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Mary, here's what cold weather is.... #15620
01/22/03 12:24 AM
01/22/03 12:24 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 283
hobie541 Offline OP
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Hi Mary et. al.,

I couldn't help but chuckle in catching up on posts that I hadn't read. I came across a comment about calculating wind chill in a thread about the Tradewinds Regatta. Here's what windchill looks like for those of you who just barely own pants:

[Linked Image]

I'm not sure wind chill applies in the 50's, although we all know it doesn't make it feel warmer!

Here's an article about the wonderful weather we're experiencing up here lately:

Minnesota Sees Coldest Weather in Two Years

Follow a link on that page, and you'll find info about the wind chill factor. It doesn't exist very often in the Keys, that's for sure!


Tim D. Johnson Hobie 20 #690 Bald Eagle Yacht Club, Fleet 52 www.beyc.org
-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: hobie541] #15621
01/22/03 10:05 AM
01/22/03 10:05 AM
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Posts: 397
Burlington, Vermont USA
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Kevin Rose Offline
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Tim,

Our forecast high for today (Burlington, Vermont) is a negative 2. I'm not going far from the wood stove. (The trips to the wood pile are brutal, though, with a northwest wind blowing at 10 to 20.) Keep warm!


Kevin Rose N6.0na #215 Lake Champlain (New England's "west coast") Burlington, Vermont
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: hobie541] #15622
01/22/03 11:17 AM
01/22/03 11:17 AM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 273
Key Largo, FL
MaryAWells Offline
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Tim,
Apparently, the TV weatherpeople in Miami aren't aware that you can't have a wind-chill factor when the temperature is above 30 degrees -- they announce the wind-chill factor here all the time in the winter. I guess it's all relative to what you are accustomed to thinking of as COLD. Move to South Florida, and after a few years, you, too, will feel as cold here as you do now in Minnesota.

And Kevin,
Believe it or not, I miss the winters we used to spend in the mountains of Colorado. We had a cast iron wood stove that we used to move into a new place every year, because we always rented apartments. Man, that thing was HEAVY! We used to go out in the woods every fall and cut our own firewood (dead wood from down trees). It was really kind of fun. It saved us a lot on heating bills. The only problem was that we had a family of four -- two teenage girls and Rick and I. We had a rotating schedule so everyone was supposed to take turns getting up early and bringing in wood and stoking the fire in the morning. Trouble is, by morning the place was so cold that NOBODY wanted to get out of bed. Seemed like it always ended up being me. And we always had to keep a teakettle full of water on top of the stove to keep the air humidified. Do you have to do that, too?


Mary A. Wells
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: MaryAWells] #15623
01/22/03 01:30 PM
01/22/03 01:30 PM
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Burlington, Vermont USA
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Kevin Rose Offline
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Mary,

You have described the scene very well! A wood stove puts out a very comforting warmth and offers the opportunity to move in close if you really need to warm up. I've never implemented a rotating schedule for getting the wood, but we do have a rule that no one comes back in the house without at least one stick in their arms. Our stove burns through the night and I can usually count on a few embers in the morning to ignite the next day's fire. (That's always been my job. I'm usually up at 5:15 and my boys won't get out of bed until the thermostat in the living room reads 75.) We, too, keep a pot of water on top of the stove to keep the air moist. Next to the stove is a big, overstuffed leather recliner with a pile of winter reading. (I'm in the middle of "A Voyage for Madmen" at the moment.)

Although the recent cold spell has been a big part of conversations up here lately, I do love winter. I break it up with an annual trip to Stuart, FL to visit in-laws, and a month or so in Mexico and Belize to lead sea kayaking trips.


Kevin Rose N6.0na #215 Lake Champlain (New England's "west coast") Burlington, Vermont
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: MaryAWells] #15624
01/22/03 06:26 PM
01/22/03 06:26 PM
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hobie541 Offline OP
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Mary, Kevin,

All I can say is thank God for the invention of the furnace! We have a fireplace, and I love it, but it's pain in the A** to bring in the wood, light the fire, etc. I can't imagine that being a necessity!

I can relate to cold being relative! We have pretty hot summers up here, and when it get's below 50, we turn into a bunch of whining wussies, too!

Tim


Tim D. Johnson Hobie 20 #690 Bald Eagle Yacht Club, Fleet 52 www.beyc.org
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: hobie541] #15625
01/22/03 07:10 PM
01/22/03 07:10 PM
Joined: Nov 2001
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Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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I think I can safely say that I have you all beat today, the temp this morning on the way to work was 38 below F (-38C). That's not wind chill, that's the actual temperature. I always thought that wind chill factors were highly exagerated (if you've experienced 40 below, you know what I mean). On the plus side, we finally have some snow! Took the kids toboganning the other day (it was around 5 below Farenheit and windy). Too cold for that today though. Anyway, think about us freezing our butts off up here if you were fortunate enough to sail today.

