A time of blistering heat, drowning humidity and minimal winds.
Not the best time to spend on a sailing yacht. We haven't been to the boat in several weeks due to the demands of making a living in the modern world, but thought we'd give it a go this past weekend; continue some maintenance projects and even slip the lines for a short cruise.
It was not to be.
At 96 degrees and 84% humidity - and that was at 10pm, Friday night - we had a change of heart. Our small portable air conditioning unit had been pumping it's little heart out for nearly 12 hours and the cabin temperature was now down to the upper '80's. Staying adequately hydrated was a challenge. By around 4am, the temperature was finally down into the lower '80's and we managed one or two hours of sleep.
How did we do this so often on our other, smaller boat, with no air conditioning, sometimes for days and nights at a time? Well, for one thing, we were twenty some-odd years younger. For another, we were skinnier and healthier. For the first time in my life I thought "I'm getting too old for this you-know-what" and meant it. I mean, I really meant it.
Our weekend on the boat was quickly abandoned for real air conditioning and a more soothing environment for our middle-aged bods. We've decided that, in the summer months, we'll more than likely day-sail; short cruises around Brunswick Harbor and St. Simons Sound. If we can time it with the arrival of a mild cool front, we may just attempt an overnight sail to somewhere. Otherwise, the overnight and longer trips will have to wait for the cooler times of year.
Stay tuned; we'll have her underway shortly - and at least through September, we'll be back by dark.
