using "free energy"

[Owly055]

     Sailing, we are tapping into a "free energy" resource, and many sailboats are mostly "self contained" with solar, wind, and water power, and battery banks.   I mentioned heating water and cooking with solar energy the other day.  Some boats use a "cool box" against the hull as a sort of makeshift refrigeration.  In boats with a liner, air could be drawn from between hull and liner for internal cooling of the boat in warm climates...... if the water temps were reasonably cool, and in comparison to the internal cabin temp with the sun beating down on the roof, they could be quite reasonable.  One sees boats all the time with air conditioning units plugged into shore power.  The idea to me is to cut the "umbilical" and live and travel free of such things.  In the tropics, a simple shade roof a short distance above the cabin roof  will reduce inside temps considerably, though not probably below ambient, but we can learn to live with ambient temps in the 80's to 90 or so if there is air circulation.  Simply stretching a piece of canvas tightly over the cabin roof and keeping it moist can provide a cool surface through evaporative cooling so long as there is some air movement.  a shade roof over an evaporative cooling surface like this could do a great deal toward controlling temps in a hot environment, and unlike a swamp cooler, the moist air is not used inside where it can create an unpleasant sticky heat.  How to keep the evaporative surface moist is another matter.... presumably pumping seawater into a reservoir that fed seep hoses by gravity, or just grabbing a bucket and filling the reservoir.  Salt build up would be a problem, but could be dealt with by a daily wash in the ocean.  The coach roof is a lot of potential heat collection area....... or energy collection area more accurately.   Rover used to sell a land rover with a double roof.  A shade roof a few inches above the actual roof, for use in Africa.  You can see on here:   http://www.simoncars.co.uk/landrover/slides/Land-Rover%20Series%20I%201957%2088inch%20SW.jpg
     Comfort is pretty important.  None of us wants to be too hot or too cold.   As I've said before... several times, thermal energy either in the form of heated water or ice, is the perfect battery.  Water is wonderful stuff.  You can't wear it out.  It regulates the climate on our planet, it provides the medium we use for transportation, we use it to drink, to bath, to irrigate crops, to generate energy, and countless other things.

     I think too much............. I've always been an idea guy.

                                                                                                                   H.W.

[CharlieJ]

In anchorages, you can often tell the cruising boats by the awning. This is my boat with fore and aft awnings rigged, and full time Bimini. There are also sunblock screens the snap to aft edge of bimini, and one side or the other as needed

The awning over the foredeck has a hose fitting so during rains I can collect water

[SeaHusky]

The couple on the you-tube channel "Sailing Uma" use a solar cooker that seems to work well for cooking rice, baking bread and burning peanuts. I think it is this one:
http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com/gosun_stove.html

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXbWsGV_cjG3gOsSnNJPVlg

[Owly055]

That vacuum tube system is brilliantly simple.  I can't see anything not to like about it!

The couple on the you-tube channel "Sailing Uma" use a solar cooker that seems to work well for cooking rice, baking bread and burning peanuts. I think it is this one:
http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com/gosun_stove.html

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXbWsGV_cjG3gOsSnNJPVlg

[lance on cloud nine]

that is a very tidy looking setup Charlie.

[CharlieJ]

Thanks. Done by my ex wife. Now I have to learn to do stuff like that myself.

Also have smaller canvas pieces for just over fore hatch. And over companionway so drops can be left open during rains