"bob" wrote in message
...
I have to agree but not sure about "any length of time" based on the water
spigot in the yard. Wrap a rag around it and it doesn't freeze. Throw a
sheet
over the plants and they don't freeze. The boat motor is much better
insulated
than these things. I understand the plant gets some radiative heat from
the
ground but the pipes with rags on them don't.

The plants survive by what you said...radiant heat. The sheet/cloth traps
the ground heat in.

The spigot survives (keeps from freezing) by conductive heat. It conducts
the heat up, and the rag helps keep it in.

But this only "buys" so many degree points.

A boat...or any other non-heat generating object, not associated with ground
heat, will become the ambient temperature eventually.

Wind could speed the process up, but remember, "wind chill effect" has no
effect on inanimate objects. If its 33 degrees out, and there is a 50 mph
wind against the side of your engine, the engine temp would never go below
33 degrees.

That is, providing its dry. If you wet something, and push air across it,
you can further cool something thru evaporation, but that's the only
exception.

So in a nut shell, if you leave your covered boat out over night, you better
believe the most internal parts will reflect the low temperature for that
night.


--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/