Best Choice in AC
Lou and Ann.Forget the carry-on, it takes up space on deck, limits you ro 7-8k btu's, must be placed in the forward hatch, needs a canvas cover to seal it and condensation runs all over the place. We decided a few summers ago to look into what was a "cost effective" method for cooling our main cabin during the hot Atlanta summers. A permanently installed unit was well over 2k and we were not ready for that much to invest so we did our research. We came across a free standing unit made by Heier that fits into our cabin (36" high and about 20" in width and 18" in depth)(rolls around on wheels) with a 10 foot, 5-inch diameter flex hose that attaches to the exhaust port behind the unit. The hose that vents the heat AND evaporates the CONDENSATION in our case is passed thru an opening port above the quarter berth on our Catalina 30. We used a piece of shaped cardboard to seal it off in the port. Its a 9,000 btu unit that does just fine; however, we have seen 11,000 btu units the same size on the market. Believe it or not we bought ours at Target and have seen these type of AC units all over the place. At the end of the summer its packed up and placed in the garage. By the way they run about $300-$400. Not bad!! In the Atlanta summer heat in the day nothing short of multiple 16,000 btu units blasting full steam would chill out a 30 foot cabin; however, we find that our portable unit is enough to make the evenings comfortable and the stay more enjoyable at dock. Look for the highest btu unit of this type you can find. Good luckBobCatalina 30Breezin IILake Lanier, GA