: My kayak is hanging from the ceiling in the basement and is about 1 foot away
: from the fluorescent lights. Do I need to do anything to protect the kayak
: like hanging something between them to block the light?

: Thanks in advance,
: Dale

Fluorescent lights are a lot cooler for the amount of light they produce than incandescent ligths are, but they still put out a good deal of heat. They also produce a significant amount of UV light, but nowhere near as much as the Sun does.

If your boat has the usual layer of varnish on it then it should be adequately protected from the UV from a fluorescent light, at leas for a year or two. Of course by that time you will probably revarnish the boat anyhow.

As for any possible heat damage, this is a touchy situation. Put your hand on the boat, and if it feels too warm then you might have to worry about reducing the heat.

A simple suggerstion which might relieve your worries: put a cover over the boat. You can drape a cheap tarp over it, or tape together a few pages from the local daily newspaper.

I personally like the paper idea. The paper 'breathes' so you won't tap any moisture under it. Any wrinkles in the paper will keep it from laying in direct contact with the hull, and provide some room for airflow between the hull and the cover. With the exception of the tape, the materials are esentially free (and if you are going to complain about the cost of the tape, then make a wheat paste from a couple tablespoons of flour and water, and use that). It only takes a few minutes to make a new cover each year.

Don't tape the cover to the boat, instead you can secure it to whatever ropes are suspending the boat.

A cover like this keeps the dust off the boat, too.

Hope this helps.

PGJ