Portable AC w/Honda 2kw

[HopCar]

SailorC, I imagine it would work on your refrigerator. You should ask someone smarter than me. Why don't you send an email to Supco?

[Cowboy Sailer]

Yes the Supco Hard Start kit will lower the inrush current and spare the fuse and allow the Honda to start the compressor. The Hard Start capacitor can remain in the circuit and not hurt the air conditioner even when it is running off of shore power.

[dgz3]

I think what the gentleman who suggested pulling a permit was talking about was a transfer switch. This isolates the marina's dock side system from the generator on the boat when both are connected at the same time. Otherwise the generator can energize the whole dockside shore power system. It's a valid concern. They are required in residential generator installations. It keeps some poor electrician (or your dock master!) from being electrocuted by a system he thought was dead because he had disconnected it. Unplug the shore power line, or plug the ac into the generator directly, and it becomes a non issue.
I ran a window unit in the companionway when I lived in a marina. I cut replacement wash board adaptor panels from foil backed foam insulation that slid into the washboard slots and fit tightly around the unit. No duct tape. It worked great, but it was a pain to step over. And condensate running into the cockpit drain grew algae.
A neighbor had a better idea. He replaced the plexi in the salon overhead deck hatch with starboard. He cut a large rectangular hole in it, set the window unit on top, plumbed the condensate overboard, and fabricated a large duct to direct the output downward. He simply reached up into it from below to operate the controls. A couple of fans blew the cold around inside. Don't know if return air was a problem, but he seemed happy. He also never left the dock.
Now for a point no one has mentioned.... generator etiquette. Which i realize is not the topic here. I would be more than a little annoyed by a marina neighbor who ran a generator all night. And i have been annoyed by people who did it in anchorages. A few hours in the morning to recharge is one thing. But listening to a generator droning all night in an otherwise quiet anchorage is NOT what I'm there for. You can't hear it because your hatches are sealed shut.
I left my Ac unit behind when anchored out. Between my sun shades, hatch mounted wind catcher and velcro mosquito screens, i was rarely uncomfortable, a little perspiration once in a while didn't kill me.
Ill risk being called a jerk here.... go ahead, you won't be the first! But if you are so dependent on air conditioning that you (and your dog/cat) cannot live without it; if you can only survive between 68 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and in humidity less than 65%... maybe you should stay home during the hot summer months.
The Adirondacks are nice that time of year. But the campground will make you turn your generator off at 10 PM .

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by dgz3

Ill risk being called a jerk here.... go ahead, you won't be the first! But if you are so dependent on air conditioning that you (and your dog/cat) cannot live without it; if you can only survive between 68 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and in humidity less than 65%... maybe you should stay home during the hot summer months.
The Adirondacks are nice that time of year. But the campground will make you turn your generator off at 10 PM .

Nah, I agree with you. That would be a decent temp range, but August in Texas can easily exceed the temp and certainly the humidity level you cited. That said, we generally do not use the generator and A/C at night. Sometimes - when it is extremely hot - we do. That said, you don't find a lot of competition for anchorages that time of year either - because of the weather. Spend some time during the weekdays, and where we go you might only see one or two other boats during the week. And they - for some reason - favor tie-ing up to the docks far away. (And running their gen's all night.) Plus I think the Honda is about the quietest running gen on the market. But you have a valid point - if it's a crowded anchorage, no one wants to listen to a gen. OTOH, no one wants to listen to a bunch of drunks all night either. I think I would prefer the drone of a Honda running eco-mode!

[dgz3]

LOL. Amen to that, Sailjumanji! It's all about common sense and consideration. And when in Rome....

[cabo_sailor]

I would agree with both you gentlemen. In the past a shade tree awning and breeze boosters have been more than adequate. But, and there is always a but, there have been times on rainy days with hi temps hi humidity and no breeze. They can be kind of miserable.

Because of age and open heart surgery my doctor tells me heat tolerance is not what it used to be. I have to agree despite working in the desert for many years at plus 100 deg F.

It's for those extremes I wanted a backup plan.

I am appreciating the input. Keep chipping away until you get bored.

And I also agree that I would rather hear the soft output of the Honda than a bunch of drunks with their boom boxes. The Honda would be more like white noise.

Somewhere around here I have the schematics for an EMP pulse cannon. There have been times in some anchorages when I wish I had one. Sadly, I wouldn't want to take the chance of frying some innocents electronics. Sigh.....

Rich


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[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

I would agree with both you gentlemen. In the past a shade tree awning and breeze boosters have been more than adequate. But, and there is always a but, there have been times on rainy days with hi temps hi humidity and no breeze. They can be kind of miserable.

Because of age and open heart surgery my doctor tells me heat tolerance is not what it used to be. I have to agree despite working in the desert for many years at plus 100 deg F.

It's for those extremes I wanted a backup plan.

I am appreciating the input. Keep chipping away until you get bored.

And I also agree that I would rather hear the soft output of the Honda than a bunch of drunks with their boom boxes. The Honda would be more like white noise.

