Com-Pac Yacht Owners Association

So the forecast is calling for some more snow early next week, getting ready to go skiing, our boat won't even hit the water till April and i found myself thinking about how to stay cool on our little boat as the weather warms. Right now sailing season is spring and fall with only an occasional foray into light summer aires, thunderstorms and humidity (Julyish and Augustish). Won't worry about it if on the water in summer as that means the weather was decent, got fans and a bimini plus clearly no 115v current when sailing. The rub will be if we wish to say on the boat in the marina if hot and sticky. We do not live near our boat so it becomes our lodging many times when there. Got shore power. Really don't wanna have to move an ac every time we go below decks though the companionway probably is the best place for an inexpensive window ac and it can drain into cockpit. Seen some hatch mounted ones, seem pricey and hear are prone to leaks. The portable self contained ones are way too huge for our little boat and don't work so well for the price and are heavy.

What have others done? Really doesn't seem to be many options on such small boats. I don't wanna hear move it to New England for the summer though it is tempting!

Companionway is easiest. There is a 23 out there that mounted the ac at the back of the quarterberth. Cockpit lockers have to be open fir airflow but it would certainly be out of the way.

Shawn

Thanx Shawn. Yeah the companionway is the easiest for set up but the most difficult for access. Guess you could try to get the smallest possible and see if it could be stepped over.  Cant imagine an end of quarter berth install would supply much needed air to the v berth where we sleep. New England looking better!

Thanx, great hearing from you again.

I use a Krusin Kool on my 27.  They are no longer made but available used.  It is the size of a suitcase (in fact it is in a Samsonite suitcase).  It is 5000 btu but is water cooled.  It comes with a 10 ft double hose with a pump mounted on it, the condensate is also pumped overboard. I just stick it through a porthole. It is easy to google for an image.

BobK

Thankx BobK. I have looked at that option as well.The company is still in business but your are correct no longer made. where are you located? Would it work well in hot humid conditions? Seems to simply be a heat pump?

That gives me an idea.....maybe i could put one of the compact reverse cycle heat pumps that also function with using the water, in its own self contained case. They are pretty compact. Hook it up to discharge thru an unused above waterline thru hull and take up with either a thru hull or some other arrangement. That way it could be used someday on a boat where a permanent installation would be more appropriate. Literally am just now thinking about this. The KoolinKruise seems to be essentially just that.

Does it keep ur 27 at a temp that is comfortable?

Gotta love boat ownership....thinking about AC while i am watching snow melt with more on the way!

Fans, Fans, and more fans.  12V fans at anchor, 110 fans at the dock.

Not all 12V fans are equal.  Get a Camframo http://www.wholesalemarine.com/sirocco-marine-fan-7-3-speed-white.html?gclid=CKa-sKmy48oCFYEsHwodsPsB_Q  They push more air for less electricity than any other fan.

Another trick, fine open anchorages.  If the weather is semi-settled and you trust your ground tackle don't anchor in tight places.  Find open places and stay away from land.  You will get more breeze and less bugs.  also, get good bug screens!  Instead of staying at your dock, motor out and anchor in a more open water.  You will have more privacy and you will have cool temperatures. 

When sailing in the summer, it is always much cooler on the Bay than in a harbor.  Stay out to about 5pm and then go into the harbor.

I just can't imagine AC being a viable option on a smaller boat.  There is not enough room.

Quote from: No Mas on February 05, 2016, 09:28:59 PM
Thanx Shawn. Yeah the companionway is the easiest for set up but the most difficult for access. Guess you could try to get the smallest possible and see if it could be stepped over.  Cant imagine an end of quarter berth install would supply much needed air to the v berth where we sleep. New England looking better!

Companionway would probably be doable at night when you sleep. It would be annoying the rest of the time though. The other problem is simply where to store it the rest of the time.

I'd think the end of the quarter berth would end up working out OK. Interior volume is pretty small so it would likely cool the boat OK. You might night feel the breeze directly but it should cool the boat.

Avoid the air cooled free standing AC units. I tried one in my Sabre the first summer when I was fixing my diesel. It really didn't do very much. They exhaust their heat through a hot air vent. It seemed like blowing out all the heat resulted in a little bit lower pressure inside the boat which just brought it hot outside air back in.

If you don't have one get a Breeze Booster. If there is any breeze they make a huge difference in ventilating down below.

http://www.breezebooster.com/index.html

They work especially well at anchor.

Shawn

Hey Heave,

We are not the least bit interested in having AC when out and done enough bay cruising in the past during the summer to know pick a good anchorage for breeze. You only make that mistake once! Got a camfro fan plus another type and not worried about underway or even at dock except if one of those hot humid days with zero wind. Just looking to get a good nights sleep since we don't have lodging near the boat. It is our home there too. There is not enough room for any kind of a permanent ac on such boats and frankly wouldn't even if there was. That kind of ac is best reserved for more live aboard sized boats. We just want to have a cool nights sleep at dock since the boat is our home there. If it were just me then maybe, but my wife goes with me a bunch. Two folks really limit the ole spread out turn on fans, leave ports open, jus deal with it approach!

