This gallery contains 10 photos.
We are heartbroken. A couple of weeks ago we found Penny the Cat on the front lawn, dead. She had been gone all night and we were worried. When I went to work in the AM she was nowhere to … Continue reading
This gallery contains 7 photos.
I went to the marina yesterday to do some work. It looks like a strong wind sucked most of the water out of the creek. I haven’t seen the water this low since Hurricane Sandy. The step from the finger … Continue reading
I’m spending the night on the boat, as I try to do a couple times a week. It is in the lowish 30s. I’m
What the hell just happened?
The boat is being heated with a 700 watt miniature radiator style Homebasix 
Besides the mysterious introduction of CO to the cabin, I wonder why it lingered. I have a cockpit enclosure but there are big areas for ventilation as it attaches to a taffrail that is five inches off the deck. Surely there is more than enough air exchange. I do have some curtains in the cabin to close off the main area from the galley/navigation area, and from the head in order to contain warmth (and, I guess CO); but they are several inches off the sole to aid compartment to compartment ventilation (and, being curtains, aren’t exactly air tight). The top drop board has about 60 square inches of screened opening protected with a rain shield, and a one inch gap between the top board and the sliding hatch. I would think this is plenty of ventilation. I have only a small solar vent in the forward head, so perhaps there is inadequate through venting, but the total lack of interior condensation suggests to me that the whole ventilation is working fairly well.
I had a very minor headache, that eased over an hour or so; but I’m not sure if that is from CO poisoning or from waking up hours before normal. I’m prone to headaches, normally, so I’m not terribly confident in using them as a symptom. I don’t have any other symptoms that I can associate with CO poisoning.
Best guess: somewhere out there someone is running an engine, generator or heater, and somehow the CO managed to make its’ way to my boat and get sucked in through the cockpit enclosure and into the cabin. It seems rather unlikely; but what else can it be?
I’m now snuggled in my bunk warming up with a healthy new paranoia. I’m leaving the curtains open and the top drop board out to increase the airflow, suddenly comfortable with the chill of a cold morning and happy that I went to the hassle and expense of installing the CO detector. I’m not sure how dangerous things really were; but figure since I woke up readily without any disorientation (strangely, not even the usual morning just awake groggy disorientation) or other significant symptom (outside of the questionable headache) I tend to feel the levels may have been unhealthy, but not yet critical. However, since dying in my sleep would be a significant detriment to the adventures I have planned, I am glad the detector is there and working.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Symptoms:
Spending quality time on the boat working on a bunch of little projects…
Finally vented the Natures Head composting toilet outside into the deck anchor locker. I was temporarily just having it vent into the below decks chain locker, which was mostly OK; but once in awhile (after particularly heavy use) I’d get a whiff of something I generally prefer not to think about. I think finally finishing this project will take care of this occasional issue.
I removed the door to the head and replaced it with a curtain. Oh, sure, the door gave a more finished appearance and contributed to the illusion of privacy; but when open it intruded into the cabin way too much, and since it needs to remain open to get the benefit of ventilation through the fore-hatch, the curtain becomes more than a bit more practical. Besides, the door knob broke on the door. And it usually didn’t shut right anyway.
I installed a new 110VAC electrical outlet on the front of the starboard bunk. Since I prefer to keep all AC power cords safely tucked inside conduit, this was more work than I anticipated. The new outlet will allow running the miniature oil filled radiator style portable heater I purchased without having to plug it into an extension cord. It also is in a convenient place for plugging in an electric blanket, if I go that route.
Regarding the heater, I stayed on the boat last night and the temps dropped to the low 30s. While the heater managed to keep the boat in the mid sixties during the evening, as it got later the inside temperature dropped into the mid-fifties. Not really horrible; but cooler than I’d like. I think for real winter temperatures the boat just won’t qualify as the comfy warm cocoon that I desire. At least not with this little 700 watt heater. UNLESS, perhaps, I slide up the dividers between the galley/nav station and the main cabin area (they are really cool…I should take photos), and perhaps add a dividing curtain there as well. Then, with a smaller area to heat, I think the little heater might be able to keep up. If it doesn’t work I can always buy a bigger portable heater (or install a built in heater), or better yet, just stay in the nicely heated girlfriend’s house, with the very snugly and nicely heated girlfriend.