Anyone put cockpit air in a 340?

mnm99

mnm99

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2015
2,447
Long Island
Boat Info
2004 340 SeaRay Sundancer
Engines
Twin 8.1 Merc
A friend of a friend had a 36 Cruiser and he put cockpit air in. It was nice.. Just wondering if anyone ever did it to there 340.
 
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This does not work well on a boat without a hardtop. With a hardtop, you need 32,000 BTUs to make it work. Requires a decent amount of space for the unit, electrical support and glass work. Not a small project
 
sbw1 said:
View attachment 75164 This does not work well on a boat without a hardtop. With a hardtop, you need 32,000 BTUs to make it work. Requires a decent amount of space for the unit, electrical support and glass work. Not a small project
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Yep. Maybe if you switch to white canvas, but otherwise it's a losing battle. My neighbor put a 16K unit in his 410DA with navy canvas. It couldn't keep up at all, so he converted the fastback to a drop curtain that cut the cockpit in half. After that, on 90º humid day, the (half) cockpit would be dry and 88º.
 
I have an extra standalone unit on my fly bridge. Doubled the BTU.

The unit fit underneath a seat cushion in the seating area.

But my flybridge is sealed up most of the time.

As I remember the 340 I had, I am thinking the seat cushion closest to the door from the swim platform might work if it is tall enough for the unit. To me that would be the logical location.

Now the considerations.

You will get cool air blowing, so when you are in front of the vent - will feel nice.

Don't think it would appreciably lower the ambient temp of the cockpit area unless it is sealed up with canvas. I don't think it would offset the heat generated by having the cockpit sealed up on a warm day.

Loss of storage. Not only the space the unit takes up, but the surrounding area under the seat would need to be kept clear or the compressor would over heat.

As mentioned above, plumbing for water flow. I have a separate through hull and pump for helm AC. You will be cutting into the fiberglass for vents. I am guessing 5K+ for everything.

If it was me, I don't think I would go down that path.
 
Most important to say if the goal is at rest in a slip, or underway.
My friends with a 46 DA that has cockpit air, added a portable unit to get a livable cockpit with the white canvas enclosure fully shut, blocking all view in Florida. Maybe 20K invested. The easiest way to cool down the captain on a hot day in a non enclosed bridge is extra ice in the toddy. (mic drop)
 
Depends on what you goal is. PO put a 16k unit in the cockpit of my 410. It will keep the humidity down and cools it fairly nicely when I’m at the dock (covered dock and I have black canvas) and working on projects. I do not use it while out for cooling.

However, I do use the heater when the weather gets cold, and it keeps the cockpit at a comfortable temp while watching TV, or a late season cruise.

There might be better ways of adding a little heat for a lot less money.
 
dtfeld said:
Depends on what you goal is. PO put a 16k unit in the cockpit of my 410. It will keep the humidity down and cools it fairly nicely when I’m at the dock (covered dock and I have black canvas) and working on projects. I do not use it while out for cooling.

However, I do use the heater when the weather gets cold, and it keeps the cockpit at a comfortable temp while watching TV, or a late season cruise.

There might be better ways of adding a little heat for a lot less money.
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Must be nice! Where did he put it?
 
JVM225 said:
Must be nice! Where did he put it?
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Port side front cockpit locker righ next to the cabin door. Not sure I would have put it there but works ok.

Dave
 
I have a 34 express cruiser. Not a Sea Ray but similar.
I installed a new CruiseAire 16k cool/17k heat. Unit to replace the old one. It’s under cabin seats. It was a big job as the access opening wasn’t meant for removing. I had to cut the whole top off the seat frame. It was glued,screwed and nailed. Three metal cutting blades and two wood cutting. I made a new removable top with an access hole. It’s not really needed as there is nothing to Service. No fuses. This one has built in Gages so you can monitor the pressures. I photographed starting pressures for the record. Electrically it was a bolt in. I only had to make one new hose from the new water pump.

It was only 40 deg this morning but cabin temp was 72 right where I set it. Cooling is equally effective. The river water temp is 55 deg. The unit will work down to 40 deg water temp which will be Dec.

I have full canvas but I don’t cool back there. I’m not a sun person so I like the shade with a fan. I just open one front window and the entry plastic panel for through ventilation.

We have bugs in the summer so you need to be closed in.

I’m in the middle of installing a diesel fueled heater for the cabin. It’s a 21k btu so it should be ok for -25 deg winter.
 
I have cockpit air in my 400. I primarily use it to take the edge off when it is humid or when I'm working at the dock. For those purposes it really works well. If it is really hot out I am more likely to open everything up, but on muggy nights or dead air days it's really nice.

It is also a nice heating option on these cool fall days un the midwest.

The unit is located under the starboard side of the helm bench seat, with three vents in the starboard radar arch, one blowing toward the captains seat, two blowing into the cockpit seating U.

The 340 cockpit area is a bit smaller than my 400. If you have the appetite and have realistic expectations about performance, it is worth looking into.
 
The PO of my 370 EC had one installed by some folks here in New Bern that work for Hatteras Yachts. Nice job. In our hot summers, it really is of little use unless in a covered slip (mine was). If away from my dock, it was useful at night, with the full enclosure zipped up. I probably got the most use in cool/cold weather using the heat in my covered slip. But canvas/sunlight/greenhouse effect is going to beat the AC every time. Mine was installed under the helm bench seat and took up almost all that precious storage space.
 
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I wonder why people go to the trouble of attempting this with undersized units. The BTU number for a 35 foot boat helm is 32,000 BTU. That cooling output will maintain 68-70 degrees at the helm in the heat of the day in Leland Harbor where it is over 90 degrees and humid on a typical, muggy summer day. This project is a lot of work, and to do it with a unit that is woefully undersized seems senseless.
 
yobub said:
I have cockpit air in my 400. I primarily use it to take the edge off when it is humid or when I'm working at the dock. For those purposes it really works well. If it is really hot out I am more likely to open everything up, but on muggy nights or dead air days it's really nice.

It is also a nice heating option on these cool fall days un the midwest.

The unit is located under the starboard side of the helm bench seat, with three vents in the starboard radar arch, one blowing toward the captains seat, two blowing into the cockpit seating U.

The 340 cockpit area is a bit smaller than my 400. If you have the appetite and have realistic expectations about performance, it is worth looking into.
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I would love to see a few pictures of your setup. How many btu’s? Did you use the arch itself as the duct with holes cut in and screens installed or did you fish a duct hose up in there? Been a project in the back of my mind for a while. Thank you!
 
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Riptide III said:
I would love to see a few pictures of your setup. How many btu’s? Did you use the arch itself as the duct with holes cut in and screens installed or did you fish a duct hose up in there? Been a project in the back of my mind for a while. Thank you!
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The PO installed it, but there is ductwork running to the vents. I said they were in arch but actually in the gunwale. The vents turn and can be closed off. The ductwork just runs under the small ice bucket behind the helm seat. There is an access panel behind the helm and then just run into the gunwale.

It does a really good job of making it more comfortable, especially when it is humid. Sometimes I will run it with the canvas open, just to get a cooling breeze. I think it also depends on where you boat. Running 65 degree Lake Michigan water probably cools better than 85 degree Keys water.

I don't know the BTUs and there doesn't seem to be a label.

The unit takes up the starboard side of the helm bench on my 400, but the port side is open (my amps are in there.)
 
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