Blankets cruising...

[Jack Long]

This will be the first of a few similar posts...

How many blankets do you take cruising to lower latitudes?

I had what I thought was a reasonable bedding kit- plus a couple spares for guests- then a couple of favorite throw blankets... Next thing I knew I had a giant tub.

Maybe I could lay them all flat under the sheet in the vberth?

[Active Transport]

Dont worry too much about blankets once you are south of Cabo. You need a couple of them on board but SF is a special case. Even here in SF bay a relatively thin comforter is usually all we need at night.

Worry more about how you are going to keep mildew from infesting whatever blankets you have on board.

If you have a small boat and will have visitors, ask them to bring the bedding they will need, and take it with them when they leave. The same goes for towels.

[Aussiesuede]

I'd HIGHLY suggest grabbing yourself 4 polypro blankets. They are MUCH warmer than standard wool blankets, less subject to mildew concerns (although any long term storage in the tropics begs for any blankets to be stored in a vacuum bag imo), and they take up less space. They are made of the same moisture wicking material that expedition weight long thermal underwear are made of and are extremely breathable, wind resistent (perfect to wrap around you on a night watch that doesn't necessarily beg for more clothing), the all important - snugglable (yeah I know; not a word).

ALL WEATHER BLANKETS - $13.55 : THERMAL UNDERWEAR and Outdoor Gear for Men, Women, and Children

Being an avid hot springer, I can swear by a body chamois instead of a towel as well. They act on the same principle as a chamois for your car. Much quicker drying, and you simply wring out the water. They store in a small 3 inch diameter tube, so can be easily kept anywhere and unlike a wool towel, is always ready for the next use (no waiting for it to dry out, since it's always effectively dry.) I can't reccomend these enough!

The Sammy Towel - Chamois Towels