Attn: Sail boat owners

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Gold Boy said:
Yes external as an option, and lots of sail boats have em. However its still risky.

MR Safety :rolleyes: GB :grinpimp:
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Propane and boats don't mix as noted above by Gold Boy. Many boats that use gas for cooking use Compressed Natural Gas, which is lighter than air and will not collect in the bilge or other low areas.:eek:

Stayalert: I too, own a sunfish. :cheers:

Like FSU said, the portable units you place over a hatch could be an option for a smaller boat. Never used one but have seen many people who do.
 
Well, since everyone here knows how to do it.......


I build boats for a living.

I am an ABYC Certified Marine Electrical Technician.

For those who dont know ABYC is the American Boating and Yachting Council


No it is not hard to add Air Cond. or a genset to your boat. As long as you know what you are doing.

Without knowing the size of your cabin, I can only suggest that something like this is what you are looking for.... (not related to this site, just found it here)

http://www.rvcomfort.com/rvp/products/rooftop/Stan_mach3_1.php

This model draws just under 15A, so if that is all you want to run, you would need roughly a 2kW generator (pretty small) We have used this unit on a few of our boats.

If you wish to run other equipment (think of the future) you should go with a larger genset

FWIW, most of the fire/rescue boats that I build have a 6.5kW to 12.5kW genset, that is plenty to run pretty much everything you will ever want on a small sailboat.

Gensets are not hard to install, but you would most likely need a thru-hull for the cooling, unless you go with an air cooled, on deck, however as was suggested, that may not be such a great idea.

I would also assume that you will want to run this at dock as well, do you have an existing shorepower system on the boat? If so, you would either have to upgrade your panel, or add a transfer switch such as the one made by Blue Sea.

A well thought out system will save you headaches in the future.

Look at what other people are running, ask them how they like it, and then decide what is important to you.

Inverters are another choice for AC power, but beware, it is not free - you will need to calculate your battery requirements and determine how much time your engine will be running/battery charger plugged in to replenish them.

Inverters are nice and quiet, but they really suck the juice out of batteries... 1800W (15A at 120V) off your DC battery is 150Amps, and that is not yet calculating in inverter effeciency.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Hope that didn't confuse or deter you!!
 
The RV AC unit noted by MrMoMO would not hold up well in a marine environment. Particularly on a sailboat that will be out in much rougher weather that a power boat. Not to mention getting hit by a wall of water. I suspect it would be destroyed, or at least, dislodged.

You need a bonefide marine AC unit. All goes below deck. Your geographic area will also play a part in the size of your unit, as measured in BTU's as your heat load will vary depending on your location and season.

Check out something like this system:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...r conditioning/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0

I have seen the RV units on houseboats, but not on blue water sailing vessels or power boats. The corrosion factor would be insurmountable.:eek:
MarineAC.webp
 
While I'm sure MrMoMo's advice is golden, or Capt Jim's too, I figured I'd kick down my two bits..
I've been restoring a '72 Coronado sailboat for the past three years. It's in San Diego and I've stayed onboard in every season, every type of weather. For months like Sept (perhaps the worst San Diego has to offer weather-wise..), just a couple of 6-9" fans running off 120 (docked) or even 12v underway is enough to get the air moving around. Outside of that, I second the motion to jump in the water. :)
 
DBAX said:
For months like Sept (perhaps the worst San Diego has to offer weather-wise..), just a couple of 6-9" fans running off 120 (docked) or even 12v underway is enough to get the air moving around. Outside of that, I second the motion to jump in the water. :)
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I agree. The last boat I had with a cabin just had several small 12 volt piviting fans. All the boats I've been on with central AC I was either a guest, captain, or crew. Nothing like jumping in to cool off.

They may use the RV type AC units on freshwater only boats, where the corrosive salty-air environment does not exist. Nor do some of the rough ocean conditions, except for the great lakes.
 
Just to toss in my two bits that the portable unit would be a royal pain to keep somewhere off the boat, then bring to the boat when you want to use it overnight, then lug back to wherever it was to go sailing or go home. Repeat as needed.

The onboard system seems kinda tough to install in a 30 footer. If the boat's not built with it, you're talking fairly serious coin to do it correctly and even then it will be the #1 item on the boat you have to screw around with and spend money on in the future. That's just not a lot of boat space-wise and the stuff required will take about the same space as a 40 footer. It will also not add materially to the boat's value when you're done with it. Toss in the times it will break just when you need it, the other problems it may cause to the boat's mechanical and physical systems and it just seems easier to find a boat already equipped with A/C.

Kinda like when people get on the 80 forum and want to buy a particular 80 Series they've found but it doesn't have lockers. So they want us to help them justify buying a lockerless 80 even though they want a locked one and will add them later.......

DougM
 
So are you talking about air conditioning or alternating curent? I figured the latter. Would a few batteries, an inverter and some solar panels work for you? What is the technology like for mechanical generators (human powered - to charge batteries?
 
