aft double berths ... hot?

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Tom Monroe

My wife and I have been shopping for a larger boat to replace our VERY OLD O'Day 22, one that will let us do more than spend a cramped night, and do a good bit of long weekend and weeklong sailing through the Kentucky Lake chain and above. Many of the newer 27-30 footers have these double berths under the cockpit, and I can't figure out how they can be anything but VERY hot. Accept for the Beneteaus that I can't afford, I don't find any hatches or opening ports, etc., so you have this closed box to sleep in on a hot midwestern night. At least on the older models, the quarter berths or double quarter berths are completely open to the salon, with a fan to cool. Opinions and comments on this? Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
 
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Dean Strong

Add a port light

Our 1990 Hunter 30 has an aft double berth, and it is the reason we bought the boat. There is a port on the side of the cockpit, and I've thought about adding another one on the opposite side of the cockpit for even more ventilation. Summer temperatures on Puget Sound are mid to upper eighties, occasional low ninties. We've never been too hot at night, except when we're generating our heat.
 
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Steve W.

Forget Hot, There Noisey!!!

The "canoe" shaped hulls that most new boats have nowadays, are very noisey due to the flat bottom. Good Luck. Steve
 
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Jeff Bacon

Not my experience...

Tom: My 376 has ports on both sides of the hull that open into the aft cabin. Although we dont have Air Conditioning, we Always have a cross breeze, and, on real hot nights, a fan in one of the ports enhanses the breeze. Even with a hot engine, I cant recall being grossly uncomfortable during the summer. Maybe it has to do with drawing cooler air from close to the water into the ports ?? Jeff
 
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Peter Brennan

A center cockpit

eliminates the problem. You have a separate cabin aft that is open and breezy and as cool as you want. Plus standing headroom. It was so even on our Dawson 26 and is certainly so on our O'Day 37. We are very, very comfortable in all weathers.
 
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Bill Doyle

Check a C-320

I know its slightly bigger than you suggested but we love our C-320. The aft berth is large and comfortable. There is a good size hatch and 2 opening ports and a A/C plug for the occassional use of the fan. Give the 320. Wish you good uck in your search. Bill
 
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Stan Rogacevicz

c28

Tom, Our previous 96 c28mkII had opening ports over the Very Large aft berth. You can also add 12v fans as I did on my c320 which has 3 opening ports over a Queen Sized aft berth. Stan "Christy Leigh" c320 #656
 
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Ned Strain

Vent Fan?

Has anyone given any thought to adding a 12v vent fan to keep the air moving? For the aft cabin on my h336, there's an opening port into the cockpit on the port side as well as opening port farther forward on the hull. I've been thinking of adding an exhaust fan on the rear starboard side that would vent into the battery compartment (starboard cockpit locker). Has anyone done this or something similar? Ned and Tani Strain s/v Family Therapy 1995 h336 Chicago
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
Would not open the battery compartment.

Ned: I would not open the battery compartment to the sleep area. If your boat has flooded/wet cell batteries they can give off gas which may be harmful to your lungs. You are much better off just adding a couple of the Hella Turbo fans and let it circulate the air in that compartment. You could also rig a Computer Fan (12v) that would exhaust the cabin air to the exterior. If you turn it around it will bring in outside air (which MAY be cooler). When you look for these computer fans check out the voltage draw. This is ususally an indication of how much air they are going to move. Higher draw = more air movement (usually).
 
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