Worlds cheapest air conditioning

njlarry

njlarry

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Sep 23, 2009
1,475
O'Day 34-At Last Rock Hall, Md
Reading recent comments about air conditioning has got me thinking :yikes:. Since there may only be a few days when we would use ac, really hot and plugged in to shore power, I don't think it would be worth giving up our locker to house it.
So I've come up with a plan for the worlds cheapest, easiest boat ac unit. Why not just get a small window unit, build a box of foam around it that is open on the front on the unit, then slide the unit in the box, lay it on the v berth, plug in and enjoy? Insulated flexible duct hose could feed into the top for air intake and another to the back for exhaust. These would be placed to exit through the hatch. Easy,sqeezy, cheapy,lazy.
Sorry I don't have any drawings, but I don't want anyone beating me to the patent office.
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,047
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Or just put it into the companionway .. I did that for a couple of summers.. works fine. used a little 5000btu window unit.. couldn't do much during the day, but at night it would do a fine job of cooling and drying the cabin, ..
 
njlarry

njlarry

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Sep 23, 2009
1,475
O'Day 34-At Last Rock Hall, Md
The unit in the campanion way works too but this way the unit can stay in the v berth without being moved, you don't have to climb over it and no modification of the campanion way is needed.
 
Whatfiero1

Whatfiero1

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Mar 29, 2017
576
Hunter 30t 9805 littlecreek
I just put it in hatch pull hatch cover over to edge and put beach towel over hole thing works fine. I put a canvas raft over when rain
 
JRT

JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,054
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
This is what the previous owner did in our O'Day 25, works pretty good. Drains to a bucket to dump overboard each morning. I might try a less make shift drain system and seal up the install a bit better too.
 

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Chief RA

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Nov 26, 2012
2,315
Catalina 250 Bodega Bay CA
whatfiero1 has the approach I use with my Catalina 250. I have a REMOTE controlled 6k btu unit and it will cool on the hottest of days (100 plus) here in Northern California. Hatch mount is the way to go! Chief
 
jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,743
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Pictures Chief...
 
Mike Kegley

Mike Kegley

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Dec 7, 2016
66
Beneteau Oceanis 45 Annapolis
Looks like you're in MD. I'm in Annapolis and my neighbor mentioned to me he is selling the CruiseAir hatch unit that came with his boat for cheap. I already have one but if you're interested I'll find out how much?
 
CloudDiver

CloudDiver

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Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Guys.... swamp coolers (evaporative cooling) DOES NOT work on boats in most conditions. Not only do they create more air moisture, they also do not function effectively in humidity. Only in the rarest conditions will you be on the water and have such dry heat that they will function properly and the humidity within the cabin is allowable. Ask anyone that lives in Arizona, most people have both types of AC systems; the evaporative 'swamp' coolers are very energy efficient and work well during months of very hot, but very dry temps, while during monsoon season with excessive humidity you have to run a standard AC system (with much more power draw) but they also dry the air.
For a sail boat tat will only be running the system dockside on shore power I think the best option is a small portable unit. The amount of square footage volume of a boat cabin is roughly equivalent to the small rooms those units are designed for. The flexible hose attachment for exhaust air is easier to install by creating a modified hatch cover or crib-board rather than dealing with a boxy and heavy window unit. Added bonus is that the AC unit creates dry air to combat humidity.
 
CloudDiver

CloudDiver

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Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
As a side note... doing some research I found an inventor that created a 12V AC system for police cars. The logic is that Police or Trooper cruisers have to run the engine to run AC while sitting idle for various purposes. The compact 12V system trunk mounts and has the umfph to turn over the compressor and run efficiently with the cruiser motor off. Looks like a great practical application for cruising boats. I'll try to find the link and post here.
 
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