What Not To Do With Your Rigging When It Is Really Hot
Dang, it is hot. We’ve just hit our 7th day over 100 degrees.
That won’t impress some of you, but for us in the Mid-Atlantic states it is impressive—actually more like depressive.
Thought it might be appropriate to throw out a few rigging things that you should NOT do when it is hot. I discuss them in the following video.
I probably could have gone over a few more things while shooting this, but I’m a wimp in the heat.
Oh yeah, let me add this . . . many years ago in my novice-rigging-days, I left a single-skin fiberglass eight out in the hot Florida sun. It was seats-up, and out there for about 4 hours. The glass got so hot that is actually deformed, more like melted, around the slings. It looked like a hot knife has gone through butter. The boat was ruined.
What about you—any suggestions about rigging things NOT to do when it’s really hot?
Hi Mike-
It’s pretty hot down here in Florida right now too. Sculls do fit inside some cars and it is really important not to leave them inside in the heat. My husband learned this first hand when the glue melted between the blade and the shaft causing the blade to loosen. After his warmup before a race, the oar didn’t feel right and just after the start, the blade broke free. Don’t forget to drink more water the night before a workout and take extra water with an electrolyte replenishment in the boat. Also, your ice cold comment was actually a good one…Something to do at races on hot days is soak towels in ice water and put them over your back and head on the way out to the start. Heat exhaustion will really zap your energy.
Jamieson
Good bit of straight forward advice concerning heat, direct sun and shell temperatures. I’ve also seen some rudders (Black Boats) bind when left in the hot sun…better to leave them with a wet cloth over skegs and rudders.