest of the year is great with fresh air blowing through your hatches.
Uh oh! Here comes some rain. Close the hatches and wait 15 minutes while it passes.
On a completely different subject, I uploaded my latest travel video, which is the second part of the Outer Banks. I hope you take the time to watch it (go to the Travel Video tab) and if you enjoy it please pass the link to all of your friends. Last night I just completed a video of the Colonial Parkway in Virginia and will upload it in less than two weeks, so stay tuned!