When we comissioned our
boat the Admiral threw a fit at the
Air Conditioning option. After 5.5 years of
living aboard she has changed her mind.
We have three
Marine Air units, one in each
cabin. While
living aboard in
San Francisco the units were mostly used for
heating, except when we sailed up to the Sacramento
Delta each summer.
Now that we are in
Central America we use the units frequently. During the day when we are off the boat, we have to lock it up tight for
security. So when we return we usually run the units 1-2 hours to cool the boat down and de-humidify it. While running, the units usually draw about 3-5 gallons of
water out of the air during that time frame.
We have also used the Air Conditioners underway several times when the
interior of the boat was so hot we couldn't sleep during night crossing along the coast of
Nicaragua and
Costa Rica.
To give you an idea of
power draw:
Forward Unit is 8,000 BTU and draws about 1.0 kw
The Mid Unit is 12,000 BTU and draws about 1.4 kw
The Aft Unit is 6,000 BTU and draws about 0.8 kw
The mid and forward unit share one
water pump">raw water pump and the aft unit has its own.
Yes Air Conditioning it is a luxuary, but we are happy with the units and would do it again.
If you are in the tropics and can afford it... I would strongly recommend a built in
marine units over window units so you can use them under way and during rainny seasons.