{"id":44107,"date":"2020-09-18T18:20:05","date_gmt":"2020-09-18T22:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=44107"},"modified":"2023-05-06T17:44:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T21:44:57","slug":"sailing-totem-beat-the-heat-in-the-sea-of-cortez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/story\/people\/sailing-totem-beat-the-heat-in-the-sea-of-cortez\/","title":{"rendered":"Sailing Totem: Beat the Heat in the Sea of Cortez"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Keeping <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Gathering with friends during cooler evenings.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

How do you stay cool in the Sea of Cortez? Summers place it among the hottest cruising grounds in the world. We\u2019ve spent time during four different summers in the Sea of Cortez. From June through October, average daily temps are in the 90s F (33-36C), and the water reaches this range as well. Sure, it\u2019s hot, but there are a range of ways to stay cool and enjoy the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Embrace the siesta<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

A summer here ingrains the practicality of an afternoon siesta. A break in the afternoon to just… do\u2026 nothing, or do as little as possible, is practical in the steamy heat. Beyond trying to avoid going ashore during peak heat, there\u2019s so much to do in cooler afternoon and evening hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Wildlife spotting ashore is best in the early morning; the beach is inviting at golden hour; a pueblo\u2019s food carts fire up the grill for evening treats; card games nestled between sunset and cruiser\u2019s midnight (that\u2019s 9pm, by the way) in a friendly cockpit; the dark Baja skies are illuminated by the milky way for stunning stargazing and navel gazing with friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Throw shade: on the beach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

Our first summer in the Sea with Totem<\/i> was 2009; the kids were 5, 7 and 10 years old. Getting off the boat was key to avoiding cabin fever! We used a popup, open-sided tent on the beach for instant shade that let the breeze through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Shade <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Siobhan playing in the shade; summer 2009. Spot the whale bone?<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

This summer one of our BBBs\u2014bubble buddy boats\u2014had a great setup for easy beach shade \u2013 love this open-air shade<\/a>! Perfect for a kid\u2019s birthday party on the beach with our \u2018bubble\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, you just can\u2019t get any shade. Easy DIY tactic: make your own mister. Spraying water on and around your body will help keep you cool. Add water from the fridge or an ice cube for a bonus hit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Throw shade: on the boat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

Keeping decks shaded makes a significant difference for lowering temperatures below deck. One of our BBBs, bubble buddy boats, is the lovey Island Packet Galatea<\/i>; they added deck awnings with a sewing assist from fellow BBB Pablo<\/i>. Initial reports: literally a 10\u00b0F temp drop in the cabin! What\u2019s key is that the awnings can also be taken down quickly if the wind pipes up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Galatea\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n With most of the deck shaded, Galatea<\/em> was significantly cooler.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Adding to our (work in progress) bimini has opened up the coolest \u201croom in the house,\u201d our cockpit! While a custom shade solution can be best, even a little bit of quickly assembled tarp makes a big difference \u2013 like this blue UV material over the Totem<\/i>\u2019s forward hatch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"blue <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n An inelegant but fast, functional method to reduce temps below deck.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

This is where a disadvantage of aesthetically pleasing teak decked boats comes to life: it\u2019s great in Sweden, but hot in the tropics! The dark wood heats up and helps turn your boat into an oven during the day, then taking hours in the evening to cool. It\u2019s also tough on the teak planks. The sealant between them is pliable, but if the planks dry out the sealant bond can fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Sluice the deck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

Sluicing decks with salt water is good for teak, but helpful for cooling any deck; cool the deck, and you cool the boat. For teak, once the water evaporates, the salt left behind holds some moisture and may help keep teak from drying out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

When the heat of day begins to wane, Jamie often dips buckets of water to sluice Totem<\/i>\u2019s side decks. As I write this \u2013 3pm on a sunny afternoon in mid-September in Santa Rosalia, Jamie recently measured our genoa track temperatures with an infrared laser thermometer at 141\u00b0F! That\u2019s a great, inexpensive tool to have<\/a>, by the way- for engine temp checks as well as satisfying curiosity about whether you could in fact cook an egg on deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Ventilation below deck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

Good ventilation matters at least as much (maybe even more) than shade. If there\u2019s no airflow, below deck can be truly stifling. This is partly a function of the number\/size of deck hatches aboard, and partly how air flows through them and through your boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s where being at anchor is a huge help; our boats naturally orient into the wind, and hatches on most open in a direction that helps funnel that breeze below. The exception is the forward hatch. Ours, like many, opens aft to enable opening underway in light conditions without inviting water below. A windscoop helps in any case, funneling air below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Hull insulation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

Winter in Sydney Australia was brisk, so Jamie installed hull insulation to hold heat in better. He used thin closed cell foam with a foil skinned surface. Without AC the foam\u2019s ability to block thermal conductivity has no benefit. But the foil does block the sun\u2019s thermal radiation just as shiny car window shades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Fans fans fans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

Sometimes there\u2019s just no breeze to funnel! But even when there is a breeze, fans below deck help with moving air and keeping life more comfortable. We have a fan hard wired over every berth on Totem<\/i>, and additional fans at key locations in the galley, nav station, and main salon table. It\u2019s a survival essential. The Caframo 747\/757 cageless fan<\/a>s push a lot of air with little power use. Unfortunately, with full time use the motors burn out in 10 to 14 months…a very frustrating situation, as warranties are worthless when international shipping is involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Cool off in the water<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

The farmer\u2019s almanac says<\/a> the \u201chottest ocean area is in the Persian Gulf, where water temperatures at the surface exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.\u201d Cruisers in Mexico chuckle: that\u2019s what we have here, too! But that\u2019s still quite a few degrees lower than normal body temperature, and soaking in the comfortable saltwater has a wonderfully cooling effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Santa <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Floatdowners with friends in Santa Rosalia\u2019s marina pool, pre-pandemic\u2026 summer 2019.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Going for a swim helps, too, unless you\u2019re really exerting yourself \u2013 a nice snorkel is good for cooling down. Just watch the sun protection during peak hours. If the water is too warm to feel refreshing, then bust out the freediving techniques, because it cools quickly the deeper you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Isla <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Keeping cool in beautiful water! Isla Coronados, BCS.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

We joke that this is when it\u2019s good to have friends with a catamaran, so you can be in the shade AND in the water!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Siobhan <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Siobhan and Mairen, hanging out on the bow at dusk; 2020.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Happily, we love this region now as much now as we did in 2009<\/a>. Learning how to stay cool in the Sea of Cortez was a big part of that! It can be an adjustment, but to those who persevere the rewards are precious.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Totem crew offers tips for staying cool when cruising in hot weather.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32304,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Behan Gifford","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"20200918","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"165","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"The seasons that Totem crew have spent in Mexico's Sea of Cortez have taught them how to beat the heat. Here are their tips for staying cool when cruising in hot weather.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"1","arc_story_id":"POOJ6Q2JV5BWFJB3EUQSJVOHAQ","arc_website_url":"story\/people\/sailing-totem-beat-the-heat-in-the-sea-of-cortez\/","custom_permalink":"story\/people\/sailing-totem-beat-the-heat-in-the-sea-of-cortez\/","arc_subtype":"right-sidebar","arc_exclude_from_feeds":true,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":0,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[251,283,197,182],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44107"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}