Think It Might Rain?
20 February 2008 | Cocoa, FL
Carl
Onboard Sanctuary (as with most boats) we regulate the indoor environment onboard with the temperature and humidity that exists outdoors, normally by opening hatches on deck to allow airflow through the cabin.
Consequently we have to be much more aware of possible changes in the weather since these open hatches will allow not only sun and wind but also rain into the interior, which affects the indoor environment in a much different manner.
So you're left with that nagging question when you either go to bed or leave the boat for any period of time, "Do you think it might rain?" The answer is, "you never really know for sure!!" There have been occasions when we've left the boat without the hint of a cloud in the sky and realized later while we're miles away that storm clouds were moving in fast, ready to drop a downpour on not only the boat's deck but whatever is inside the hatches as well.
On our honeymoon to the Dry Tortugas we encountered a torrential downpour one afternoon that caused us to crank up the engine so that we could steer clear of more than one vessel in our vicinity whose ground tackle didn't hold quite as well as ours. Little did we realize until later that the porthole next to our bunk had been left open to allow some ventilation. We found the sheets soaked after the deluge subsided and spent hours with them and the mattress hanging out to dry so we could sleep there that night.
The only real down side is that we forgot to set up our rain catching system to fill one of our 6 gallon cans with drinkable water.