Probably will look at a small window unit in companionway as it is the real only location that could work. I would consider the conversion i thought about if it could be accomplished to fit and be easily removed to sell or to another boat someday. It's fun to ponder! They are pricey and would rather spend the money on a new dodger to help while underway and at dock for ventilation. Right now about $100 gets me a 5,000btu window unit 16wx15dx12h with a cantilevered front panel so it would fit on the bridge deck and then through the companionway. Will fabricate a cardboard mockup to see if it can be left in place and step over it into the boat.

Been married for 36 years cuz i know how to take care of my wife! As a result she is totally supportive of the boat thing. :) If ya wanna have the lady on board ya gotta make some accommodations! The fastest way to have your lady not want to go out on the boat is to have her having no fun! The bottom line is unless there is a doable way to AC our little boat we will simply not be on her in such instances that it would be needed. Just looking to have her function as a "cottage" for us when we are at dock and not going out. We have typically not sailed much in the summer but hoping to accommodate a little more of that! Much fun last Saturday1

Hey Shawn just saw your last post. We have a diesel so the quarter berths have access panels on either side of the engine compartment that we need to gain entrance to at times. Can't really install anything permanently in those areas.If i am understanding the end of companionway install then you would need to open up the cabin into the locker area for the ac and really don't want to do that for multiple reasons including losing even more storage. A small ac could be stowed there but not used there.

Gunna make friends with someone who has a cottage near our boat in exchange for trips out! Might be the best and most fun approach! Still thinking though.

"We have a diesel so the quarter berths have access panels on either side of the engine compartment that we need to gain entrance to at times. Can't really install anything permanently in those areas.If i am understanding the end of companionway install then you would need to open up the cabin into the locker area for the ac"

The install I saw basically put a window unit in the bulkhead at the aft end of the port quarterberth. It should be out of the way for access to the engine. Wish I kept the pictures of the install. It was on a 23 being sold by the Sailboat Company years ago. It was probably the best setup I have seen for a 23 as it is out of the way all the time and really wouldn't take away much storage as it is sort of dead space around the bulkhead. The biggest thing with that install is the pull out stove likely not being able to retract all the way. That was one of the advantages of moving the stove to the starboard side, it opened up that area for AC and/or additional storage.

Shawn

oops...meant end of quarter berth install for my above comments!

Hey Shawn,

I might check with the Sailboat folks for ideas and we no longer have any retractable stove or sink secondary to a previous mod accomplished by an earlier owner. We do however have our shore power, two electrical busses, charge controller and battery banks at the aft bulkhead on the starboard side and the fuel polishing filters and raw water wash down pumps and requisite thru hulls for engine and pumps just aft of the port side quarter berth. Also would be setting myself up for smelly condensate in the lockers and having the weather with access to them as well. Right now the bilge is bone dry and stays that way! I like the creativity of that approach however and if not so already filled with stuff might consider such and leave the condensate to drain thru the unused above waterline original sink drain and fabricate a watertight hatch that could be closed when AC not there.

thanx again.

Cruise and carry use to make an AC that went in the front hatch.  You would need to make a platform for it to sit on since it is a drop just past the hatch in the Compac 23. 

That would be the best place to keep it.  Put it in a dockbox or a vehicle when you leave the dock because you wouldn't want to take it with you.

http://ac2015.net/posts/crusair-air-conditioner/

You can probably find a used one on ebay.

If you worry about leaking create a front hatch tent.  I need to make one for my boat but I have had them on the last two boats.  It gives you shade so no direct sunlight passes through the hatch at anchor and I make them big enough to keep the hatch open, even in pouring rain.

We kept our boat one summer in the deep south, Brunswick, Ga. Had to have AC to make it live-able at the dock only. We had a summer to do repairs before we continued our cruise. We bought a 10K window unit and installed it in a front hatch. I made a foam duct using adhesive and duct tape to direct the discharge and return into the cabin. Worked really well. It was a rip off of the cruise and carry but a window unit costs a fraction and the duct was peanuts. Took it all off and stored ashore when we went out sailing.

The boat was too large for a Cruise and carry anyhow, but I would guess a 23 could use a 8K or maybe even a 5K window unit.

Good Luck

Tom L.

I use fans and one of those gel pads that are used for pets. This stuff takes the heat right out of you.

However, for long hot muggy nights, I would like AC. I think a cheapo small unit mounted in the lower hatch board would be pretty easy to work with. I think I could climb over it Certainly a lot less expensive than those other marine AC units.

