Air Conditioning

gpd955 · Jul 18, 2012

My dock neighbor has his compressor installed under his v-berth with the control panel on the aft end of the berth facing the cabin. He likes the install and his boat has been very cool, even with the oppressive heat we've been having.

Will ask him if I can take some pics for you.

glenn and Ina hanson · Jul 18, 2012

air

I have an 83 cat. Last year I had a 16,000 Webasto unit installed in the closet ,starboard of the toilet. It works well, even in Texas gulf coast heat. GLENN

rbmcintire · Jul 18, 2012

There is another recent thread on A/C, lower down on this same page. It's been pretty dang HOT, no?

RubydCapt · Jul 19, 2012

Hey, I'm thinking of putting an A/C on my 1980 Cat 30 and I am interested in what your Buddy did. Could you send me the article too? Thanks

RubydCapt · Jul 19, 2012

Re: air

I'm a Texas native and I'm very interested in your A/C install. Can you provide any detail? Thank You.

Rag Bagger · Jul 19, 2012

I own a 1984 Catalina 30. It came with an older 16,000btu MairineAir unit installed under the V-Berth. It's a little noisy but so worth it in the extreme summer heat. No problem sleeping and I would not go any lower than 16,000. If you insulate the hull, it will save on your unit and drop the temp a few degrees because it keeps the air under the v-berth, where the ac is instilled, a little cooler from the warm waters.

Bob4203 · Jul 19, 2012

If you 1988 has the "U" shaped galley then on that interior design the best place for the unit is inside the factory add on unit (seat/storage) the completes the "U". In this location you have plenty of room for a 16K btu unit where the return can be facing the starboard or toward the clothes locker. You can run your cooling line up and around the holding tank to port and have the air vent set up on the shelf with a t-line running up and over the medicine chest in the head to the v-berth. That is what I will do on my 1988 Mark II since I have the "U" dinette configuration. I have heard of AC units being installed behind the ladder in the galley, under the v-berth and/or clothing locker. I was advised by many that for the few extra dollars and not giving up on size, go with the 16K unit.

Bob

BaltoPete · Jul 20, 2012

I also have an '83 that I'm starting at debating on cooling options. Anyone know what kind of price range I'd be looking at with install of an A/C unit?

shipwreck66 · Jul 20, 2012

$1500 up

glenn and Ina hanson · Jul 20, 2012

Got two quotes last year for my 16000 webasto installed ( 4000 and 6000) took the 4000 and it cools nicely.

jrowan · Jul 21, 2012

If U are on a budget & can't afford the several thousand dollars of permanently installed a/c units in your C 30, then here is an alternative: I bought a free standing 11k btu unit for under $300 bucks & placed it to the side of the companionway steps. It works well, costs little, & the exhaust vent hose can easily run out between the companionway slats.
It is slightly bulky but does a good job of cooling at a budget price. Plus its easy to remove at the end of the season, or if you want to race & remove excess weight, etc.
the added benefit is we can take it home & use it elsewhere when the doldrums show up in August & there's no wind on the Cheasapeake. At first we tried to install a cheap window unit along the companionway opening. This failed miserably because of the crazy wide openings of this area, and the coachroof is also slanted towards the opening making stable mounting almost impossible. The stand alone / upright A.C. unit is really easy to vent & the moisture also blows out of the unit exhaust hose via evaporation.

jrowan · Jul 21, 2012

If U are on a budget & can't afford the several thousand dollars of permanently installed a/c units in your C 30, then here is an alternative: I bought a free standing 11k btu unit for under $300 bucks & placed it to the side of the companionway steps. It works well, costs little, & the exhaust vent hose can easily run out between the companionway slats.
It is slightly bulky but does a good job of cooling at a budget price. Plus its easy to remove at the end of the season, or if you want to race & remove excess weight, etc.
the added benefit is we can take it home & use it elsewhere when the doldrums show up in August & there's no wind on the Cheasapeake. At first we tried to install a cheap window unit along the companionway opening. This failed miserably because of the crazy wide openings of this area, and the coachroof is also slanted towards the opening making stable mounting almost impossible. The stand alone / upright A.C. unit is really easy to vent & the moisture also blows out of the unit exhaust hose via evaporation. Cheers.

