Sailing in heat

[Rxwoman]

Hi all
I need some advice about cuddy cabin trailer sailers.

I'm looking to buy a 22-23 foot trailer sailer (looked at Catalinas, a Rob Roy, Hunter, Aquarius..) and I feel like if I'm going to be in Southern Baja, on the Sea of Cortez, I should stick with something that has a pop top for ventilation.

Especially since my purpose for a cuddy cabin is to escape the sun.
It's intense down there!

So my question is to anyone who has experience with a little trailer sailer on the sea of Cortez.

Does a pop top make a big difference in cuddy cabin comfort, or is it negligible?

There's a nice little Rob Roy in my price range, but those have sitting only cabins with tiny portholes, no pop top.

What's the opinion?

Thank you.

[Don C L]

I've sailed in the SOC but not in a pop top. But yes, it gets hot. My own thought is that it'll make a little difference but more importantly the pop top offers some shade while open. Personally whenever I go back I'll be packing about a hundred space blankets and drape them over the boom with reflective side out (once anchored). They work really well. But it is still hot. But it is beautiful and worth it.
I think if you like the Rob Roy, it is a fine choice because it's not the portholes but the fore hatch and the companionway where you'll get your ventilation. On such a small boat, ventilation is not a big problem. Shade is what you want!
The Rob Roy could be a really fun little boat there. You can easily beach her and camp out. That's not much bigger than the little lugger I sailed once there on a beach camping trip. A Bimini would be a nice addition.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Rxwoman,

Like me, you may find yourself sleeping out doors, lying on a sail bag, for cool. I'd consider getting or making a wind scoop for the forehatch. They are a passive way of increasing airflow into the boat. We would go for a swim before bed, to get cooler, sun shower to rinse off. Leave it below decks, it'll be warm enough. The water in the SOC gets quite warm, up around 85-6 F. Still will eventually bring down your body temp. The heat is usually a dry heat.

I think Don's idea of using space blankets for a boom tent will help a great deal by providing shade to ameliorate the heat.

There are jejenes [sandflies that bite you] some places. What worked for me, was gauze pajamas with long sleeves, and Cutter repellent on my exposed areas. If you can make your sleeping self stay under a sheet, they cannot bite you through a light cotton sheet, either. No good against mosquitos, though. A regular sheet will work against mozzies.

If there's a sensible way to have a fan that will blow on where you sleep below, that helps immensely, as it cools you by drying your perspiration.

It was my first desert surrounded by salt water, and it was amazing. We really enjoyed it there, for the people as well as the scenery.

Ann

[rognvald]

Hi, RX,
Buy a boat with hatches AND ports. Fabricate a boom tent with a lightweight, light tan Sunbrella to cover the cockpit and the companionway hatch(night). Then, a nylon windscoop for the forward hatch(night). Install fans throughout the boat and a reasonable sized solar panel to keep your batteries well-charged. When not using the cockpit(at anchor), keep all lazarettes open for complete circulation. Install vents in the cockpit and throughout the boat for passive air circulation. Wear moisture wicking clothing or none. That's how we set up our first boat on Lake Michigan: a '79 Hunter 25 fin keeler with an 8' beam.
So, here's the rub . . . if you stay in marinas at nightfall, you'll never get relief in really hot days but if you're on the hook, there's always some wind to help the cause to complement your fans and overall circulation. We put thousands of miles on that little boat which represent some of the best sailing in our lives. Good luck, Viajero

[Andy - SV Indie]

We have something called the Breeze bandit which fits over the hatch and also works as a sunshade. It scoops the wind from all directions so that when we are at a dock, or if the current and wind are at opposing sides, it still allows the air flow. You dont have to get up and move it like other systems. Found it at Cruising Solutions - not sure if I post a link if it will show up. The main reason I like it is because I leave the screens up to keep the bugs out. Then when we are underway, I collapse it and close the hatch so its ready to put up when we anchor. Sharing bc I am happy with it after using it for the last 3 years. Cheers- https://www.cruisingsolutions.com/pr...bd909220&_ss=r

[Rxwoman]

Thank you!

To everyone who replied, I so appreciate the help.

It sounds like pop-tops mostly just add some standing room, but not necessarily ventilation.

This is exactly what I needed to know.
😊

[Don C L]

Send photos from your adventures in the Sea of Cortez!

[Jim Cate]

Now that the serious stuff is over I'll admit that when I saw the thread title I thought it was going to be about cruising with pets on board!

Silly me!

Jim

[GordMay]

A new study shows bodies found in the Bermuda Triangle, all died from heat exhaustion.
But, everyone knows its 180 degrees inside a triangle; so, I don't know why people even bother travelling through it.

[hankstein]

Maybe a Rhodes 22 with poptop and poptop canvas is the solution.

[Captain Graham]

I live in Ohio and sail on lake Erie.
Being someone who hates sweating I would recommend a pop-top sailboat for 2 reasons.
1. Increased ventilation
2. More room below.
Being in a small cramped space when it is hot is not fun.
I like the idea of using space blankets to reflect the suns rays.
You may also want to try wetting down a blanket and allowing it to evaporate creating a cooling effect.
You can even try building a swamp cooler.

[Pete7]

Should be easy enough to add to a small yacht:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid...45.-2207520000

[jen1722terry]

I used to keep a 26-footer on the Chesapeake Bay. Maybe not as hot as southern California but hot enough.

I had a small fan on board. My one golf cart battery was easy to keep topped up with a small, inexpensive solar panel. Made all the difference not only in the heat of the day but at night when the wind often died.

The Rhodes 22 is a nice boat, as is the old Bristol 22 if you can find one.

Best of luck with the boat shopping.

[ENCsailor]

[QUOTE=rognvald;3956569]Hi, RX,.....
"Wear moisture wicking clothing or none."



There is a group on this site for folks that enjoy the latter..... unfortunately, not much recent activity in it.

[rossdv8]

50% 'Knitted' (not Woven) shadecloth over the Boom for messing about at anchor.
Or or over a Bimini style frame and tied down to the lifelines or some other suitable attachment, for sailing in the cockpit. A style that allows one side to be rolled up when you reach anchor, and both sides to be rolled up if the wind is much over 22-25 knots while sailing, worked for me for many years.

My boats were moored or sailing all year round in 20deg S Lat and it is Hot, Wet tropical and average winds most days were 15-25 knots, with occasional 'surprises' up to 30-40 knots.
My boats were mostly a couple of ~20 footers, and a couple of 26 foot Quarter Tonners.

People forget altogether about Shadecloth. It can make life a lot more pleasant in the sun.