Thanks Tom for the suggestion! The hatch is the most logical for enjoying the air especially when asleep. I agree the Cruise n Carrys are overpriced. Maybe if i find one in the $200 range. Still would have to set something up as Heave suggests to use the hatch in rain. I like the Breeze Booster that Shawn mentioned and maybe it can be modified to both funnel wind and block rain. Even in the $200 range i could buy 2 small 5000btu window AC's!

It is not in the cards expense wise anytime soon as other projects such as the dodger mentioned earlier, a portable refrigeration unit, a little solar, new chain and rode, and a few other misc. items are far more pressing than Ac unless a cheap solution. It is interesting to ponder the construction of the Kruisin Kool device using one of the new generation self contained reverse cycle units that take up so little space.

http://www.dometic.com/USA/MS-11346-Marine/PG-11359-Cruisair-Branded-Air-Conditioning/PG-11365-Self-Contained-Air-Conditioning/MD-143282-Stowaway-Turbo-Series-Boat-Air-Conditioning/SK-143963-Stowaway-Turbo-6000-BTUh-115V60Hz1-Ph

Just would not wish to even try to permanently install such on a 23. I would be willing to have it removable and use it like the Kruisin Kool. We already have an extra above waterline thru hull and slightly oversized a thru hull we needed to replace just cuz it didn't cost much to do so. The advantage would be the heating capacity as well and its ability to move to a larger craft, though not much larger. If we ever move up in size it will be to have the ability to stay on the boat for extended times as measured in weeks to months instead of days to weeks. Probably something in the 27 ft. range. That is however way down the road if ever!

So the advice so far is, use a regular window unit for cost, have fans to move air regardless (got those), rig up a hatch covering (good for many reasons), install ac on hatch. Keep the ac small enough to move easily and either store at end of quarter berth or on shore. Then the other option is New England which sounds good!

I would think long and hard about the refrigeration unit.  Consider the price of the unit and the necessary 12V power to run it.  Now put that towards a bag of ice every other day.  Which one is more affordable?  I had a friend of mine do that and figured out that it was VERY expensive for him to keep cold beer with the refrigerator. 

Get a good cooler and get ice when needed.  You will need to go in and get diesel and water anyway and it is available almost everywhere on our cruising grounds.  Trust me, you will do a fair bit of motoring in the Chesapeake Bay if you are trying to get places and with the motoring comes the need for fuel.  Ice is just a few extra bucks and you are already at the dock.

Hey Heave, I hear ya! It is a lower priority but the portable Engle units use very little juice and can actually freeze stuff if wished. We would get it for use also in our land yacht that we take to many music festivals. If block ice were more readily available getting ice would be a good bet. It is not going to happen this year! Coleman makes an Extreme series that are very reasonably priced and perform as well as the Yetti types that cost many times more. We think we are good on bear intrusions! Will definitely start there.

oh as far as motoring more, we need to anyway as the diesel has been little used (356 hours on a 1990 yanmar 10gm). and it needs some more use. It lived in fresh water for it's first 8 years and only was in salt water nonstop for the past four years. Still serviced every year since it was new. It also had a fuel polishing system installed so the fuel was free of water and organic solids. We should have 4 days of non-stop motoring if a full tank to start. More motoring means more charging for battery banks as well.

I sail in South Carolina - mid 90's with similar humidity.  The Krusin Kool keeps my 27 in the 70's where I keep the thermostat and removes the humidity.
BobK

Thanks BobK for the feedback. would seriously consider one if could find one. If you hear of one let me know! One of the reasons i am researching this now is winter is a good time to get good pricing on AC! The only concerns would be it not running enough to dehumidify. As you know a 27 is not just 3 feet longer, it is much bigger below decks. Ya wanna sell yours? :)

OBTW, what are the physical dimensions of those units? Still also have the space issue on a 23. Do they sit below the waterline or above?

"However, for long hot muggy nights, I would like AC. I think a cheapo small unit mounted in the lower hatch board would be pretty easy to work with. I think I could climb over it Certainly a lot less expensive than those other marine AC units."

Hey BruceW, missed this earlier. By lower hatch boards i assume you mean the companionway drop boards? That is clearly the easier install just concerned about the easy access after that. Still is an option however and can be accomplished with the least amount of extras. Thanx again for the feedback.

Don't forget the diesel additives to help keep your tank fresh.  I use to put a few different things into my tank to prevent biologics. 

I freeze my own blocks for the start of a trip.  You can pick up blocks pretty regularly around the Bay.  Solomons Island has them at Spring Cover Marina and a few other places.  You can also find block ice at Smith Point Marina.  There are a lot of us that are slaves to the iceman.

