Marine Air Conditioning

[Captain Bri]

We have been living aboard doing projects and of course it is hot in the south!  We started looking at Marine A/C units and were wondering if anyone has A/C installed on their P323.  If so where is your unit located and how many BTU is recommended?

We have tested a 5K BTU window air conditioner and it did fine in cooling the main cabin, perhaps a marine unit of this size would be adequate.  We are considering a Webasto model that Defender has on sale, which also provides heating.  We are looking at a space in the head where the vanity sink used to be.

[Knosaj]

not sur eof the BTU, i can check when I am down there next time.

Our unit is located directly across from the head, in the small locker. th eonly vent comes out on the wooden wall, err, bulkhead, whatever, on the port side.

at this time, it only runs on shore power, but keeps things frosty when at dock on hot summer days.

i am thinking of rigging up some type of ginny so that we can also use it at anchor.

[Captain Bri]

Thanks for the feedback.  I take back my comment that the companionway A/C did fine -- it did not!. As the hot spell continued last summer we could not get the temp much below 80 at night.  We plan to move the boat to Florida but may find ourselves on a mooring so the project is on hold.

[lauderboy]

I'd also like to know how much BTU you have for your AC. Right now I'm using a carry-on AC that's 7k BTU and it really not enough.

Other question though. Is that AC running off your main 30 amp shore power or did you have to upgrade it as well?

[Rayallyn]

I have a 5K carry on unit that is set up through the main cabin hatch and it got in the high 90's last summer here in Marathon Florida. If you set up shade over the cabin and deck this helps tremendously. I have thought about a marine air conditioning system but with the space and air ducts that are needed I've decided against it; besides, I have a lot of other upgrades to do.

[Now or Never!]

Now or Never! has a window A/C unit that we mount in the companion way.  We have a system that allows us to slide the A/C unit away from the companion way for easy entry and exit.  It is an 8000 BTU unit and adequately cools the saloon and V-berth in a Georgia mid-summer.  I suppose we could mount it over the saloon hatch and make a hood for it that would direct the air into the cabin.  We only use the A/C when working on the boat during the summer.  We do not ever need A/C when in the Bahamas or the Caribbean.

[Dave]

We have the 12,000 btu Marine unit that was built with the boat. It feeds through the AC voltage panel and is powered by the 30 amp shore power cord. I can run the unit with a Honda EU 2000.

I just finished servicing the strainer and was the reason I came to look and see if this was covered already. It took me 2 hours to do a 30 minute job because I had no idea what to do.

The strainer is located next to the mast and the raw water feed is on the starboard side of the boat at the same area.

Taking apart the strainer was no problem. Four bolts release the glass bowl that surrounds the strainer. I had small barnacles growing in the strainer so it had not been cleaned in awhile. The strainer had some serious funky mud in it.

The thing that really soaked up my time was trying to figure out how to bleed out all the air. The strainer sits on it side. I finally figured after several failed attempts to get rid of all the air was that the glass strainer assembly tilts up and still remains in the cradle at the top.

Tilting the strainer allows you to use the drain plug on the bottom of the bowl as an air bleed when the bowl is turned upside down.

It took me an hour and half to figure that out after several failed attempts. I may not be the most mechanically inclined but I will make up for it in tenacity.

To clean the air filter located below the V berth, you have to unscrew the frame and then the metal mesh filter pulls out the side. Hosing that off and cleaning with soap and water made the output smell a lot better. While you have the frame off you can really use the side and top to get all the dust out of the unit.

Everything we bumble through brings us closer to know all the systems on the boat.

[Frayed Knot]

I have two on mine one is under the chart table seat and the vent comes out right at the corner of the starboard  seats.  And the smaller unit is in the V-berth on the port side.  The vents come out in the v-berth and in the main cabin on the port side.