Is it really that HOT in America and the Caribbean?

[David M]

Not required of course, air conditioning just makes life a little more comfortable.....kinda like seat cushions and a dodger does.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Yeah, but nearly every day is like that isn't it? Raining that is

Your thinking of the pretty Emerald Isle out to the West of the United States of Europe.

"If you can't see the mountains its raining, if you can see the mountains then its going to rain"

[JPA Cate]

monte,

FWIW, we have always managed with plenty of 12 v. fans. For me, if sleep is difficult, even a slight breeze to dry the sweat makes it possible to sleep. We've never had a genset, either, use solar and wind primarily. Do screen the boat against mozzies and cockies.

However, I have also not ever had to live in really high humidity places, the highest was the Solomons, and there was usually some breeze. Lots of places there have alligator hazards, like FL, and jumping in the water to cool off is not too good an idea. It took me about 6 wks to acclimatize there, and we left from Brisbane, QLD.

Ann

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by monte

Thanks for the feedback, sounds like we don't want to be living aboard this time of year in FL. How far north do you have to go to escape the humidity and critters? We were thinking of heading up around Georgetown or a bit further from June to November before heading south again to the Caribbean

Georgetown? You mean DC? See the post above yours (#47). The hot season is late May to end Sept give or take. You need to go to New England to escape the heat/humidity - you can't escape the mozzies. Frankly I don't find it that bad in the Bahamas during the summer - it doesn't get above 32º and not that buggy. The Aussies here have decided they need AC, but they survived without it.

[jtsailjt]

I've had air conditioners on my last 2 boats and have very rarely used them. I try to think of turning them on once in awhile just to exercise them and to flush through any little critters that might be trying to set up housekeeping in the water lines, but I frequently find myself realizing that it's been over a month since the last time. Of course, with New England weather, there are VERY few days where AC is needed. But I can definitely see where, if you were leaving your boat in a marina for any amount of time, it would be a nice feature, since we're always in humid locations. One winter in Marsh Harbor I found that leaving the boat plugged in and AC on while I was away was the only thing that would prevent mildew from forming down near the cabin sole (fortunately I had friends at the marina to check on it so a plugged water line or other problem would be quickly discovered).

I'm not going to remove the existing AC units, but if I had my druthers and was building/buying a new boat, I wouldn't have built-in AC on board and instead would opt for the portable type that you stick in a hatch opening when needed. Less complication and MUCH less expensive and 2 fewer thru hulls per AC unit in the boat, and when cruising in cooler climates they could be removed from the boat, freeing up the space where they are normally stored for other, more useful things.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

if I had my druthers and was building/buying a new boat, I wouldn't have built-in AC on board and instead would opt for the portable type that you stick in a hatch opening when needed. Less complication and MUCH less expensive and 2 fewer thru hulls per AC unit in the boat, and when cruising in cooler climates they could be removed from the boat, freeing up the space where they are normally stored for other, more useful things.

Most of the built-in ACs can be run in reverse-cycle to heat the boat. Wouldn't you need storage space for the portable unit?

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Coops

That is just a great shot the two lovely ladies sat on the ice.

Coops.

Canapés?

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

Most of the built-in ACs can be run in reverse-cycle to heat the boat. Wouldn't you need storage space for the portable unit?

Yes, and I suspect that the space required to store a unit big enough to even approach the capability of a built in unit would be about the same as, or possibly even more than, the built in unit requires, and it's an awkward shape to fit in anywhere too. But for much of my sailing, I'd have it stored in the attic of my garage at home where there's plenty of room, and I wouldn't have to winterize the water pumps and strainers every year and there would be 4 less holes in the hull of my boat. No doubt it's a tradeoff and we all have individual priorities that are just as valid as anyone else's, but for me, I think I'd prefer the option of easily removing it from the boat.
Even when I'm sailing well south of New England, I prefer to either anchor out or use a mooring, so hardly ever spend the night at a marina where I could plug in. Even though I have a genset, unless conditions are extreme, it doesn't make much sense to me to crank it up, thus creating lots of heat right in the center of my boat, in order to run air conditioners to cool it back off. At anchor or on a mooring it almost always seems sufficient to open hatches, put a wind scoop on the forward hatch, and turn on the 12volt fans. But on the rare occasion when I find myself marina bound for awhile or need to leave the boat in one while I travel away from it, AC, whether it be portable or built-in, can be SOOOO nice to have!

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by zboss

One thing is for sure... we will not be spending summer in Florida again.

Lot of people feel that way. I've mentioned this before, but I read some years back that almost 2/3rds of the people who move to Florida move away again within 2 years. Reason being that they visit in the fall/winter and fall in love with the place. Move down here, get a load of what it's like in July/August, and make up their minds "never again!"

[IdoraKeeper]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Lot of people feel that way. I've mentioned this before, but I read some years back that almost 2/3rds of the people who move to Florida move away again within 2 years. Reason being that they visit in the fall/winter and fall in love with the place. Move down here, get a load of what it's like in July/August, and make up their minds "never again!"

Ditto in the opposite direction here in the PNW. Folks visit in summer and move here based on erroneous notions of the climate. They are gone before the second winter. Too bad boats take so much attention. The don't really work out as snow bird hangouts. People try it but there are many issues.

[redsky49]

Speaking from personal experience...

Last night, living on the boat while on the hard, at 11:00 pm the interior of the boat was still 84 degrees F, extremely humid and quite uncomfortable, yet we survived. This is typical of coastal North Carolina, in particular Beaufort where we are preparing to go back into the water.

At anchor, we have almost always been comfortable with just fans and lots of opening ports (9) and hatches (4). Dodger typically blocks airflow from companionway, but it still serves as an exhaust, as well as a couple of dorades for foul weather.

We do have a small built-in AC unit (12,000 btuh) which, while not really adequate for the entire boat, does a great job of lowering the temps on board and removing much of the humidity. It is a Godsend at a southern marina (see Charleston, SC), or during the Great Southern ICW Migration, when we will occasionally need the reverse-cycle heat (two years ago we left North Carolina in January heading south and dealt with ice on the decks until we reached northern Georgia).

I have zero regrets about being comfortable on my boat!

[fst415]

I'm not for a/c if I can help it. However, when it gets really sweltry and the humidity is close to saturation with no wind to provide relief, a/c does come in handy to make for a good night's sleep. Let's not forget that running the a/c on a very humid day also keeps mold at bay in the interior of the boat, something boaters without a/c in the tropics are well aware of!