shipwreck66 · Jul 22, 2012

I installed a 5000btu into the back galley wall, vents into the port storage locker, which, yes, you have to open to use. This does work but honestly with 100+ deg days I'm looking at getting a portable AC as posted above. Portables are less efficient, but, I need to do some midsummer maintenance and can't do it at 110deg, so I'm gonna wuss out.

jrowan · Jul 26, 2012

Shipwreck, I wanted to install a small unit like yours in that very same location. I've seen a pic of one installed in a Mark II C 30. But there's just not enough room on a mark I at the rear of the galley wall, unless the unit was made for a doll's house!
I also kinda wondered how well a 5,000 BTU small unit would cool the boat. I'm sure its fine in the main saloon, but even my bigger unit needs a fan to assist blowing cool air up into the Vee birth. Also we still have to seal ourselves in with all the hatch boards shut, so once its running, its in for the night. Although I can still step over the exhaust hose where I clip it to the bottom of the companionway. Cheers.

Bob4203 · Jul 26, 2012

We tried the same stand up unit (Heier 9K btu) but ran into issues. The 1988 Mark II comes with a cockpit opening port that is above the quarter berth. We stood our unit up on the quarter berth (cushions removed of course) and vented out the exhaust through this port. Big issue at the start. The amount of heat coming off the vent hose is brutal! It was literally heating up the quarter berth and nulling out the cooling affect of the AC unit. Solution!? If you opt for cooling your boat with one of these stand up units, wherever you vent the exhaust line it pays to buy some inexpensive 4-inch wide foam wrap (blue) at Home Depot or Lowe's; wrap the extended hose with the wrap and seal all around with that aluminum vent tape. It made a major change in cabin temperature.

In Atlanta its extremely hot in the summers and although our stand up unit makes sleeping on the boat at night comfortable it could not do much for us as the sun got higher in the morning. We could not stay inside the cabin. Maybe the higher 11K btu might be better, but we concluded that the best way to get our boat cooled in the day and night was a central 16K btu unit that has been discussed here. Its a big cost compared to the stand up, window units or hatch models, but a central unit is the way to go if you can afford it. Its on our list but in the interim, if you do not plan on hanging out inside in the heat of the day and just want a comfortable night aboard at the dock, these other less expensive options might make more sense.

jrowan · Jul 27, 2012

We vent our stand up a/c unit directly through the bottom of the companionway slats,
so there's not much length of hose exposed. But I agree that hose does radiate some heat. I like the placement of our unit next to the companionway steps where it can blow air straight down the hallway. Although a stand up unit is rather bulky & has its limitations, its still a good deal for less then $300 bucks to cool the cabin. I also like that I can remove it pretty easily to reduce weight during spring & fall when its not needed.

JonnyQuest · Jul 27, 2012

I bought an upright unit from Lowes and stand it up on the settee right next to the passage to the forward head. I vent the included hose up to the coach roof hatch just aft of the mast. It does get hot but since it is almost right in the middle of the cabin I only put it up when needed.

I'm going to see if I can stand it upright in a quarter berth as suggested and vent out the washboards too. If I can step it down to a flatter rectangular vent it might not take up too much space. Quite a concern on a smaller boat.

I didn't look too much at dimensions. Mine is tall and narrow to fit on the settee but perhaps a shorter and fatter unit would fit better in a creative corner etc.

shipwreck66 · Jul 27, 2012

The 5000 in the companionway worked great, but as you said, you have to seal yourself in. It actually got so cold July 4th I had to dial the air "back". But with the modified unit the air doesn't blow very fast, and I'm looking at adding a blower fan into the line. I tried the Haier unit last year and it generated so much heat in the exhaust hose that I soon ejected the unit from the boat. Had a similar issue with my icemaker, it throws heat exhaust out one side, works on an inverter but the heat is just counterproductive.

Bob4203 · Jul 28, 2012

If your using the exhaust hose, I believe it pays to insulate the hose with a foam or insulation that will keep the heat down. Anything to keep the cabin cooler.

Nice to know someone else had issues with the heat coming off the Heier unit.

Bob