Air Condittioning for a W32

  • July 17, 2011 6:40 AM
    Message # 656938
    Deleted user
    Sea Gypsy (Hull #743) is berthed in Northwest Florida. After suffering through one very hot summer with no air, the wife & I decided we must find a way to cool the cabin. We looked into permanent, water cooled systems and were appalled at the cost and the fact that we would need to have the boat hauled to drill yet two more holes in her bottom. We were in Lowe's one afternoon and found ourselves looking at window unit air conditioners. I've seen these used on sailboats with varying degrees of success and some really horrible installations. The price, under $100 for a 5000 BTU unit was far more attractive than the permanent version. So maybe there was a way to do it without trashing the boat. We decided against using the forward hatch because of the difficulty in directing both the supply air and return air correctly into the cabin. Also installation over the forward hatch would make accessing the controls difficult. We finally decided the companionway was the right location. After a little engineering and some time in AutoCAD, here's what we constructed;


    After constructing with some spare mahogany plywood & trim and several coats of varnish, here's what the final product looked like installed;




    The chock on the top is a carrying handle. When we are ready to go sailing, I just unplug, lift it out the companionway. and off we go! The 5000 BTU is sufficient for keeping the main cabin nice & cool, but at night with two adults in the V-berth we have to use a small fan to help circulate the cool air forward. A larger A/C unit might cool better, but it also presents difficulty in fitting into the companionway. Not shown in this picture is the condensate drain hose I attached to the bottom of the unit and drain into one of the cockpit scuppers.
     
    Last modified: July 20, 2011 6:08 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • July 17, 2011 6:42 AM
    Reply # 656939 on 656938
    Deleted user
    Sorry, the pictures did not transmit with the message. I'm new to the forum & obviously haven't figured it out yet. If you would like to see the pictures and the plan we used to construct, email me directly & I would be happy to share!  kr4ol@bellsouth.net
  • July 19, 2011 10:17 AM
    Reply # 658681 on 656938
    With the heat wave headed our way (we're in New York) I sure wish I could do the same with an AC.   Won't work though for those of us who don't have shore power and who don't have a place to leave stuff on shore.

    As an alternative, we're heading full speed for Lake Champlain where we can go jump in the lake every time we feel too warm.   Water temperature there is 70F.  That helps to moderate the heat inside the boat.

  • July 19, 2011 7:34 PM
    Reply # 659113 on 658681
    Deleted user
    Dick Mills wrote:With the heat wave headed our way (we're in New York) I sure wish I could do the same with an AC.   Won't work though for those of us who don't have shore power and who don't have a place to leave stuff on shore.

    As an alternative, we're heading full speed for Lake Champlain where we can go jump in the lake every time we feel too warm.   Water temperature there is 70F.  That helps to moderate the heat inside the boat.


    Dick,

    Nice! The water temp @ northwest Florida is currently 87 degrees. Heat index tomorrow at 110 degrees. Punishing to say the least. There are times when I wish I could live aboard. Tomorrow is not one of them. :-)