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Old 11-03-2019, 10:24   #16
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

Having grown up sailing on the Great Lakes my whole life I always wondered why people had AC on a sailboat. You don't really need up north.


But that wondering stopped when my wife and I bought a sailboat in Florida with AC and lived on it there, and when sailing up and down the East Coast a couple of summers. I wouldn't/couldn't have a boat w/o AC now in the south. Georgia (Brunswick, for instance) was in the mid to high 90s with humidity to match much of July and all of August. Same for VA, the Carolinas and Florida. As everyone mentioned, you'll need shore power -- that's the best solution -- which means a slip somewhere. If you're anchoring out, and good generator is required.


Boat size is only one factor; as a nurse, your comfort and ability to sleep should be your primary concern.
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Old 11-03-2019, 10:39   #17
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

For whatever it may be worth, one data point, I cruised SW Florida for a couple of decades in a 37' boat with a full Cruiseair AC system but no generator.

In hot weather (like, over 90F) we used it in marinas or harbours with shore power. At anchor we used wind scoops and fans.

This worked fine - in a marina or municipal harbour the heat can kill you, but there always seems to be a breeze in an anchorage.

Therefore we were quite happy and never felt the need for a generator.

I don't like hot weather, though, and am much happier cruising cooler latitudes. Give me the English Channel in winter any day, over Florida in summer! YMMV, of course.
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Old 11-03-2019, 10:40   #18
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

Since Webasto sells a 6000 BTU unit, it must go on some pretty small boats. It's not something I would have considered for PNW, but it came up on Craigslist for practically nothing. And I still might get to Baja one of these days. Fits under the V-berth without too much drama, if you don't mind light fan noise while sleeping. (Some people can't sleep without fan noise.) And it's also a heater and dehumidifier.
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Old 11-03-2019, 11:17   #19
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

I would not recommend buying a boat for its options. They may very well be shot anyway.

Buy a boat you love and install what you want. a/c etc...
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Old 11-03-2019, 11:21   #20
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scaramanga F25 View Post
I would not recommend buying a boat for its options. They may very well be shot anyway.

Buy a boat you love and install what you want. a/c etc...
Fair enough, but for HVAC, installing ducting after the initial build can be easy... or more likely... maybe not.

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Old 11-03-2019, 11:37   #21
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

I have a Hunter 356 with standard 16K water to air heat pump. Use a 5KW Northern Lights generator. With the heat pump you get both heat and cooling. You need both - even in Florida. We are in TN and Kentucky in Kentucky Lake mostly but have cruised to Florida. When we unplug from the dock, we have the generator running and the HVAC going. We stay comfortable year round. Northern Lights burns .5 gallons per hour.
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Old 11-03-2019, 11:56   #22
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

I have cruised the West Coast, East Coast, Mexico, the Carribean, and Tonga. 99.5% of the time I felt no need for AC while cruising. On the hard or in a Marina with no breeze yes.
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Old 11-03-2019, 12:11   #23
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

A/C usage depends on typical weather conditions in the area the boat is used in. Northern climes people are more concerned with heat than cooling. Smaller boats (23' and such) just don't have room. We added a water cooled 110v built-in A/C to our 30' sailboat. If we had room for a genset as well then all would be jake, but a 30 is a bit small for a genset and I don't care for carrying a portable gas generator. We use it at the dock and fans and open hatches when we're not. It is also amazing what a boom tent will do to kept the daytime temps down inside the cabin.


PLEASE don't be the guy like I saw at our marina the other day that cut out the side of his cabin and put a home window unit in there!
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Old 11-03-2019, 12:41   #24
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

I have recently purchased a 1980 Tartan 37-C. I am very interested in installing AC for comfort and sleeping. Has anyone out there have any experience with AC on a Tartan 37-C? I would be very interested in hearing about your experiences, whether good or bad. Thank you, Capt. Aj
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Old 11-03-2019, 15:09   #25
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

My yacht has two ocean air reverse cycle air-conditioners installed it was never on my wish list but they were on my yacht when I purchased her they are fantastic a must to cool the boat down on a hot day at the marina but also run with the generator for a couple hours while on anchor to cool the boat down for the night.
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Old 11-03-2019, 18:01   #26
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

My son and I live aboard our Morgan 41 in Corpus Christi, would not be without our air conditioners. MarinAirs, 2 of them, one for forward and one for aft cabin. We have a generator so at dock or at anchor, we are comfortable. You really want them for the humidity and ours double as terrific heaters, too! (it can get pretty chilly in January)...
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Old 12-03-2019, 05:18   #27
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

Buy the boat that you love, and if it does not have AC and reverse heat than have it installed.Marine AC units can be had 2.5 k you can google marine AC. To small will be useless
I sure would be easier to find a boat with one installed already, and a generator would be a pluss. Every engine needs maintance , belts, oil changes , water pumps injectors. Do your home work ! Get a Good surveyor when you find a boat you like .There is to much money on the table to make a error by yourself .
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Old 12-03-2019, 15:38   #28
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

I'm surprised you are not finding many boats with A/C. It's pretty common on 35'+ boats, especially newer ones, here on the Chesapeake which is not Florida. The units are permanently installed and use the water, not air for cooling. The smaller boats may not have generators and only use the AC at the dock. If the boat doesn't have AC, at the dock the cheap way to go is a window AC adapted to a hatch cover.
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Old 12-03-2019, 20:51   #29
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

It would help if the OP gave some more detail about size of boat, how long they plan to use it each day as well as if they intend to live mostly docked with shore power or eventually on the hook, etc. While cruising in Grenada, there were sadly a lot of boats running AC at anchor off generators. There were several happily doing it well for a few hours off Lithium Batts and large solar. These were all marine installed units. On the dock, a cheap home Depot unit can work just fine to cool your berth. If all they need it for is to sleep while dockside for a few months, I would not install marine AC. We have been cruising the Caribbean for nearly a year and have only felt 'hot' a handful of times. I would never suggest an AC be installed for living on the hook... at marinas, that's different... I would never advise someone to have permanent AC on a boat under 40ft unless they had a steady income and planned to live at a dock. They are a waist of space and weight as soon as you set sail and drop the hook
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Old 13-03-2019, 07:23   #30
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Re: A/C on sail boats?

I have two on board my 36 cat. I wish I had zero. I’d rather have the space.
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