Another diesel trick.  When you change a fuel filter, like a Racor, fill the new filter with injector cleaner such as Diesel 911.  It gives it a kick in the butt to clean it out and keeps your from having to put a small amount of diesel in the filter.--Damn I miss my diesel.

NoMas, I think that we should develop a shark proof cooler for marine use.  We can patent it and make a fortune.  LOL   Then again, you have to watch out for Chessy and those darn Chesapeake Polar Bears so we may have to go with the high dollar Yetti. 

It's below the water line on my boat but will work either way.  I enjoy it too much to sell it.  I found mine on craigfind.com (searches all craigslists). I have seen them sell for $300 - $650.
BobK

"NoMas, I think that we should develop a shark proof cooler for marine use.  We can patent it and make a fortune.  LOL   Then again, you have to watch out for Chessy and those darn Chesapeake Polar Bears so we may have to go with the high dollar Yetti."

There actually was a Chesapeake polar bear gathering in Urbanna! Gotta think alcohol had to be involved.

Hey BobK. What key words did you use to search for it on craigfind?

Krusin Kool.  I looked earlier today and there wasn't one.  I had to look for about a month before I found one at the price I was willing to pay.  I think there is one at my sailing club for $400.  I could check if you are looking.
BobK

Many thanx BobK, would appreciate you looking into it. Also curious as to its dimensions. Need to find a place it could live aboard hopefully not on the cabin sole. Was hoping to get it not under foot. Hope ur weather has been good.It's been pretty cold up here!

Quote from: HeaveToo on February 06, 2016, 10:00:52 AM
Fans, Fans, and more fans.  12V fans at anchor, 110 fans at the dock.

Not all 12V fans are equal.  Get a Camframo http://www.wholesalemarine.com/sirocco-marine-fan-7-3-speed-white.html?gclid=CKa-sKmy48oCFYEsHwodsPsB_Q  They push more air for less electricity than any other fan.

Bit tardy to the party, but for the benefit of anyone else who, like me, happens to come stumbling along looking for tips on staying cool, I would heartily concur with HeaveToo: those Caframo Sirocco fans are really tip-top and super quiet (I mean, quiet).  I saw one in a big display of various fans at a well-known marine chandler not known for its bargains (As in, "Hey, are these prices in American Dollars? 30 bucks for a quart of regular paint thinner? Really!?"), but where one could compare various brands and types, and I was impressed enough with that Sirocco on display to take a photo of it for future reference.  Their 747 Ultimate (http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1%7C6880%7C2290148&id=46808) model (with a suction cup) also looks good, and was rated by Practical Sailor magazine as a "Best Buy."  Owing to its non-permanent flexible mounting, this is the one on my wish list (though I've other bigger fish to fry first, and so am contenting myself in the meantime with a semi-craptastic plastic Chinese $10 12V eBay gimcrack on a suction cup.  It's hardly softer-than-a-nun's-whisper-quiet like a Caframo, but good enough for now). You can see more Caframo goodies for pretty decent prices at Defender by clicking here (http://search.defender.com/?Action=13&PageSize=50&SH=QT1jYWZyYW1vfkI9Y2FmcmFtb35EPTI1fkk9UHJpY2V_Sz00fkw9MX5NPTJ_&SI=b6e97b65-cb45-458d-9a8a-bfb09fc80940&ss=1) (and just for the record, I am not now, nor have I ever been, affiliated in any way with Caframo or Defender, except as a satisfied customer).

Another super cheap and handy way to keep at least a little air moving around the cabin, if you've got USB plugs here or there as I do (on the stereo, on a couple of cigarette lighter plug-in style inverters, and on one of those Harbor Freight 5-in-1 Power Centers (http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-portable-power-pack-with-jump-start-62747.html) I have on board as a backup battery/power source) are those little flexible USB fans that you can get for about a buck each with free shipping from China (http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Portable-Flexible-USB-Mini-Cooling-Fan-Cooler-For-Laptop-Desktop-Computer-/201566020217?var=&hash=item2eee456279:m:mW6gccHsc4i0Wwkq0rDgQ_A).  They draw maybe 1 Watt, if that.  They won't blow your hair back, but just plug 'em in and bend them in whatever direction, and they'll keep a nice little airflow moving around the cabin.

I still have one of those old 12 volt "swamp cooler" evaporative cooling units similar to this one (https://swampy.us/swampy.net/t304page.html), but with a sort of little integrated ice chest and water reservoir below.  I got it years ago for my '67 Amphicar (http://www.amphicar.com) and for my former "tow beast" a '77 Dodge van with no AC, which, without it was basically a rolling Comanche Sweat Lodge during torrid DC summers.  The cooler won't really cool down an "area" like a cabin or room, so much as blow a nice steady and lovely chill breeze at you that you can adjust nicely for a couple-few hours...until the ice melts...then it's just a "coolish" breeze--just how "coolish" depends on the humidity.  Still, it makes those real scorchers here quite tolerable.  Some day I might get a "real" AC unit into the boat, but for right now, this old evaporative "swamp cooler" gizmo and some nice little fans here and there will do the trick on the cheap.

