Drop-in/Portable A/C

[Chubminnow]

I have a 97 240DA and it doesn't have A/C...We like to sleep on the boat at the dock. Has anyone here had any experience with the Portable/Drop-in style A/C units that I've seen around? I was sort of thinking of getting one and leaving it in the hatch all the time.

Any input is appreciated...thanks!

 

[kg4vgh]

Hi Tim.....not a drop in....but cheaper....upright AC unit....on wheels and has a discharge hose to expell the heat from the boat....got mine to supplement the boats main AC....Sams club has them starting around 330.00....it is portable...so you can move it pretty much anywhere

 

[mwph]

I don't know much about the portables mentioned above. However, this is from a thread posted a week or so ago...

I'm going to chime in here in defense of the hatch unit. Keeping in mind the small size of my, (and the OP's boat).

For the most part, the unit is stored on the floor in the cabin. It takes the Admiral and me about 3 minutes to get it through the hatch, on deck & running.

The unit cools the cabin on a boat my size just fine. In fact, If it were just me I'd set it on low fan speed @ about 3/4 temp. The wife on the other hand feels the need to prevent any insect infiltration by means of continual temperature reduction.

True, the unit will not heat. However, You'll have none of the potential leaks associated with thru hulls, pumps, plumbing, overflowing sumps & the like.

As mentioned earlier, recouping the cost of a full blown air/heat unit may be an issue. Sure some, including myself would pay for it if it were installed, but you you may have to wait longer for the right buyer.

Depending where you would mount the unit and its components, just remember it takes up space that as all small boat owners know is at a premium. On my 250 with the 7.4, there is no room down there for anything else. So the wife would loose "her cabinet" under the galley sink or under one side of the V.

My next boat will have built in heat/air, no doubt about it. But, again, for a 25' boat, when the costs and space are considered. I think the hatch unit is more practical than installing a full heat/air system.

 

[Chubminnow]

Thanks for your all's input....Now....on to another question about A/C. Has anyone here ever had any experience with having a "real" AC system installed in a boat that didn't come with factory AC? I know I'll have to have a hole drilled in the bottom of my boat...I don't know, drilling a hole in the bottom of a boat just doesn't sound....I don't know, I mean I know it would have to be done, but...dag gone!

 

[kg4vgh]

chubminnow....drilling the hole wouldn't be the hard part....even though it just doesn't sound right..little more involved than that though...hard part would be running the hoses to distribute the air flow.....labor intensive...but can be done....factory does it in a bare boat....you wouldn't have that luxury....would however be a good winter project.....I would also suggest adding another electrical circut to handle the AC.....with out a dedicated line for AC, you couldn't use much else in the cabin....with the AC running....you are limited to roughly 30 amps.....

 

[Chubminnow]

I appreciate your responses...I agree with you, there's more work to installing A/C than meets the eye. If we do go this route I'm not going to do the work myself...I've already been in contact with a place that would do that sort of thing. From the sound of things it sounds like people have in fact installed A/C on their boats, drilling a hole, etc....with not a lot of problems "after" the fact, I guess that was what I was wanting to know, how pleased have people been with their added A/C.

Thanks again!