For much of the country, particularly the eastern half, January and the start of February have been much colder than normal. From Canada to the Florda Keys, temperatures went from zero in the north to the mid-30s in Florida, something snow birds are not prepared for.
Whether you are acrtively cruising during the winter, and hopefully in some place that is mostly warm or living aboard at the marina in a cool climate, being prepared to deal with the cold is a real issue.
One couple, Sho + Jo as they are known, live aboard their old trawler Pivot and have had to deal with waves of cold air as they migrate to Florida and the warmth. They are veteran outdoors people and know a lot about surviving in the cold.
Afloat, that starts with a way to heat the boat. There are several options. For boats staying in a marina with plug-in power, simple space heaters work fine but always present a fire danger. A better electric option is to install a built in HVAC system that has a working heat function. Expensive but efficient.
The other option is to install a diesel powered heater with ducting to the cabins. For those who will be cruising and often at anchor, this is the natural choice.
Then it comes down to keeping our bodies warm. As Patagonia’s founder Yvonne Chouinard once quipped, “There is no wrong weather, only wrong clothing.” Jo + Sho get this.
