Under the heading of “For What It Is Worth”, there is a Sabre 38 in my club that uses an innovative solution to having AC that is also a darn sight less expensive than a typical marine AC unit. They have a 16000 BTU Coleman AC unit that is intended for installation on the roof of a camper/travel trailer. I’ve helped them install or remove the unit from the boat a couple of times (they take it off in the winter).
The unit is enclosed in a fiberglass housing that is about the same size as a life raft case and has a tapered forward end. I’m sure you have seen them. They remove the lens of the hatch over their salon and install the air conditioner with the controls and the air ductwork protruding down into the salon. The AC unit itself fits nicely under the boom and aft of the vang, and looks like a life raft case so it doesn’t seem out of place. They have made a mounting frame out of strips of wood that is the height of the hatch frame hinges so the AC unit sits on a flat surface and is clamped to the deck by through bolts in the duct/control part of the unit. Since the AC unit is designed for 24/7/365 exposure to the elements, they seem pretty durable. The one on the Sabre is at least 7 years old. And since it is out of the way on the “roof” you don’t lose any storage space. Chuck, this might be an option for you if you are limited on space/storage – which is the situation on my 38. One of the best parts is what one of these Coleman units cost. When I looked into a unit for my 38, I found I could buy one at my local RV place for a bit over $700 complete. I’m sure I could shop around and find a better price. The only drawback I could see to the installation on the Sabre is an aesthetic one. They have it set up to be plugged in to an AC outlet inside the cabin (since they remove it, they have not wired in permanently to a breaker panel). So when it is plugged in the power cord (only 15 amp plug needed) runs from the roof to the outlet inside the salon. I’m sure that a better looking alternative could be found. I used to have a Cruisaire 7500 watt rooftop AC unit for my 38, which was OK at night but not enough for daytime in the summer. It installed nicely through the cabin top hatch, behind the vang and under the boom. But it needed to be moved below when under weigh, and was sort of a bitch to schlep around. I only took it along when I was going on a trip with the Admiral. I lost the unit in a garage fire last fall, and if I do replace it I will probably look hard at a Coleman roof top AC unit. Rick Brass Washington, NC From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Chuck S Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 10:19 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List Sizing AC unit Hi Richard, This may be more than you want to know? I'm installing a 120V 16000BTU reverse cycle AC unit that measures 20 x 14 x 14 without ductwork. I made up a cardboard mockup to those dimensions and will see where that fits best in my boat, before I cut anything. Been thinking about this for a while and the best spot for my boat looks like a hanging locker just forward of the mast where I can easily run duckwork in two directions. It's the only place where I can hang foulies, or store coats, so I'm looking at other options. My boat has pilot berths that would be good candidates, but the locker hides the system better. Under the vee berth is a candidate but would make duck runs longer and the return air lower. I'd rather keep the return off the floor and pull the hotter air from the ceiling. My unit requires three supply grilles, so a 4" round one will go to the Vee berth, a 6" x 6" square grille will serve the main cabin, and a 4" round will be ducted to the aft sleeping area. I may add a 4th 4" round grille which is recommended to improve performance. I can send you some pics separately, if interested? Chuck Resolute 1990 C&C 34R Atlantic City, NJ
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