Lastly, if you want to see a really slick dockside or generator-run real AC system mod, then check this thread out (http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=13690) over on the Macgregor 26 "Powersailors" Forum.  Now, although the Macgregor 26X's cockpit layout lends itself particularly well to this sort of mod, I can imagine that something similar might be worked out for a Com-Pac--even a little 16 like mine.  My hunch is that one of those sleek little Noria units (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/noria-cool-redefined-home#/) (still in development as of August 2016 for availability next Spring, but which may be preordered now for $299) might do the trick very nicely indeed.

Well, that's my latecomer's tale...Stay cool you crazy kids!

Ditto on the Camframo fan love it! Have run into it a couple times and the blades may startle you but don't hurt, well maybe your ego if someone watches you run into it more than once!

Also bit the bullet on a small, 12 inches high, 5,000 BTU AC unit for use at dock. It stores in the starboard quarter berth area on the 23 just fine so you don't have to lug it on an off. Did make getting in and out a little tricky but my did it give an under fleece blanket good nights sleep on days that were well into the 100's with heat index!

It has now been moved to a larger boat and still works well.

Fall is just around the corner!

Quote from: Shawn on February 06, 2016, 10:38:55 AM
Companionway would probably be doable at night when you sleep. It would be annoying the rest of the time though. The other problem is simply where to store it the rest of the time.

I'd think the end of the quarter berth would end up working out OK. Interior volume is pretty small so it would likely cool the boat OK. You might night feel the breeze directly but it should cool the boat.

Avoid the air cooled free standing AC units. I tried one in my Sabre the first summer when I was fixing my diesel. It really didn't do very much. They exhaust their heat through a hot air vent. It seemed like blowing out all the heat resulted in a little bit lower pressure inside the boat which just brought it hot outside air back in.

If you don't have one get a Breeze Booster. If there is any breeze they make a huge difference in ventilating down below.

http://www.breezebooster.com/index.html

They work especially well at anchor.

Shawn

It occurs to me after looking at that Breeze Booster site (http://www.breezebooster.com/index.html) just how remarkably similar they appear to be to Harbor Freight's 4 Pc Storm-Proof Wheel Covers (http://www.harborfreight.com/4-pc-storm-proof-wheel-covers-61841.html) that'll run you just $9.99 for a 4-pack.  Those covers are basically just a long 1/4"-or-so thick bendable-formable circular (or rather, horseshoe-shaped) metal bar with a sturdy white canvas half shell attached to it--all shaped rather like an old bandshell like one might find in a park, such as this famous one in Central Park in New York City:

(https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/6d/a3/42/filename-holls-2012-472.jpg)

Think of the solid back of that bandshell as the part that covers one's tire, protecting it from the very damaging UV light, with the open half facing inward towards the underside of the vehicle, and the wire sort of holding it over the inward-facing part of the tire.

Before shelling out 60 to 80 semolians for a Breeze Booster, I think I might just try cobbling together what I'm gonna call a Wheeze Luster_®, namely a similar air scoop fashioned from one of those Harbor Freight Wheel Covers cobbled together with a couple-few bungees and maybe an ultra-high-bleeding-edge-tech device called a "stick", such as the remarkable example shown below from the National Toy Hall of Fame (http://www.toyhalloffame.org/toys/stick):

(http://www.toyhalloffame.org/sites/www.toyhalloffame.org/files/toys/square/stick_0.png)

The remaining three wheel covers in the package can be used to, you know, cover the wheels to keep them from rotting prematurely in the sun...maybe squeezing a couple-few extra service years from those trailer tires and that spare, instead of just letting them bake into obsolescence in the sun.

With fans, I'd have to agree that Caframo is pretty much your gold standard.  You just have to swing by some We$t Marine's fans display to witness that first hand.  With that said, I've been completely and utterly satisfied with my little 12V Chinese Suction Cup job that I got for just $10.34 year before last.  Sadly, it seems the very same model's currently going for $26.20 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-ELECTRIC-SUCTION-CUP-MOUNT-COOLING-FAN-FOR-BOAT-RV-CARAVAN-FIVE-OCEANS-/281958825181?hash=item41a60e3cdd:g:qlwAAOSwh-1W3yvs&vxp=mtr).  If its price dips down again, I might just grab a couple more.  They're certainly not as sub-whisper quiet as the Caframos, nor do they move anything like the same air, feature a range of timers to turn off automatically if you wish, but they ARE cheap, very quiet and very VERY flexible.  You can plop 'em on the galley, in the companionway...wherever you like.  The little flexible USB fans (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=flexible+usb+fans&_sop=15) that you can get for a buck or two each delivered are also pretty useful if you've got a USB port or two in the cabin. They won't blow your hair back, but they'll at least keep the funk moving around.

