A/C on sail boats?

[Fiftybucks]

for A/C installs contact Joe at Ocean Breeze in Stuart FL..They custom manufacture A/C units THERE for the exact space for where it needs to go. Frame, compressor, evaporator, etc. Amazing prices. For Cat380 the cost for 2 units one forward and one aft was less than 6k and they can put in a slow start for Honda 2000 for about 600.

[glcalahan]

Originally Posted by Fiftybucks

for A/C installs contact Joe at Ocean Breeze in Stuart FL..They custom manufacture A/C units THERE for the exact space for where it needs to go. Frame, compressor, evaporator, etc. Amazing prices. For Cat380 the cost for 2 units one forward and one aft was less than 6k and they can put in a slow start for Honda 2000 for about 600.

I have bought 3 16,000 BTU Ocean Breeze units from Joe and he is a class act. I have installed 1st in a DownEaster 38, 2nd in a Catalina 30 and I am currently (as I type)installing my 3rd in a '72 Pearson 33. Can't say enough about Joe and Ocean Breeze!!

[cfk0jmz]

I have a Hunter 38 with dual AC units. Would not consider owning this boat without the AC.

[Dave9111]

I used to manufacture an adapter to adapt a standard 5-6K Btu air conditioner to duct air into a hatch. It worked very well. I sold several on Ebay but the volume was not there. I might start making them again this year and see how it goes. Together with an air conditioner, it was a complete package for about $325/$350. 5-6K is adequate for a 33-5 ft boat in 95 degrees. The dehumidification is a huge help. If an adapter is made using quality materials, and the proper design, it is not a distraction from the boat. No need to hack up your boat or block the companionway to get a cool boat! Another big advantage is that if the AC unit dies, you go buy a new one. A 5-6K btu AC unit weighs about 40 lbs. I could have made an adapter for a 10K btu air conditioner but I don't want to handle that much weight, so I figured no one else would as well. I use this adapter myself to keep my boat cool and dry in the summer. When I leave the dock, the AC and adapter goes into the dock box. It could be stored down below as well.

Someone told me that using window ac units and adapters of some sort is very common in St. Martin? for diy repair people. The reason is that marine AC units don't work when they are out of the water. So if you have your boat hauled to do maintenance, your AC is not functional. I've been told the marinas down there rent them to DIYers on a monthly basis. Sleeping in a hot, humid boat sucks.

[gonesail]

they are nice in Florida but are a pain in the butt. all kinds of nasty things get sucked up into the cooling system including small fish and plastic bags. the AC and the hoses get clogged up with marine life and other growth. so eventually you find yourself dealing with it .. usually when the AC quits working before you go to bed. I would advise having a window unit in the companionway.

[Captmatt]

AC is quite common on most sailboats at least ones over 35’. I have a 47’ Leopard which has a dedicated AC panel. There are solar panels and a solar controller to charge the batteries. There is an inverter on board that converts from 12v DC to 120v AC to operate items such as 120v outlets for microwave, charging phones, vacuum cleaner, etc. I also have a generator that provides enough power for 3 air conditioning units, hot water heater and an RO water maker. The boats you are looking at may have some of these systems but possibly not be mentioned in the listing.

[R Hutcheson]

I'd definitely want A/C in FL. If you are looking at a smaller boat, it's not as difficult to install as you might think. I installed a 12,000 BTU unit in a 28' Precision a few years ago. There was no room in any of the lockers for it, but the boat did have a large shelf in the aft cabin. We simply mounted the unit directly on this shelf and built a cabinet around it. The boat went from being a sauna at the dock to feeling like the inside of a meat locker with the A/C running and the hatches shut. It ran on a 30A connection, so we didn't have to upgrade the electrical system, and for those rare times when I wanted A/C at anchor (really nice in buggy anchorages, or when hot and raining too hard to have the hatches open), we ran a Honda 2000 generator in the cockpit to power it.