Living on a Sailboat in the Tropics Without Using AC
We have air conditioning on SV Aphrodite. But, we won’t be using it when we anchor out, which is what we plan to do most nights. The temperatures that we are experiencing now in Ottawa have me thinking about how we’ll cope with the heat, year-round, living on a sailboat in the tropics.
The topography of Ottawa appears to be as flat as a pancake but we actually live in a valley. And, in the summer, it gets hot. Really hot. The feeling is not unlike being trapped in a bowl of heat.
Environment Canada and Ottawa Public Health issued a heat warning [today] as the mercury is expected to reach 30C until at least Thursday. Ottawa Citizen, July 27, 2015.
I’d like to think that this heat forces us to consider strategies that will help us when we are cruising. A few days ago, we packed up our tent and temporarily moved to a house closer to the city. It is a rustic house — a 10-minute drive from the Parliament buildings. Once considered to be Ottawa’s cottage country, the location is perfect.
But, the house doesn’t have air conditioning.
So, at sunset today my husband, Rick, suggested a walk along the Ottawa River pathway to the ‘duck pond’. (Ottawa has more than 600 km of bike paths.) Rick reasoned that no one would be sleeping in the heat. We might as well be outside where it was cooler.
As darkness approached, we saw fireflies blinking in the tall grasses, and bats flying overhead.
Later, as we all lay on top of our camping gear — in the house — our kids complained about the heat. They were sweaty and cranky.
Using technology as a balm, my husband read to us aloud from an article about “The History of Air Conditioning.” Soothed by the sound of his voice and perhaps lulled by the topic itself, our kids fell asleep quite quickly.
I gather from the article that porch sleeping might help, but we are just too close to the city to consider this as an option.
Sleeping on Deck to Beat the Heat
Curious as to what other people do when they are living on a sailboat in the tropics, I turned to Cruisers Forum. Without air conditioning, one person referred to their trip to the British Virgin Islands as “7 wonderful days and 5 nights from hell.” Oh dear. A few people mentioned that they slept up top, on deck.
When I was in Antigua in April, I slept on deck to beat the heat. It was very pleasant. The wind kept the mosquitoes at bay, and it was only the rain that drove me downstairs on one occasion
In Florida, we will have the shade of our bimini. For the benefit of non-sailors, that’s the roof top cover at the back of the boat. And, when we depart from the marina, a positive attitude will be a must. (I must remind myself not to think of the heat as Hell.) Sleeping on the deck will be a strong option.
What We Learned About Sleeping on Deck
Since moving aboard more than 10 years ago, I can tell you that sleeping on deck is amazing. When dengue or malaria have not been a concern, I have slept in a hammock in Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Auckland, New Zealand, Micronesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Waking up to the sound of dolphins in PNG was a highlight of our trip there. Karen and I would wake up and swim with the dolphins.
The picture above shows Karen sleeping on the trampolines. She has a yoga mat beneath her to stop the wind coming up through the trampoline and lifting her blanket.
On that particular day, Karen might have been sleeping there to make space. Here is a picture of the 12 people who slept aboard SV Aphrodite that night. Rick’s cousin Bryan is missing from the photo because he was the person taking the picture.
