Help! Too Cold, Condensation, Sick, Need Info

[onestepcsy37]

zeehag and others, i think what we're missing here is that the op may be a bit short on money. without embarassing or berating him, we should try to come up with some solution to his current problem that he can actually afford to implement. it may be that taking a dock or buying a honda is beyond his means.

on that basis it appears he has two options. get a good sleeping bag, warm clothes, wool watch cap, gloves, etc. that's what the 'down on his luck' liveaboard near me has to do. the other option is to head south, which may or may not be possible for him at this moment.

op, if i'm wrong about this i apologize; if i'm right, i hope we can help...

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I think an infra-red incandescent light bulb puts out no more heat that a regular light bulb of the same wattage.

i'm no rocket scientist, but i do know that infra red bulbs are sold as 'heat lamps', so i suppose they're meant to use their energy to provide heat rather than light, much like an electric heater does. heaters 'glow' about as much as infrared bulbs 'glow', so i guess the rest of the input power is used to produce heat.

having said that, i once used a 300 watt light bulb (not infrared) to heat up the interior of a water tank that i had just fiberglassed so it would dry harder....

[zeehag]

ok... so it is the 2 pairs of sox, ventilation, warm up interior by cooking, keep ventilation, head sock..... stay warm and this will be over soon time.. yes i was there also..it so sucks. christmas 1999.....cold wet and.... broke.

[lunasea.ds]

Hot water bottles are our best friend while cruising south in the fall. I've never regretted having too many blankets on hand either.

[s/v Beth]

I have thought about this guy's dilemma. He need to heat yet he cannot afford a decent (boat safe) heater. I thought about the old days when boats were heated by driftwood. Perhaps something like this?
Tiny Tot Mini Small Cast Iron Wood Coal Burning Heating Stove Boat Ice Fishing | eBay
He would of course have to put a stovepipe on it. but probably could have it completely installed for less than 400 USD.
Go ahead and laugh- but the couple who just bought my Compac are going to do it, and they have been sailing for 50 years!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

boatman61 - ok for you, too life-threatening for me. i can't imagine me taking that kind of risk. here's a scenario -

boat anchored into the wind/current, you in the forward berth with forehatch slightly ajar, companionway hatch slightly ajar, charcoal smoldering near the companionway. the forehatch is the air 'intake' and the companionway hatch is the 'outtake'. all is well. then the current turns strongly and moves your boat 180 degrees, but the wind doesn't change. now the companionway hatch has become the 'intake' and the forehatch the 'outtake'; the fumes are now flowing towards you, not away. goodbye boatman61.

can't imagine that. what would this forum be without boatman61?

I don't own full keel boats.. and I stick to the salon..
You folk worry to much..

[Cheechako]

You do need some ventilation to keep the moisture down, but realistically.... in the winter the inside of a boat without an expensive heating system is pretty wet.
BTW: Leave the snow on the boat! it's a good insulator!

[stevensc]

Sail South! I know, it wont do if you are working or need to stay put for some reason. Can you dock somewhere with electric for the winter at least?

[Steve Bean]

NO CHARCOAL PLEASE!!

[liveaboardL]

It look to me like it's not really the cold that made me so sick. Perhaps the moisture, lack of fresh air, propane fumes, & deep full keel bilge water in my sleeping environment all together with my porous blood-brain-barrier (due to microwave G4 internet use).
I'll keep an eye out for a hot water bottle.
Just to respond to some of the posts about my funds. Being poor is far too often associated with theft, drug-use, alcoholism, & being crazy. It shouldn't. Christ said blessed are the poor. The meek shall inherit the Earth, and it's harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for the camel to walk through the needle's eye.
There's not shame in it, esp. considering the condition of the world today.
The real shame is in selling out.
I'll take all these options into consideration & keep an eye out for a water bottle.

[sparrowhawk1]

You won't regret getting a hot water bottle. You can get them for under $10 at Walgreens. I also recommend you cleaning up any mold. That stuff is bad news for your respiratory system.

[michaelmrc]

my friends and i do a lot of winter camping and one of the best things i can recommend is a couple of decent water bottles with good lids. half hour before bed boil up some water fill the bottles toss them into your bed one at your feet one near your midsection lasts a long time.

[michaelmrc]

white vinegar works good for removing mold and mildew without all the toxins of chemical cleaners

i second the idea of using a clay flower pot with a candle inside tends to radiate heat quite nicely i use one on my boat quite often in the cold temps.

[letsgetsailing3]

Hot water bottle and a military system sleeping bag from ebay would work wonders.

Luckily, Charleston has warmed up quite a bit from last week.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by liveaboardL

Just to respond to some of the posts about my funds. Being poor is far too often associated with theft, drug-use, alcoholism, & being crazy. It shouldn't.

i sincerely apologize if i in any way cast aspersions on your character. i prefer not to use the word 'poor' because it seems to classify people in to groups that are regarded as less desirable. i prefer 'down on their luck' because i think it more correctly defines quite ordinary people who, like all of us, have had ups and downs in their lives, and just happen to be in a down at the moment.

where i am we have a free anchorage which occasionally attracts permanent or semi permanent live aboards, many of them 'down on their luck'. at the moment we have one. he has a very small income. many of us help him out wherever we can, but being an educated and once middle class guy, he tends to defer help unless he's really in need. but i am happy to say that we all treat him like a regular guy.

back to the subject. i have no hot water bottle experience so i'll defer to those who do. but mold is a real problem and could be the source of your illness. i personally use bleach wipes to remove it although i can see where vinegar would be more acceptable if you're living on the boat full time. it's a pretty cheap and simple clean up.