Somewhere around here I have the schematics for an EMP pulse cannon. There have been times in some anchorages when I wish I had one. Sadly, I wouldn't want to take the chance of frying some innocents electronics. Sigh.....

Rich


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Luckily where you're at there are a lot of good anchoring spots which you're probably already aware of. We love 3 Rooker but it can get pretty rowdy on weekends. If you don't like drunks might not be the best place. We also like to anchor off the SE end of Anclote Island in front of the lighthouse. Usually not too many boats there, it's close to the beach & it's picturesque. Just watch the depth. Caladesi's a neat place to stay if you want to hook up to electric.

[cabo_sailor]

Scout, we do like anchoring out at the islands. However we prefer to stay away from crowds. Normally we stay off Dutchman Key, a small island on the east side of Anclote Key about midway between the north and south ends. There is about 10 ft of water and usually only a few other boats anchored. During the day there are a handful of small fishing boats fishing the shallows.

Caladesi is nice but I draw 5 ft so I've not been back since I sold my 4 ft draft Morgan.

We just want peace and quiet.

Rich


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[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

Scout, we do like anchoring out at the islands. However we prefer to stay away from crowds. Normally we stay off Dutchman Key, a small island on the east side of Anclote Key about midway between the north and south ends. There is about 10 ft of water and usually only a few other boats anchored. During the day there are a handful of small fishing boats fishing the shallows.

Caladesi is nice but I draw 5 ft so I've not been back since I sold my 4 ft draft Morgan.

We just want peace and quiet.

Rich


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We made the mistake of pulling our lobster skiff up to Dutchman Key many years ago. Thought we'd hike around. Immediately swarmed by mosquitos. We'll never do that again!

[cabo_sailor]

OH YA, there are skeeters over there the size of quails. Also be aware that there are rattlesnakes. They aren't usually aggressive but I wouldn't want to come across having a bad day 😜

Just behind Dutchman on the north side there is a popular campsite. Anclote Key is only a couple hundred ft wide there. Even with a dink you need hi tide to get there, unless you get out and pull. Skeeters are the same. No thank you, I'll stay on the boat with a martini and enjoy the sunset.


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[cheoah]

Don't for a minute think there is anything wrong with wanting AC on the boat. I don't have it, but if it made my wife or kids or me enjoy it more I'd do it. Ok that's BS, but anyway, life is short, do what ya want. Heat is definitely the thing that has incited mutiny most over the years on my tiny ships. I've endured it far more than most being a farmer with no cab tractors and lots of enthusiasm for a depreciating asset. (Boat)

If you spend enough time in the heat (acclimatized), have some shade, and breeze, you can be pretty comfortable in eighty somethin degree water.

I've only noticed a generator once, one summer in the Chesapeake. I mean it irritated me a little. I was to leeward, the only other boat in the creek at deltaville. Seemed awfully loud. Usually I don't notice at all and don't care. Honestly I think my opinion on it was shaped by comments here years ago.

Those cruising the islands, or anywhere with steady breeze, do not have the climate you are dealing with in Texas. I'm moored on a trib of the neuse and it is hot, still, and humid. It's kind of a high suffering zone for visitors so I try to hit the big water quick. Even dropping the hook out in the pamlico sound makes it far more comfortable. I've never wanted AC anchored out at cape lookout or ocracoke. On any given night I could be sweltering in the creek, or wearing a wool cap offshore just 60 miles away.

Good luck w your project.


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[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by dgz3

LOL. Amen to that, Sailjumanji! It's all about common sense and consideration. And when in Rome....

I agree, one must try to be considerate of others at all times, but there is a solution.

A friend of mine bought one of those 3500w "construction" generators, the kind that sounds like you're in the middle of a Harley bike revving competition at Sturgis, complete with rattling parts.

We built a (fairly) lightweight enclosure with sound absorbing material that allowed fresh air in, hot air out, but trapped the noise with baffles. Air can turn corners, but noise can't. It did an amazing job of reducing the noise from that unit. A similar enclosure with a little less baffling would make a Honda entirely noiseless.

Ours folded down with hinges, but one could probably make one that slips together and could be stacked like small pieces of plywood when disassembled.

I originally used the same concept on my built in 5KW genny that I installed myself. I wanted it to be nearly silent, and the results were very good!

[RKsailsolo]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

My 2C is since cost is an issue a 5K window unit powered by a Honda 2000 is the best bang for the buck.
For what it's worth I have two Honda 2000's and with them paired together and connected to the shore power, they will run almost the entire boat, I believe both Honda's paired together have a 26 Amp capacity, and most shore power plugs on older boats I believe are 30 Amp.
The two of them paired together is a PIA for many reasons causing me to go to a yet un-installed NexGen 3.5KW
I don't honestly remember what it cost, but it was no where near 10K

How did your install go on the NexGen? I just bought a Jeanneau 349 and the dealer suggested the NexGen claiming that a unique feature is t hat they operate at lower rpm so are more efficient with less noise.

[a64pilot]

Install was relatively easy, easier than I imagined anyway as the provide almost everything in a kit.
RPM is a relative term, the little 3.5 KW turns 2850 I think, which is lower than 3600, but much higher than 1800 or course


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