# Air conditioning on a small sailboat



## Essemm65 (Mar 14, 2012)

Hello All -

My girlfriend is asthmatic and it gets awfully muggy here in Toronto. I'm getting either a Nonsuch 22 or another vessel in the 25' - 27' range and want to instal a proper A/C unit that runs off dockside 110 volts (not DC off battery) BUT...
ideally don't want it seawater cooled (cuz I HATE making holes in the hull - the less the better). I've owned a Cruisair drop-in-the-hatch (heavy, noisy, crafty, ugly but BOY will it freeze you out !!) and don't want that again. 

Any thoughts ?? Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

Do you really need the cooling or could you just filter the air?..Dale


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## Essemm65 (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks, Dale.

I DO need the cooling - (but not the FREEZING).

Cheers


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

Keep air conditioner on dock & pipe it in? ...Dale


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

All proper Marine units use sea water for cooling. A free standing portable unit that uses a vent tube would be a good choice. 
"portable ac units" - Walmart.com


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## WouldaShoulda (Oct 7, 2008)

sidney777 said:


> I have seen the "portable" AC used. @6000 to 12,000 btu sizes.... It is the newer type of ac for offices, homes, etc.... The AC unit sits inside and it has @5 inch flexable hose (kinda like a clothes dryer hose) out of the back. This hose exhausts the hot air. Theses ac units are more expensive than window units.


The Walmart examples linked above appear more expensive and heavier.

I like the idea of it not sitting in the companionway like a wall unit however.


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## badsanta (Oct 16, 2006)

I tried one with the hose inside the cabin it did not work for me still to hot. as for freezing the thermostat must not have worked. you set it to the temperature you like and it controls it and keeps the temp constant.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

lol, in the hvac biz..AC is 18-20 degrees inside temp lower then the outside temp. 
It's the low humidity that makes it comfortable. If a unit can bring you down to 70 on a 100 degree day it's over sized, but some people like that.


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## Essemm65 (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi Denise -

OK... you KNOW yer onions about A/C. I'm talking about the small interior of a Nonsuch 22 and I am liking the idea of some reasonable bulkhead mounting of a 5000 BTU 'portable' unit as close to the cabin top as I can with a single exhaust hose being vented 'outside' somehow. At around 6' of headroom, the cabin space must be around 7' of beam by 10' in length i.e. roughly 70 sq. ft or 420 cubic ft.

I would imagine that this would do the trick - what say you (and thanks, BTW)


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## WouldaShoulda (Oct 7, 2008)

One way or another, I want to be camping dockside mush more often this summer!!


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## lans0012 (Jul 16, 2008)

Hey do this and save yourself a lot of hassel. Pick out a 1/2" peice of plywood and cutout a rectangle for a cheap a/c unit. I used a couple of right angle brackets to make it snug and sealed it up with Foam in a can. 

All of this can be bought at a hardware store including the AC for around $130.

Mine is a 5k BTU model and keeps my CAL 27 cabin cool on Tampa Bay in the summer. It also really does a good job of keeping the interior dry. 

When it's time for sailing just stick in the v berth or leave it in the dockbox. 

I also rigged up a drain tube that allows it to drip into the scupper. This setup is very common on the docks around here. Especially on the smaller and cheaper boats.


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## Essemm65 (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks, lans0012 -

I've done this before but, on a Nonsuch my head will be just a few feet away from the A/C so i'm looking at mounting something on to/in to the bulkhead.

Cheers Essemm65


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## WouldaShoulda (Oct 7, 2008)

ians0012,

That is so awesomely simple it can not possibly work!!


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

lans0012 said:


> Hey do this and save yourself a lot of hassel. Pick out a 1/2" peice of plywood and cutout a rectangle for a cheap a/c unit. I used a couple of right angle brackets to make it snug and sealed it up with Foam in a can.
> 
> All of this can be bought at a hardware store including the AC for around $130.
> 
> ...


That is what we did on our old O'day 322. We referred to it as the ******* Yacht Club AC system.

The vented type could definitely do the job and if you can find a place for it would be far less hassle. We tried on on our O'day but couldn't find a place for it that didn't require more compromise than we could accept.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

Essemm65 said:


> Thanks, lans0012 -
> 
> I've done this before but, on a Nonsuch my head will be just a few feet away from the A/C so i'm looking at mounting something on to/in to the bulkhead.
> 
> Cheers Essemm65


Well, that's one way to drastically reduce the price of a Nonsuch...for the next buyer.
It would have to be a damn narrow unit to mount in the bulkhead- there isn't much room.








If the challenge is the humidity, i'd suggest a small dehumidifier that you can set up anywhere, with a fan blowing over it.


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## johnnyquest37 (Feb 16, 2012)

Get a new girlfriend.


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## stevensuf (Feb 26, 2012)

now that must be the cheapest and simplest approach, one who likes it HOT!!


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## chuck53 (Oct 13, 2009)

deniseO30 said:


> lol, in the hvac biz..AC is 18-20 degrees inside temp lower then the outside temp.
> It's the low humidity that makes it comfortable. If a unit can bring you down to 70 on a 100 degree day it's over sized, but some people like that.


I'm no AC guy, but I think you are wrong on this. A Typical AC unit will bring the temp down about 15-20 degrees. Thats the return air temperature, not the outside air temp. if the boat's interior temp is 100, then the AC will only output 80-85 degree air. As the boat slowly cools down to 80, then it's outputting 60-65 degree air. Of course, depending on conditions, it can only go down but so far. 
On my boat, at night, even with outside temp at 80, I could easily get my interior temp down to 50, or probably, mid 40's


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## BreakAwayFL (Sep 20, 2010)

For our Coronado 25, we just bought a $300 6000 BTU portable unit. When in use it can sit on the counter in the galley. The exhaust hose will go out a companionway door I am crafting with an exhaust hole cut in it, and the drain will drip drip drip right into the sink and out to sea.

It will fit comfortably in the deck box when not in use, and if we want to take it to sea it will fit in a storage compartment in the cockpit very easily.

$300, done. 6000 btu in that boat should have icicles forming on our noses.

My initial idea was to get one of those RV rooftop units, but they don't look like they can be easily put on and off as needed. I love the hatch a/c at WM, but I don't have $1500 to spend!


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

johnnyquest37 said:


> Get a new girlfriend.


crude but :laugher


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## lyonsian (Jun 18, 2006)

I have a *real* boat AC. The one that fits over a hatch. I like it, but it is heavy 50# and awkward. Needs a substantial Generator to run (I run it from dock power).

My wife *okayed* the purchase.  She was the one that wanted it.

I think it is a pain, I do not wish to leave it around when I am not there or on the boat..as it is about 500$ and a sailboat locks are not known to keep anything but honest people out.

However, it does take 100F heat and drop it down to 82F but most importantly it does make a big diff on the humidity.

Oddly enough, moving from a cement dock marina to a Tyvek dock made the most difference.

Not worth for a guy (in my opinion..I will just sail out until we get out of the "land effect heat".) However, from male/female relationship aspect DO IT!... 

Well worth it. My wife actually comes to the Marina now.....  Good idea or bad idea... 'Not saying!


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