Things to consider in early August there is a heatwave forecast until mid month. Be mindful of your time on the water, consider adding more water and sunscreen to the stores list on your passage plan.
We are not used to the hot weather in this country and often forget to stay hydrated. At least 3 litres a day of water is considered possibly enough to break even, depending on how hot it is. Sunglasses to protect your eyes from the water glare, and a hat to protect your head - watch it doesn't fly away if doing the zoomies!
Those of you with inflatables, watch your tube pressure doesn't get too high if your boat is sitting in the sun. If you have youngsters on board, be mindful of their ability to become engrossed in screens and miss out on the fantastic learning opportunities as you amble your way on a passage.
Consider enforced heat breaks if you are out in the sun all day, in addition to a lot of sunscreen. Heat stroke and heat exhaustion should be considered a significant challenge and not to be ignored.
This extract is from the NHS website - Heat exhaustion is not usually serious if you can cool down within 30 minutes. If it turns into heatstroke, it must be treated as an emergency.
Check for signs of heat exhaustion
The signs of heat exhaustion include:
- a headache
- dizziness and confusion
- loss of appetite and feeling sick
- excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin
- cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
- fast breathing or pulse
- a high temperature of 38C or above
- being very thirsty
The symptoms are often the same in adults and children, although children may become floppy and sleepy.
If someone shows signs of heat exhaustion, they need to be cooled down.
Things you can do to cool someone down
If someone has heat exhaustion, follow these 4 steps:
- Move them to a cool place.
- Get them to lie down and raise their feet slightly.
- Get them to drink plenty of water. Sports or rehydration drinks are OK.
- Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs around the armpits or neck are good, too.
Stay with them until they're better.
They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.
If you or someone else have signs of heatstroke, including:
- fast breathing or shortness of breath
- a fit (seizure)
- loss of consciousness
- not responsive
Heatstroke can be very serious if not treated quickly.
Put the person in the recovery position if they lose consciousness while you're waiting for help.
Be mindful of your dogs' needs as well; paws on a hot deck can be quickly burned; consider paw socks or, better still, keep them in the shade with plenty of water.
Amongst other things to consider is swimming or pottering around the shallows. Whilst the water may be very inviting, it is likely colder than you anticipate. If you are going to anchor in a bay and taking a dip is on the to-do list, watch out for cramp and getting entangled in seaweed. If children are at risk of getting into difficulty, drum into them, keep close to the boat, star float on their back, take a breath then deal with the problem. The spotter left on the boat should be able to reach those in difficulty with throw lines and recover them to the boat.
There will be an abundance of jellyfish around coming in on the warm currents, Myth - not all jellyfish sting. Fact - all jellyfish sting; it's just that some are not powerful enough to get through human skin. Whilst most of the jellyfish around the UK are innocuous, there are a few you need to know about; look here
to find out more. There are several ways to deal with stings; many of them are myths or old wives' tales. The best thing to do is to immediately get out of the water and wash the affected area with salt water. Salt water will deactivate the stinging cells, while fresh or tap water can reactivate the stinging cells. It is also helpful to try to carefully remove the cells with something such as a credit card or similar plastic object. Once you remove the tentacles, apply vinegar to where you were stung. This can help relieve the pain and release the toxin. Do not use fresh water, such as bottled water or from a tap. If you do, it can cause the nematocysts to activate and worsen the sting.
Where did the idea come from to apply urine on a sting? It's thought to be an old wives' tale and became even more popular after a Friends TV episode in which one character on the show applies urine to a jellyfish sting.
Although most jellyfish are not especially dangerous to people, some are extremely toxic. A person stung by a jellyfish may suffer from what can best be described as mild to severe burning sensations. They may also experience nausea or vomiting, difficulty breathing, and pain in unaffected areas, such as the groin or armpit.
If the injured person shows signs of severe allergic reaction or the area affected covers more than half an arm or leg, call 999 as soon as possible.
The weaver fish is one to look out for if visiting a beach; footwear is highly recommended. Do the shoe shuffle, disturbing the sand as you go - it's more likely to swim away than stay put and stab you!
All these things to think about - goodness me, who would have thought that what started out as a few lines in my head has developed into a short story, have a great time and stay safe.