34* in Sarasota this morning made me wonder about a possible hard freeze that might hurt my unwinterized TikiHut. That just won't do.
Maybe I should do some basic prevention where it sits half in/out of my shop like leave a 100watt drop light bulb on in the bilge? I just can't imagine having to go all out for the tiny potential of a freeze down here. On the other hand we're 20mi from the coast and the warmer gulf waters so I've seen the dog bowl with a 1/4-1/2" of ice in it once or twice a year. The chamber of commerce doesn't like us to talk about that.....
It's 25* here right now.. these drafts better be countered by some off the coast, soon.. or.. or... Well, I guess I'm in no position to be offering ultimatum to mother nature..
I got clever yesterday... I put a ceramic space heater on an old board, and in an old plastic tote, punched a duct in either side, sat it on the swim platform, and put some dryer vent tube to the engine compartment vent on one side, and a fan pulling out on the other vent.. the heat has a thermostat control, but in unknown increments.. I just turned it to where it came on at 40* or so ambient temperature, and walked away..
Went out and checked it when I heard the winds pulling the flippin arctic down, and had a nice warmish breeze coming out of that fan (which is turning slow, and still on as of this writing)..
It's not that I'm proud of doing this, but... It'll work in a pinch to make sure the engines (that may have some water still hanging out in them) can't freeze..
Well, I went to peek at my boat over the weekend. All looked good, just a little snow still sitting on the cover, but all was ok.
I think we can all complain about colder weather than we are used to! I know 40 degrees this coming weekend will feel warm enough to go sit on the boat for a cold one! (well, I'll be doing a "raft up" with several boaters at a house this weekend.
I was only worrying about anything below 30* for more than a few hours, which we can see now and then. I'll worry less. With our inexperiance with freezing weather we have to stop driving if it gets in the 30s down here. :-S
Sorry there's no new boating pics. It's even nasty in the sunshine state today. Drizzle, grey skys, windy and temps in the low 50s for a high. Yeah, yeah....I know. Nothing like my northern Rinker team, but still gross for anybody who spent the cash to flee the great white north and tragic for us natives who'd rather be in flip flops and cut offs year round. It'll be in the high 80s this weekend with another front expected Sunday. Why can't it just be 75 everyday?
Thanks. That's a thought but I'll wait here for 48hrs when the winter weather changes back to normally great
It's during June 1st - October 31st when nothing down here spells relief except the typical apocalyptic sized afternoon lightning/rain storm. I can only imagine Costa Rica in the summer. You think I fuss about summertime oppressive heat/humidity now.... ( waaa, I wanna go boating in NE/Canada
I'm thinking southern California or Hawaii as the perfect boating spots. Or have a place on the great lakes for the summer and down south for the winter.
Trees are blooming down here so we're on the other side of this winter. Oddly we haven't even had a frost......yet. Here comes spring. I know you guys are counting the days.
Hope that layer of ice traps more water for you great lake sailors this summer. Nice pic BD. Stay warm.
Well, I'm hoping the cold up here will have killed off more of those summertime insects. Certainly was cold enough to.
Had my first 'raft-up' of the year Sat night. Even if it was inside a warm home, sure was nice getting together over some drinks with some fellow boaters.
Yeah, the lakes freezing up here definitely help water levels as it keeps the evaporation down. The bigger deal is snow totals in the basins for each great lake, as thats what feeds the lake levels until the summer heat comes through.
Comments
I got clever yesterday... I put a ceramic space heater on an old board, and in an old plastic tote, punched a duct in either side, sat it on the swim platform, and put some dryer vent tube to the engine compartment vent on one side, and a fan pulling out on the other vent.. the heat has a thermostat control, but in unknown increments.. I just turned it to where it came on at 40* or so ambient temperature, and walked away..
Went out and checked it when I heard the winds pulling the flippin arctic down, and had a nice warmish breeze coming out of that fan (which is turning slow, and still on as of this writing)..
It's not that I'm proud of doing this, but... It'll work in a pinch to make sure the engines (that may have some water still hanging out in them) can't freeze..
A look out from the Holland, MI channel towards Lake Michigan cam:
http://www.spyglasscondos.com/
Still snowing here, that fine SW wind turns the lake into a snow machine.
PC BYC, Holland, MI
I heard it would need to be 30F for 24hours solid before you can do any damage.
That is coming from my mechanic, not me - I don't have a clue.
Boat Name: King Kong
"Boat + Water = Fun"
PC BYC, Holland, MI
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
PC BYC, Holland, MI
Hope that layer of ice traps more water for you great lake sailors this summer. Nice pic BD. Stay warm.
Well, I'm hoping the cold up here will have killed off more of those summertime insects. Certainly was cold enough to.
Had my first 'raft-up' of the year Sat night. Even if it was inside a warm home, sure was nice getting together over some drinks with some fellow boaters.
Great pic BD!
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express