How important is an air conditioner for F/T?

[Budreau]

Planning on full timing one day in the carribean, Pacific side, etc. upon retirement. Exactly how important is an air conditioner on a boat in that climate?

[44'cruisingcat]

Depends on whether you plan to spend a lot of time in marinas or at anchor.

[billknny]

We have AC and a genset to run it. At anchor we have NEVER once even thought about turning it on. In marinas it is a different story.

Even if you have a breeze, it is not always blowing in a direction to ventilate the boat.

It also depends on where you are... in the islands there is always a breeze. If you are anchored in the Chesapeake in July, that is not always true.

Finally, it depends on the boat. Some boats are designed to naturally ventilate, some do not.

[Jim Cate]

32 years cruising in the Pacific, mostly South Pacific. No air conditioning, no worries, no need.

Opinion.

Jim

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Budreau

Planning on full timing one day in the carribean, Pacific side, etc. upon retirement. Exactly how important is an air conditioner on a boat in that climate?

If you’ve ever spent any time in the Caribbean, the answer should be self-evident.

[roverhi]

With an awning over the deck and a wind scoop forward no need for air conditioning at anchor in the tropics. The boat fairs into the wind at anchor and you get a nice breeze through the boat while the awning provides shade and keeps the off the deck cutting solar gain to near zero. Only problem period was right at sundown when the wind would shift from sea to land breeze and wind die almost completely. A couple of fans took care of that period.

Now those lovely Chesapeake summer days with 100 degree temps and 100% humidity scream for a hotel room or a double feature at the flicks.

[Paul L]

Not sure where you plan on going " one day in the carribean, Pacific side, ". If you mean the easten Carib and the South Pacific then you don't need air con. If you plan to summer in Pacific Central America it can get pretty miserable and have no wind and be raining.

[Sand crab]

It comes down to your comfort zone. Obviously Jim Cate and others tolerate heat better than some. I grew up in Florida and it is frikkin hot down there. It ain't any cooler in Panama and you will be there at some point. If your boat will be big enough to handle the weight then I say do it. Or you can always get one of the inexpensive portable household ACs (not the window style) and run it off a Honda gen.

[kas_1611]

Lived in Trinidad & Tobago for 3 years and whilst the house had A/C it was never on below 28C. Walking into the shopping mall or grocery store was like walking into the Arctic wearing shorts the A/C was so ridiculously low.

Living in Croatia for 7 years on the boat and never even considered A/C once. Sunscreen over the boat for shade, hatches open for breeze and a couple of small 12v fans for back up (noisy and not over effective). Even closing the sunscreens in the roof hatches made a big difference.

Acclimatise to the local conditions, wear loose clothing to allow air to circulate and avoid cotton as it will feel damp and clammy to the skin. Invest in some good quality, wicking performance tops and drink plenty of water and you'll be fine. I hear bamboo sheets are really good for hot sticky conditions.

I spent 3 weeks in the Sahara with temperatures of 50+ºC and discovered why the Toureg and Berber cover up and even wear black. It simply keeps the sun off your skin and you do actually feel cooler.

Isn't the aim of the game to get away from all the hustle bustle and noise of modern life when we are on our boats? So why would you want to run a dirty generator to power a noisy A/C while sat on anchor in a quiet bay? Must be just me that prefers peace and quiet to freezing my bits off

[redneckrob]

One key insight I gained while living in Hawaii helps explain the disparate opinions you get on this subject. The temperature in Hawaii was perfect, no need for an air conditioner.......as long as you were sitting in the shade on your lanai engaged in nothing more strenuous than lifting a drink and talking. As soon as you engaged in any physical activity at all, it was hot as Hades and miserable to not have an AC to at least go back into periodically. And if you live there and active with two kids, you're always engaged in physical activity! So be honest with yourself about how active you are. If you're on a brand new boat and don't plan on doing much but sitting around, you may be fine without an AC. If you're active and always turning a wrench or running around doing this or that, you'll really be happy to have an AC to come back to.

[letsgetsailing3]

Makes a huge difference if you're at anchor, or living in a marina.

[Bean Counter]

Our boat came with Air Con. We do not use it very often, usually when it is 100F , no breeze and there are biting flies, no seeums and mosquitoes at night, the bug screens kill any slight breeze - so we run the Air Con because it is there. Not sure I would invest in Aircon for the whole boat, just the master cabin would be sufficient for us.

[Woodland Hills]

For those with no a/c what do you do when you just shut off the motor and it now begins to radiate heat into the boat just as it begins to rain for the next 10 hours?

[Time2Go]

With the boat closed up
with the AC on
THERE ARE NO BUGS
After you kill them all
If budget in both money, space & weight
allow it I’d certainly go for it
Cheers
Neil

[svspirited]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

For those with no a/c what do you do when you just shut off the motor and it now begins to radiate heat into the boat just as it begins to rain for the next 10 hours?

Turn on the engine exhaust fan and vent it out as much as possible. If you have a hatch over the engine, open it.