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Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: hobie541] #15626
01/22/03 09:01 PM
01/22/03 09:01 PM
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Burlington, Vermont USA
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Kevin Rose Offline
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Tim,

The first thing we did when we bought our current home was to install a high-efficiency natural gas furnace. We only used the fireplace in late fall and early spring to add a bit of "atmosphere" to the room. Problem is, fireplaces suck the heat out of the house. We then decided to get a wood stove and stick it in the fireplace for a bit more efficient ambiance. We then discovered that it did a good job heating the whole house.

What I've found about heating with wood is that it's very grounding, and easy to understand. A big hunk of cast iron and a secion of pipe. Light a match. Watch the wood burn. Feel the heat. I do it to find balance with the time that I spend in the world of high tech. (And, it's cheaper )


Kevin Rose N6.0na #215 Lake Champlain (New England's "west coast") Burlington, Vermont
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: Kevin Rose] #15627
01/23/03 05:31 AM
01/23/03 05:31 AM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 349
Fort Loramie, Ohio
jmhoying Offline
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Kevin wrote.."Problem is, fireplaces suck the heat out of the house."
Kevin,
During the blizzard of 78 here in Ohio, I was living in a new house with electric heat, without a fireplace. After the electric was out for 12 hours, and since we had two little kids, we decided to tough it out at my brother's house, which was across the road from us. He had a fireplace in his "fixed up" basement. The electric was out for 38 hours but we stayed pretty warm around the fireplace. The trouble was that a fireplace need combustion air, which was drawn in through the rest of the house. The bathroom was upstairs and after about 30 hours without electric, there was skim ice in the toilet. On the other hand, our closed up house across the road never got below 48 degrees.
Many people in this area bought wood stoves after that event, but the majority have made their way to the landfill. Much easier to just turn up the thermostat.
Jack Hoying
Fort Loramie, Ohio (currently at -3 degrees)


Jack Hoying Fort Loramie, Ohio
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: jmhoying] #15628
01/23/03 06:05 AM
01/23/03 06:05 AM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 273
Key Largo, FL
MaryAWells Offline
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We really don't want to extol the virtues of woodburning stoves, because if everybody started to use them, they would be banned for causing air pollution. In Vail, Colorado, almost every condo had a fireplace, and, of course, everybody coming there to ski wanted the ambiance of a fire in the fireplace. With hundreds of fireplaces spewing out smoke, the valley used to become filled with it. They finally banned the use of woodburning fireplaces and stoves. I don't know if that is still the case or not out there, but that ban was hard on the people who actually had to rely upon wood heat to keep warm, as opposed to the tourists who just liked the look and feel of a crackling fire while it is snowing outside.

We don't need a woodburning stove in the Keys, but I sure would like to have a fireplace, even if I could only use it during those few days during the winter when it feels really cold here. I miss the crackle and pop, and being hypnotized by the flames. It's better than TV.


Mary A. Wells
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: MaryAWells] #15629
01/23/03 09:59 AM
01/23/03 09:59 AM
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Burlington, Vermont USA
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Kevin Rose Offline
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Just like catamarans these days, a lot's changed in wood and pellet stove technology. Granted, those old stoves weren't the most efficient and did tend to pollute excessively. Today's models burn pretty darned clean and are capable of keeping an entire house pretty toasty.

Sorry about the stove digression. It's just that looking out my window at 5 below at mid-day keeps the chilly weather on the mind. Y'all enjoy the warmth down in the southern climes.


Kevin Rose N6.0na #215 Lake Champlain (New England's "west coast") Burlington, Vermont
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: Kevin Rose] #15630
01/23/03 07:03 PM
01/23/03 07:03 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9
Waseca, Minnesota
TUDY Offline
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Kevin--Is your stove by chance a Vermont Castings, seeing you are from Vermont? I had a Vigilant shipped up to Mn., where I live, 25 years ago. It was, at one time, used a lot but, as of lately, only in emergencies and sub-zero weather. It is like an old friend, to be sure. Very efficient and warm. Ah, yes. I am a newbee and soon to be cat owner. Somebody from our Miata club was given one 2 years ago and never used it. He heard that I liked sailboats so he offered it to me for FREE. I live in a city that has two beautiful lakes. One big one that allows all type of watercraft and a smaller one with an island that doesn't allow motorized boats. I've seen the cat only in pictures so far. It's 14 ft long x 7 ft wide and comes with a trailer. It is medium blue with white top side. It has a small circular decal on the side of the hull towards the back end. It is white with a red circle around it and something red in the middle. This is all I can see in the picture. The sails have been always kept inside and are in good shape. Hopefully, all the rigging(?) has been kept up, too. This person lives along the St Croix river by Hastings, so it is a long drive from my home in southcentral Mn. To put it all in a nutshell, I'm completely green and don't know beans about sailing. I'm by myself and won't be able to have a crew. I'm 54, so no spring chicken. Do I dare go for it??? Thanx for the input.

[color:"blue"] [/color] Tudy

Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: TUDY] #15631
01/23/03 08:09 PM
01/23/03 08:09 PM
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Burlington, Vermont USA
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Kevin Rose Offline
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Tudy,

You guessed it - I use a Vermont Castings Encore!

As for the boat you describe, I'm not much of an expert on older cats, but you've sure come to the right forum to find someone who'll be able to figure it out for you. As for sails, does the boat have a jib? Or just a main?

