Is it really that HOT in America and the Caribbean?

[Target9000]

Originally Posted by Coops

I have cruised in the Whitsundays and have lived in PNG as well. Also lived out west of Sydney for a while, gets really hot out there. Where I am now gets 35 to 40 degrees in summer quite often as it is a tad inland of the coast, but not much. Some folks love the heat, some don't, but getting used to AC all the time tends to mean that you spend less time outside I have found.

Coops.

I have found the exact opposite. Having a comfortable place to go after a day in the heat makes people more active and willing because they know they can cool down. I live in a place that kills people without ac. 40c is nothing in reasonable humidity. 35c in 99 percent humidity kills.

[Coops]

We are all different then, which is as it should be. What suits one may not suit anybody else.

Coops.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by monte

So many people have air conditioning questions, generators to power the air conditioning questions, where to install the air condition questions etc etc... Is it really That hot there?
In Aus we have pretty hot weather, in the med it can get hot, here in Southern Portugal is pretty hot mid day, 30-35 degrees is a nice sunny day. If you get hot you jump in the water?
So what am I missing considering the last thing I would want on board a yacht would be an air conditioner???

I'm with you mate. This summers has been a little cooler than some others on the U.S. East Coast. But, even on the hottest days I never felt the need for an air conditioner. I have a couple of Carafomo fans that do me nicely. I could never see myself cocooning down below with the AC on. Maybe if you are at a dock it's fine and needed. But, at anchor or on a mooring you learn to embrace the breezes and there is so much to see that I spend most of my time in the cockpit taking it all in.

[Nicholson58]

Not hot here. All of the great Lakes froze over for the first time in several years. People were paddling SUP icebergs in Marquette harbor in May wearing cramp-ons.

THE INSTRUMENTS 54 F was taken in Lake Michigan in mid-August. The other photos are may & June in Marquette, Lake Superior. Yes, the local teens do swim from that cliff. Only 7 weeks after the photo was taken at Marquette harbor, We tied up there & I was swimming.

AC??? Ha Ha! We don't need no stinking AC.

[RTB]

We are back in Texas after 2 years of cruising. I was concerned that the heat would be too much for us during the summer months. We are at a marina near Galveston, and we do get some warm days. But with the breeze coming off of the Gulf, we are pretty comfortable most days. No A/C on our boat, but a couple of good fans.

I think it would be tough if we were farther inland, in the Clear Lake/Kemah area.

I must ask.....why do they keep it so cold in the grocery stores and restaurants?

I grew up in Texas with no A/C at home, at school, and in my car. But...I'm old!

Personally, I'm more concerned with staying warm in the winter, since we won't be in the Bahamas this year.

Ralph

[Coops]

That is just a great shot the two lovely ladies sat on the ice.

Coops.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

+1 Why do some people think that comfort is a bad thing on yachts?

I won't begrudge anyone their creature-comforts afloat... as long as they don't anchor beside us in the middle of a remote, quiet natural anchorage, then proceed to run their genny most of the evening or night.

[Sailmonkey]

While we were out cruising, western caribe, we had no a/c. True there were a few times I would have liked to have it, but no real need. Back in Texas, and working, and not having any really nice anchorages with a decent breeze, I popped in an a/c unit. It makes the boat live able in the marina, and habitable on the winter. We don't use it anchored, nor do we set it at a ridiculous temperature, unlike businesses or homeowners who don't go outside. Really it's only a few degrees below ambient during the day and the compressor hardly cycles at night, but it keeps the sheets dry when the gulf coast dew point appears.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[zboss]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Same in north Florida for the last month. Temps every day 34-36 C with 99.9% humidity. Maybe on the water it would be tolerable but on land or in a marina that's more than I can live with comfortably.

I might add another reason to have an air conditioner. Ever anchor in a really buggy harbor. Middle of the night the wind dies and the mosquitos (aka mozzies or skeeters depending on where you live) and their cousins the noseeums come out and start devouring you. So the temp is 35, the humidity is 99% and you have the choice of closing up the hatches and melting or leaving them open and being eaten alive.

Yes I know screens, but they won't keep out the noseeums plus they do cut back the air flow a lot. Nights like that makes air conditioning worth every dime.

Not only has it been bloody hot and humid but its been raining at night in spurts. So its constantly close/open/close/open.

I would find air conditioning useful because I travel at least two weeks a month for work and find myself in air conditioned offices, air conditioned cars, and air conditioned hotels. While my wife doesn't exactly feel bad for me, I acclimate just in time to head back out. Plus the A/C would be nice for my work clothes and shoes, to get humidity out. I can only imagine what I smell like to all the other pros that live in cool not-smelly homes!

[aquarian]

Originally Posted by Target9000

I think a lot of AC is just people wanting creature comforts. Some places in the United States do warrant it outright though. Here in New Orleans 35c is pretty average, but it comes with near 100% humidity. There is no water to jump into to cool off, the lake is very muddy and not good to swim in. Also a lot of the time the air is stagnant and not much wind. These conditions can be very severe. Heat index last weekend was near 45c.

Places where the water is clean or the humidity is lower, I can see not using AC. Even a swamp box cooler would work great, but in high humidity you have no real way to cool down easily.

That said, we don't have AC on our boat, but then again, we don't live on it yet and don't plan to stay here through the Summer while living aboard.

Ditto! and in the Gulf the water can be as warm as or warmer than a bathtub - not much cooling happening there. Those mooring breezes can turn your boat into a sauna. I prefer being overly warm over being cold, but after living in the humidity of the southeastern US, I totally understand why people think they need AC. Every year people die from the heat while sitting on a couch in the southeast. The combination of heat and high humidity deserves respect.

