1988 Catalina 30 mkII air conditioner installation

JTPearson · Jun 26, 2012

I have a 1988 with A/C! The compressor is in the aft lazarette. While it takes up some space running the lines, it really does not take up much space and it is not noisey.

Living in Texas, I am glad I have it.

JTPearson · Jun 26, 2012

The A/C came with the boat. It was one of my must haves. I think you could install it yourself but I wouldn't attempt it myself. The noises level is very acceptable in the vee berth as the compressor is aft.

rbmcintire · Jun 27, 2012

If you have a water tank under the V-berth, you can still fit a 12,000BTU Webasto/FCF water-cooled/120V unit just forward of it. I have a tee fitting for the head sink's thru-hull, so only the above-waterline thru-hull (for the water outlet) was required to be drilled for the installation. That sink is somewhat useable, but not drainable while the A/C is on. It's the system's inlet water side and there is an in-line strainer ahead of the A/C . Another inlet thru-hull I am thinking about using instead, is the one for the galley sink where there used to be a foot pump. I just need to run a hose forward and that would solve the sink drain issue.

The ducting has the return air vent at the space on the right of the vee, just above the floor. The supply air is split into two 4" flexible ducts. One goes thru the head sink cabinet to the port side settee and the other goes thru the hanging locker for the starboard settee.

Noise level is very acceptable considering the benefits and there is nothing to remove or store before getting underway. In our case, the port lazzarette already has a 12v refrigeration unit in there for the galley icebox, the boat's water heater and the engine coolant expansion tank, so conserving storage and access in there was important.

Control wiring goes from the unit to a touch display installed on the side of our nav table and it comes with a wireless handheld control, as well. Love it for Southern Maryland summers when plugged in at a marina, but it is a heatpump for reverse-cycle heating in the Fall and Spring, too.

Rob

jrowan · Jun 27, 2012

Rob, I am jealous! That looks like an awesome A/C set up. How much did it cost?
I have been having A/C connundrums myself. I sold my old Cruise Air portable unit
with my old boat, & they're pretty expensive. So I tried to fit a portable 5k BTU window
A/C unit into the companionway. It was a real disaster - doesn't fit the opening at all.
My new idea is to purchase one of those smaller portable units on wheels, which just needs to vent a hose out of the hatch. I have also seen a guy install a window unit in the aft end of the galley in the later Mark II models, as there's room in that space to fit a small A/C unit. It vented into the port cockpit locker. Interesting idea, but my Mark I C 30 doesn't have enough height in that space for even a tiny A/C unit.

rbmcintire · Jun 28, 2012

I was lucky that it came with the boat when we purchased it. When comparing other Catalina 30's to buy, it stuck out as a premium feature on this boat. Wet bilge/post ply, 25yr old sails and rigging, but hey, it had air conditioning!

. I've seen these units as low as $950, but they're mostly in the range of $1500, all in. The 12,000 Btu capacity is sized very well. I would attempt an installation of this system because it is all self contained. Just add water lines, hook up the wiring and run the vents. Drilling the water outlet hole thru hull would be the scariest thing, but it's above the waterline, no haulout needed and I'm sure there's plenty of info on the Web about doing it right.

Rob

CCHer · Jun 28, 2012

Alethea, I have a factory installed AC under the forward berth in my 310. It is pretty quiet-certainly not bothersome. The most we hear is the blowing cold air from the vent.

JTPearson · Jul 1, 2012

Darn! I was at the boat yesterday, I could have taken a picture for you!
It is 16,000 btu. The compressor is in the stern Lazarette. The footprint is approx. 18x12.
I will be back down on Tuesday if you want pictures.

Jim

rbmcintire · Jul 1, 2012

Alethea,

Correct, the return vent is at the vee, and we consider the unit's noise level to be moderate, sort of like a hotel room console unit. You know, it just is, what it is and everybody just sleeps through it. A remote compressor in the lazzarette would be the quietest, though I don't know how the duct would be run.

Our vee berth area is not really cooled very well with the current setup, so I purchased a tee fitting and another outlet vent. I think the easiest remedy is to tee off the duct in the hanging locker, but I want to look further to see if there's some way to put the vee vent in the port side duct run.

Rob

bria46 · Jul 6, 2012

I have a 9000 btu air conditioner/heater mounted on a shelf behind the head on the starboard side of my O'Day 272. It does a great job keeping the cabin cool and reducing the humidity level in an uninsulated boat. However, it is 103 degrees today in Chicago! So... I don't think any air conditioning system can keep up with this extreme heat. My unit is manufactured by Flagship Marine in Stewart, FL. I self-installed my unit. It took me two seasons. My very pleased with my unit and the customer service at the factory.

Bob4203 · Jul 7, 2012

Their is a great alternative, but it would increase costs versus location of an AC unit. On our 1988 Marlk II we have the "U" shaped dinnette area. That fiberglass extended seat that completes the "U" was a factory add on, but would not be expensive. This piece secures into the long bench seat and is fasten to the floor. The amount of room within this section is large and sufficient to install a 16K btu unit. The return could be placed at the end facing toward the cloths locker. Two air feed lines can be installed. One around the holding tank on the starboard side and vented up on the book shelf over the bench seat and the other line to the V-berth via the starboard locker at the dinette and over the medicine storage chest in the head. The only other expense is fabricating a table and installing a pedestal to complete the dinette area. I always thought this was the best location for an AC compressor and return vent installtion.

Regardless I envy anyone with a central AC system on a Catalina 30. Our portable 9K unit that vents out into the cockpit just does not fit the bill that well on hot days.

Just my 2-cents

Bob _/)

longterm · Jul 7, 2012

Alethea9 said:
My husband and I recently purchased a Catalina 30 mkII and discovered there is less storage space than we had in the older (1976) Catalina 30. When we asked at a professional boat repair place if they could install a marine air conditioner, their answer was there isn't really a good place to put it. There's a water heater below the quarter berth along with the gas tank, and we have the L-shaped dinette, so no bench seat at the aft end of that space. We sleep in the V-berth so don't want it installed near that area due to the noise, and don't want to sacrifice one of the water tanks, etc.

Any ideas for where to install the a/c would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Alethea

I have a 1990 C30 Tall with A/C; it's located in the crook of the V-berth, just forward of the bathroom. Vents are on both sides of the cabin, with a third in the galley. The prev. owner installed it, did an excellent job; it's a Mermaid.

Bob

jimmcgee · Jul 8, 2012

On ours I located the AC in the port compartment under the v-berth. The air inlet is right there at the unit, the outlet is run back to the galley and exits the rear bulkhead just above the fridge.

I tried tee-ing off the head sink outlet with a y-valve and wasn't happy with the flow and the fact that I had to shut off the sink when I used the AC. This winter I installed a dedicated seacock for the AC and noticed a big difference in the flow rate.

This winter I also moved the pump & strainer into the open space under the v-berth cutout and mounted them onto a piece of mahogany on the bulkhead. This will get enclosed into a cabinet that will hide the components but still give me easy access to them. The cabinet will double as a tool cabinet so it will help with storage as well.

The next upgrade is to re-purpose that y-valve and add a second y-valve into the circuit on each side of the pump/strainer that will allow me to flush the system with dockside water if I get a blockage.

I opened up the upper half of the forward bulkhead under the v-berth when I installed the AC as the unit blocks access to the forward through hulls. The valves and fittings will get mounted in that space behind a mahogany door.

These installs are tough. There's not a lot of space and you really have to think things through in three dimensions. You can't avoid some trial and error.

Jim

1988 Catalina 30 mkII air conditioner installation

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