As far as air conditioning goes, over at the Macgregor Sailors Forum it's a perennial topic (http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keywords=air+conditioner), with lots of great info there.  Of course, with the Macgregor 26X's and 26M's very low companionways--almost flush with the cockpit sole (or "floor"), lots of folks just lob a regular little 5000 btu window unit there and just build a little plywood box around it, like a handy seat---a relatively easy mod.  I imagine that with a Com-Pac's typically raised companionway entry, such a lowdown setup might eventually result in one's sweeping the regional Limbo championships.  Still, one might get some good ideas from our hybrid power-sailing cousins...Or, if they ever actually start shipping this little Noria Unit (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kurt/noria-cool-redefined), that might be sweet.

As it happens, I also have a fancy old 12V evaporative cooler gizmo called a "swamp cooler" that I once described here (http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=25276&p=313199&hilit=swamp+cooler#p313180). Not the greatest long-term heat beater, but it'll definitely take the edge off for a couple-few hours, and you'll find lots of DIY plans and YouTube videos on how to easily cobble a basic one together out of an old ice chest, if you're so inclined.

Well, I need the tire covers anyway, so thanks for the tip on them.

Seems like I have a breeze booster also.

Now, I need one of those band shells over the sliding hatch, maybe two facing each other so I can stand up!

You mean, like this?

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hljQMPzY_SA/Sq6aBmSIduI/AAAAAAAABbo/WS-NwSDGT7Y/s1600/800px-Sandro_Botticelli_046.jpg)

'Cause I tried it once in the boat lot, and the groundhogs are still pretty skittish.

   If you don't have one get a Breeze Booster. If there is any breeze they make a huge difference in ventilating down below.

http://www.breezebooster.com/index.html

They work especially well at anchor.

Have to say I have one and highly recommend it as the best of the wind scoops.  I thoroughly dislike the people who make and sell it.  When I ordered mine by phone they sent me two and billed me twice with two different prices.  I received them on a cruise and, despite the fact I didn't have room for the extra one, I carried it with me all over the Gulf and then the southeast.  When I finally got back to deal with it they refused to refund my card until I returned the second one and then wanted to credit me the price I was quoted and charge me the higher price.  They then got very insulting about how I was a terrible customer despite the fact they made the mistake and they didn't trust me to send it back and refund my card before I was charged interest on the over billing. So watch your back when dealing with them.

Bilgemaster, I don't know where you live, but in Mississippi we never use anything that puts water in the air in the name of cooling.  We spend most of our lives trying to take water out of the air.:)

Brackish, which size did you buy?  That thing looks pretty nice.

I am thinking that I could probably figure out how to fabricate one.  I would definitely need a version with bug screen because the mosquitoes and no-see-ums in this area are HORRIBLE in the summer.

Quote from: brackish on April 13, 2017, 11:55:02 PM
(...snip!)
Bilgemaster, I don't know where you live, but in Mississippi we never use anything that puts water in the air in the name of cooling.  We spend most of our lives trying to take water out of the air.:)

I'm up here in the DC area in Virginia. It may not be "Mississippi muggy", where the saltine goes limp between the package and your mouth, but it's soupy enough.  And you are of course correct: Those swamp cooler evaporative gizmos on their own, just dripping water on a kind of porous fiber cloth sorta like a 3M scrubber pad and blowing air with a fan through it, are really best in a dry heat.  The thing is, the one I have has a little sort of ice bucket built in, so it's ice water.  It's not like it really cools down a whole area, so much as blow a lovely stream of cool air directly at you through adjustable vents that sort of resemble old car AC vents from like a '60s T-bird.  Mine looks like this one, except it has a sort of ice bucket box built onto the bottom:

(http://www.altenergymag.com/articles/03.06.01/little/swampy.jpg)

All I can say is that it'll really help you keep your cool for maybe 2 or 3 hours depending on the ambient temperature with maybe 2 or 3 pounds of ice.  After the ice melts, it's just a pleasant fan. Sadly, they don't make that model anymore, but you can see what they offer nowadays at http://www.swampy.net/ (http://www.swampy.net/),  And like I said, there are lots of DIY ones to choose from.

Speaking of evaporative cooling, these Harbor Freight Cooling Towels (http://www.harborfreight.com/13-in-x-31-14-in-cooling-towel-62635.html) don't completely suck.

Quote from: HeaveToo on April 14, 2017, 06:23:18 AM
Brackish, which size did you buy?  That thing looks pretty nice.