Capt. Jim said:
DBAX said:
While I'm sure MrMoMo's advice is golden, or Capt Jim's too, I figured I'd kick down my two bits..
I've been restoring a '72 Coronado sailboat for the past three years. It's in San Diego and I've stayed onboard in every season, every type of weather. For months like Sept (perhaps the worst San Diego has to offer weather-wise..), just a couple of 6-9" fans running off 120 (docked) or even 12v underway is enough to get the air moving around. Outside of that, I second the motion to jump in the water. :)
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I agree. The last boat I had with a cabin just had several small 12 volt piviting fans. All the boats I've been on with central AC I was either a guest, captain, or crew. Nothing like jumping in to cool off.

They may use the RV type AC units on freshwater only boats, where the corrosive salty-air environment does not exist. Nor do some of the rough ocean conditions, except for the great lakes.
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Most of the time you guys are right, but in Texas late summer is just plain miserable - blowing around 90 degree air doesn't help you sleep. I've got a '33 Cruiser on Lake Travis and 80% of the time hatches open with a fan is fine. In July and August you’ve got to fire up the genset and cool the cabin if you want to get any sleep. No sea breeze like on the open water :frown:

Tucker
 
A sailboat doesn't have the kind of space available that a cruiser of comparable length has. There's this business of rigging and sails, not to mention the objectionable need to go about the slim decks in order to operate those awful things :)

Adding to that beastial quality is the behavior of a sailboat when it is unavoidably under sail. They do this thing called heeling! It's terrible - scarier than the night and adding to the horror is the fact that everything wil be regularly drenched by shipped filthy water!

It's certainly no place for any civillized person, much less such niceties as conditioned air.
 
honk said:
A sailboat doesn't have the kind of space available that a cruiser of comparable length has. There's this business of rigging and sails, not to mention the objectionable need to go about the slim decks in order to operate those awful things :)

Adding to that beastial quality is the behavior of a sailboat when it is unavoidably under sail. They do this thing called heeling! It's terrible - scarier than the night and adding to the horror is the fact that everything wil be regularly drenched by shipped filthy water!

It's certainly no place for any civillized person, much less such niceties as conditioned air.
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Yeah, and it's quiet. :mad: Too quiet. :eek:
 
thanks for all the good advice guys...A/C (air cond.) may seem overkill to some of you, but when you have a wife that hates the heat what can you do? im all for jumping in the lake to cool off, but she aint. if it matters to anyone ill let you guys know what i decide to do. i like the idea of buying one with a/c already on in place.
 
Capt. Jim said:
The RV AC unit noted by MrMoMO would not hold up well in a marine environment. Particularly on a sailboat that will be out in much rougher weather that a power boat. Not to mention getting hit by a wall of water. I suspect it would be destroyed, or at least, dislodged.
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Perhaps that wasn't quite the right link... here is the marine version...

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-air-conditioners/marine-air-conditioners.htm

But perhaps I hadn't quite thought that one out, I am not used to boats that heel or have waves break right over them.

We have also used mermaid units such as the M5....
http://www.mmair.com/marine_division/air_conditioning/5_200_btu_cabin_air_conditioner

At around $1500 you had better need it, and you still need two thru-hulls and a power source - they stated that with an 1800W inverter with 450Ah reserve you can run for one night! - Heck you said i's windy there, get a wind generator to charge your batteries while your inverter is drawing them down!
 
If there's one thing I know about boats, it is that the more complex they are the less fun they are. Adding an air conditioning system to a boat not so equipped when it was built is difficult and the teething problems will go on for seasons. Doing it on a sailboat? Nightmare.

Find one that's already equipped unless you don't mind calling the yard doing the A/C work every week to find out it will be another week to complete. Around 3 months later you will then find out it will be another $1500. Then on your first cruise it will blow a fuse and the condensation will drip into the bilges. About the end of the summer you'll arrive at the dock looking spiffy in your yachting whites with Biff and Jennifer along and find the interior covered in mold and mildew.

This is just too big a system to retrofit onto a boat and expect it to work out.

DougM
 
tpattyII said:
thanks for all the good advice guys...A/C (air cond.) may seem overkill to some of you, but when you have a wife that hates the heat what can you do? im all for jumping in the lake to cool off, but she aint. if it matters to anyone ill let you guys know what i decide to do. i like the idea of buying one with a/c already on in place.
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Move to Nantucket;.....leave her home while you sail;......buy a daysailer that's trailerable;........get a heat tolerant wife.

I had two solar recharged fans in the hatches of my Catalina 27 that made the cabin almost livable in heat, but in the San Francisco bay or the Sacramento delta even there's no heat like Texas heat. We slept in the cockpit when we'd go up the delta - it was usually almost cool.
 
honk said:
get a heat tolerant wife.
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Exactly what isle of West Marine are those sold on? I'll take two..

:D
 
Look for a used one. You'll pay too much markup at WEST. :D
 
If it is too hot, go back in the slip and hook up to shore power. I was always partial to "woman astride" in the V-berth. That way she can keep a lookout, too;) . We always called it "Tank Commander":D
If you are on the lunch hook, raising the V-berth hatch always provided a nice breeze.

GL

Ed
 
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