[monte]

Good to know a lot are fine without it in the Caribbean. I guess I can understand the humidity and marina side of it. Funnily many of the older locals in far North Queensland prefer not to have AC and enjoy the humidity. The period before the wet season when things really start warming up and humidity soars is known as the suicide season as for many the heat and humidity become unbearable.. I'm with you coops, pretty much hate air conditioned environments and though I can understand the benefits of a good nights sleep in a mozzie infested swamp, at the moment AC is somewhere down near lava lamps and a wobbly ostrich thermometer on the list of boat stuff to buy.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by monte

Funnily many of the older locals in far North Queensland prefer not to have AC and enjoy the humidity.

Yes I know, ....I have smelled them.... LOL. )

seriously.. AC is great when you need to cool things down in the galley /dinning salon for dinner or after 38 hr's of motorsailing and you want a good first night sleep in a buggy airless Anchorage.

to cool down to a pleasant 28-29C after all day in 38-39C is refreshing and if you are running your Gen to make water or charge batteries, why not also enjoy an afternoon siesta with your loved one in a cool master stateroom?

Those spartans who resent it... obviously need to chill out

[Neeltje]

Florida's heat and humidity are insidious. They wear you out over time. I think that those who might be able to rough our Summer weather for a week or two without A/C might change their tune after 3 or 4 months of actually living and working in it.

Jacques

[zeehag]

in tropical mexico on the boat i find a low level air conditioning will squeeze out the humidity when it rises ... yesterday was HOT-- we got to 96f with only 45 percent humidity--omy what a miracle. we usually have 90000000percent humidity, and i think i left out a couple of 0s....
i find my slapped in window unit is perfect for this boat. 5000 btu that removes for sailing. no problem, stow it under master berth and go.. love it. bubba loves it, as he pants so hard without it. yes i bought an airconditioner for my damcat when temps in mazatlan were 110 f and humidity was 80 percent..lol.. who cannot live without an air cond in hot desert. not me. not bubba.
more south, out of the desert and into tropical areas, sun isnt directly overhead in summer or in winter, so temperate deserts get more sun as we get furycames.
is personal choice. me--i prefer not to come home from shopping to find a dead cat in my boat. i will use air cond and i will go into marinas in summer for my safety and that of my cat..
i also prefer not to sweat like a pig in an oven so i have air conditioner.

for caribbean i will wait to see what i find there.

florida was easy--just anchor out..lotsa breeze. didnt have a problem in fla . not even in summer. they just have tboomers. no big deal.

[monte]

A long read but worth it if you like dead cat stories

Diary of an Alice Springs Summer (by a Pom)
August 31st

Just got transferred with work into our new home in Alice Springs!! Now
this is a city that knows how to live!! Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy
evenings. What a place! I watched the sunset from a deck chair on the
verandah It was beautiful. I've finally found my home. I love it here.

September 13th:

Really heating up. Got to 35 today. Not a problem. Live in an
air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see
the sun everyday like this. I'm turning into a sun worshiper.

September 30th:

Had the backyard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and
rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing lawn for me. Another
scorcher today, but I love it here.

October 10th

The temperature hasn't been below 35 all week. How do people get used to
this kind of heat? At least today it's kind of windy though. But getting
used to the heat is taking longer than I expected.

October 15th:

Fell asleep by the pool. Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed
3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson though. Got to
respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

October 20th:

I missed Kitty (our cat) sneaking into the car when I left this morning.
By the time I got to the hot car for lunch, Kitty had died and swollen up to
the size of a shopping bag and stank up the $3,000 leather upholstery. I
told the kids that she ran away. The car now smells like Wiskettes and cat
****. I learned my lesson though. No more pets in this heat.

October 25th:

The wind sucks. It feels like a giant ****in blow dryer!! And it's hot as
hell. The home air-conditioner is on the blink and the AC repairman charged
$200 just to drive over and tell me he needed to order parts.

October 30th:

Been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bloody $300,000 house
and we can't even go inside. Why did I ever come here?

November 4th:

It's 38 degrees. Finally got the ol' air-conditioner fixed today. It cost
$500 and gets the temperature down to 25, but the bloody humidity makes the
house feel like it's about 30. Stupid repairman. I hate this stupid ****in
place.

November 8th:

If another wise arse cracks, "Hot enough for you today?" I'm going to
****in throttle him. ****in heat! By the time I get to work the car's
radiator was boiling over, my clothes are soakin ****in wet, and I smell
like baked cat!!

November 9th:

Tried to run some messages after work. Wore shorts, and sat on the black
leather seats in the ol' car. I thought my ****in arse was on fire. I
lost
2 layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs and my ****in
arse. Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried arse, and baked cat.

November 10th:

The weather report might as well be a ****in recording. Hot and sunny. Hot
and sunny. Hot and ****in sunny. It's been too hot to do anything for 2
damn months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week.
Doesn't it ever rain in this damn ****in place? Water rationing will be
next, so my $2,000 worth of palms just might dry up and blow into the
****in
pool. Even the palms can't live in this ****in heat.

November 14th:

Welcome to HELL!!! Temperature got to 41 today. Now the air-conditioner's
gone in my car. The repairman came to fix it and said, "Hot enough for you
today?" My wife had to spend the $2,500 mortgage payment to bail my arse
out of jail for assulting the stupid ****er. **** Alice Springs! What
kind
of a sick demented ****in idiot would want to live here?

December 1st:

WHAT????? This is the first day of Summer???? You are ****in kiddin