I am thinking that I could probably figure out how to fabricate one.  I would definitely need a version with bug screen because the mosquitoes and no-see-ums in this area are HORRIBLE in the summer.

I don't remember.  I measured my hatch and ordered the one that was appropriate for the size on their website.  The reason I like it is that I can use the hatch's OEM bug screen with it and it can be deployed and removed from inside the boat.  I can remember many nights having to get up middle of the night during a storm and having to go out on the foredeck to remove the type that has to have a halyard to hold it up.  The downside is that in shifting wind direction, if you are docked you have to reset it to the wind direction.  But at anchor the normal swing takes care of that.

I think mine needs a halyard to hold it up. I only have used it once, a couple years ago. I think I have a screen, too. Better look for it; maybe the screen I am thinking about was a previous boat. Eh, next time down, I'll try to check.

Wind coming in: another approach to getting air in is to anchor stern-to. Then the cabin is its own wind scoop. This is kind of fun, if it's not too much wind.

Bilgewater, where are you.  I am on the Potomac out of Colonial Beach but I live up in Woodbridge.

Well this topic reared it's head again right on schedule....the beginning of warm weather! We generally try not to be out if we know it will be little or no wind, and hot and muggy, which pretty much describes the Chesapeake in the height of summer. The 5,000 BTU/AC unit we got last year keeps our 31, which has an open layout, sleeping under fleece blanket cool on 90 plus degree days. Clearly only useful at dock but small enough to stow even on a 23. Admittedly it is oh so much easier on the 31. With the knowledge we simply will not go out if miserable this works. We use a wind scoop on the forward hatch, have screened companionway and 10 screened opening ports, two dorade vents, and a camfro fan and another battery/AC operated fan for ventilation. We use a dodger, bimini, removable cockpit sunscreens, boom tent, and soon to have port blinds to shade things when out, or at dock whether the AC is needed or not. Have also rigged up a foredeck shade at times. Can't say enough about the ability to enjoy simply being on the boat in miserable weather with the little AC unit. Interlude is also our home down there and we could not use her as such otherwise

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Frigidaire-5000-BTU-150-sq-ft-115-Volt-Window-Air-Conditioner/50342322

It has gone up since last year but still pretty inexpensive and helped us get through a block of time last summer when we were redoing out 30 year old geothermal system at home.

A quick look at her summer mode (the aft sunscreen was redone since this pic to fully shade around to the side panels and be same length, it was mistake the folks that made it fixed). Having a huge bridge deck makes the AC thing way doable. The 23's bridge deck though much smaller is still a good size. Boats without good bridge decks make it oh so much more difficult to get one in place.

All of the ways we try to say cool on Interlude we used on our 23 minus the cockpit sunscreens and a dodger. It just was smaller and had less ventilation.  Mas on the other hand........she is what she is!

Quote from: HeaveToo on April 14, 2017, 10:49:35 AM
Bilgewater, where are you.  I am on the Potomac out of Colonial Beach but I live up in Woodbridge.

Døyr fe, døyr frender
Døyr sjølv det sama
men ordet om deg aldreg døyr
vinn du et gjetord gjevt

For en overraskelse! Jeg bor i Woodbridge også, du rare gamle Viking. Du må være fyren med den store hjelmen med frukt fast i hornene som alltid forsøpling i grønnsaks delen i Aldi på Smoketown Road. Vi skal møte noen helg...kanskje gå ut for et seil. PM meg!

And for the benefit of those who may not be Norse Berserkers yearning to raid coastal settlements and plunder rich monastaries, or at least not professionally, here's the same in English:

What a surprise! For I too dwell in Woodbridge, thou weird elder Viking.  Thou must needs be that fellow with that prodigious helmet with yon fruit stuck in its horns ever tarrying in yon produce section of the Aldi on Smoketown Road. We should get together some weekend...maybe go out for a sail.  PM me!

ok du Viking ønsker å være er, vil du lett bli identifisert med din manglende evne til å få av og på båter på grunn av hjelmer! For morsomt!

Yup it begins, trade avdrift

Heck if in Norway you don't need a way to stay cool on your boat! You might need a larger crew secondary to the rowing thing.

I would be more impressed if you guys were writing in runes!  LOL

Yup that would indeed be impressive! Guess if i had one of those smart pens and a tablet might could give one a whirl but alas.....

Meanwhile since the topic was Chillin out on a 23, I did consider a portable heat pump (used for sale) that essentially uses the water to transfer the heat away form the boat. It was simply too large for a 23 (couldn't stow it or use it without it in the way in an already small cabin) and it still needed 110v so the little AC was the better bet. Now my humor suggesting the little need for AC if truly in Norway does bring up the fact that your cruising grounds can eliminate the need for AC, just load that puppy up on her trailer and off to Maine ya go! Of course it will soon result in a thread entitled Staying Warm on a 23.   :)

hint: as to the solution for it all......pick a degree course close to 0 when warm and 180 when cold and keep doing it until comfortable!
Increasingly Comfortable Weather, complete with well marked charts. Jus sayin!