Then there's the age thing. At 54, you're in your prime! Go for it. Sailing on the more protected waters of the small lakes in Waseca (a mile or so across) will be a good place to start. One of the early challenges will be learning what to do in the event of a capsize and righting the boat by yourself.


Kevin Rose N6.0na #215 Lake Champlain (New England's "west coast") Burlington, Vermont
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: Kevin Rose] #15632
01/23/03 08:22 PM
01/23/03 08:22 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 277
Baton Rouge, LA
Dean Offline
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Baton Rouge, LA
"Y'all enjoy the warmth down in the southern climes. --Kevin"

Oh, Kevin. You may snuggle and snicker in the tiny comfort of this little piece of news: it's going down to 28 (25?) tonight here in Orlando, FLA. Worse, it will be down to 30 again by Saturday morning. This may be a record breaker. I hope I don't lose my orange and grapefruit, papaya, avocado, bananas, hibiscus, bromeliads, bird-o-paradise, palms of sundry lineage, etc., and I have to run the pool pump all night and the frogs are freezing their froggy butts off. It hurts to think about. The good news is that we have a chance to wear our wool sweaters that always look too good to throw away for the only once-a-year wearing.

By the way, normal "cold" here is when it hits 60. We wear our cotton sweaters for that. That's also when the visiting Vermonters go swimming. They're peoplesicles! You guys must have a layer of goose fat or something. Maybe it has something to do with inhaling wood smoke.

Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: Kevin Rose] #15633
01/23/03 09:52 PM
01/23/03 09:52 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
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Waseca, Minnesota
TUDY Offline
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I'm not sure about the sails, Kevin. The picture is just of it sitting on the trailer in his yard. The sail is in his shed. I hope that it has just a main because that will be simpler for a beginner. Right? I will be by myself most of the time, at least until I can talk someone else into sharing the fun. Should I get a video on beginning sailing cats? This guy that I'm getting it from knows nothing about it, I'm sure. I need a crash course before I attempt to launch it on the lake. Thanx so much for the help.

Tudy

Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: Dean] #15634
01/23/03 09:54 PM
01/23/03 09:54 PM
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In central north carolina tonight its going to drop to -10 with windchill.

brrrrr!!!

Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: MauganN20] #15635
01/23/03 10:14 PM
01/23/03 10:14 PM
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Waseca, Minnesota
TUDY Offline
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Cheer up, folks. The weatherman just said that this is tipically the coldest part of the winter. No, dah ! Hopefully, we are over the "hump", so to speak, and it will be getting better from now on. -10 degrees below windchill? In North Carolina? Is that a record? I didn't think that it got that cold in the southeast. We kind of expect it up here so it's no big deal to us.

Tudy

Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: TUDY] #15636
01/23/03 11:50 PM
01/23/03 11:50 PM
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I don't know, thats what I heard on the radio whilst replacing my spark plugs today in the snow :P

Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: TUDY] #15637
01/23/03 11:57 PM
01/23/03 11:57 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
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hobie541 Offline OP
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This thread certaInly did go off on a tangent, didn't it?!

Tudy, maybe that boat is a Hobie 14? If it is, you've got a classic on your hands. If not, as long as it floats, who cares! Drive over to the Twin Cities in the spring, and check out one of the biggest and best Hobie dealers in the country: Hi Tempo. They're sure to help you out!

Fair (cold) winds,

Tim J.


Tim D. Johnson Hobie 20 #690 Bald Eagle Yacht Club, Fleet 52 www.beyc.org
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: hobie541] #15638
01/24/03 05:20 AM
01/24/03 05:20 AM
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Posts: 5,558
Key Largo, FL & Put-in-Bay, OH...
Mary Offline
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Key Largo, FL & Put-in-Bay, OH...
Hey, Tim,
If wind chill doesn't apply down here in the Keys, nobody has told NOAA. We have a wind chill advisory in effect down here right now until noon. It's 40 degrees at my house in the protected vestibule. The wind is blowing 29-34 knots out of the north at our reporting buoy. I went down to check the boats at the dock, and I can tell you that I sure was wishing that I had some shoes to wear.

I just heard that wind chill temperatures are in the 20's in Fort Lauderdale and Miami this morning.

Last edited by Mary; 01/24/03 06:09 AM.
Re: Mary, here's what cold weather is.... [Re: TUDY] #15639
01/24/03 10:05 AM
01/24/03 10:05 AM
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Burlington, Vermont USA
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Kevin Rose Offline
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Tudy,

I'm assuming it has just a main. As Tim noted, it sounds like a vintage Hobie 14. Yes, you are right in that handling a main alone is the way to go for a single-handing beginner.

As for videos, I can highly recommend Rick White's "Total Boat Handling" as a good place to start. (It's the first in a series of five videos based on Rick White's Sailing Seminars.)

A book that I found helpful years ago was "Catamaran Sailing: From Start to Finish" by Phil Berman. Then, there's the favorite among many on this forum, "Catamaran Racing for the 90's" by Rick White and Mary Wells.


Kevin Rose N6.0na #215 Lake Champlain (New England's "west coast") Burlington, Vermont
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