I can remember a few nights on my Catalina 30 when the cabin temperature never got out of the 90s.  It was humid and NASTY.  The fans were just blowing around hot and humid air.  It is best to stay at home when the conditions are like that.

If you have to be out in it, check the weather forecast and, if it is stable, anchor out in an open area.  You will get a little bit more breeze.  The less protected the better.  Then again, if the weather isn't that stable, you will pay with a bad night if a storm blows up!

I have heard you can put an air conditioner on the 23, and power it with a quiet generator. Hmmm, wonder if there is an inverter/battery combo that would run it more quietly even than that?

Would the batteries fill up the boat?

Anyway, I use some of these pads people put their pets on to absorb heat. It will cool your back until you get to sleep, and then maybe you will make it till early morning. That and a decent fan are all I have. Some nights, after great sailing, it is too hot to sleep. This year, I will try more anchoring out to be cooler than at dockside, and try the screen in a hatch with a breeze whatchacallit funneling air below. Light air, anchor stern-to, from the cleat on opposite side from quarterberth I sleep in.

There's your problem right there...you sleep in a quaterberth!  The V-Berth has all of the ventilation and it is the best sleeping!  It is tight at times but you adjust to it quickly.

Quote from: HeaveToo on April 15, 2017, 10:01:03 AM
There's your problem right there...you sleep in a quaterberth!  The V-Berth has all of the ventilation and it is the best sleeping!  It is tight at times but you adjust to it quickly.

Incorrect.

If you are at anchor the breeze comes in the front hatch.  That then blows right onto the V-berth.   The fresh breeze goes right on you as long as there is air.  Sometimes I run my fan and it sits between the bulkhead and the side of the cabin roof.  That blows even more breeze up into the V-berth. 

In rain I put up a hatch tent and have the bimini and dodger up with the connector so I can keep the boat totally open without worrying about rain coming in.  That helps also.

This ac unit won't be available until early 2018 but thought it might be of interest to some of you. It's definitely a game changer!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/noria-cool-redefined-home#/

Quote from: Blown Away on April 15, 2017, 01:16:56 PM
This ac unit won't be available until early 2018 but thought it might be of interest to some of you. It's definitely a game changer!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/noria-cool-redefined-home#/

Nice! The width minimum is 21 and i forget the width at bridge deck on the 23. I know the little unit we have fit, just barely. Having something that low profile would be real nice on the 23. even though the AC we have is only 12 inches tall it still made getting in and out difficult. Well worth it for a good nights sleep but..........

It can be offset on our 31 so you can slip thru on the side. You can rig up hatch mounted units but i never have like how they work, gotta lug them around shrouds, and are a pain to weatherproof.

Quote from: Blown Away on April 15, 2017, 01:16:56 PM
This ac unit won't be available until early 2018 but thought it might be of interest to some of you. It's definitely a game changer!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/noria-cool-redefined-home#/

That would be a great unit for a boat... BUT... it was supposed to be shipping now from the original Kickstarter campaign. If it actually ships I will be buying one but I wouldn't fund a campaign on it.

Shawn

Have you guys seen this? Might work nice on a small boat.
Evapolar
https://aircooler.evapolar.com/

Quote from: HeaveToo on April 14, 2017, 04:33:16 PM
I would be more impressed if you guys were writing in runes!  LOL

Funny you'd mention it, 'cause I was gonna do just that.  I was even gonna use animated runes, but when I did a Google image search for "animated runes" this came up somehow, and I guess I just got distracted by those "threads drifts"...

(https://media0.giphy.com/media/KqI2WIvJEclyM/giphy.gif)

No, seriously.  It happened just like that.

I guess that she is just trying to stay cool.

They are animated, all right; don't look runed, though.

Quote from: BruceW on April 19, 2017, 02:38:26 PM
They are animated, all right; don't look runed, though.

...And BruceW wins the thread! Someone get the lights.

Well not even sure to how to steer this back to topic after that little excursion!

Sitting here under a fleece blanket and temps hovering in the 50's, the heater going, the long range forecast telling me I may have to go fetch that AC unit before next weekends annual blessing of the fleet (cheap excuse to drink Mimosas and Bloody Mary's with a brunch early in the day). The forecast is calling for a high near 90! I am not happy about the prospect of needing AC so early. Maine is looking better! Seriously this is not a good omen for summer.   :(

Kev, that evaporative cooler looks interesting but not sure it will work so well in our humid environment. Keep us posted.

Meanwhile may have to go look for some "animated runes"!