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(LaBomba182) wrote:

Any thoughts on the need for Air Conditioning on a Sailing Vessel while in
the Bahamas.

Currently have them on board, but no Gen Set. Hate to put in a Gen Set if
Air Conditioning is not needed.

Depends on when you intend to be there.
But I vote a strong yes. At least in the height of the summer.

If you are in a marina, then you may need one - of course if you are
in a marina, you won't need a genset because there will be power
available. The reason you might need one more in a marina is that you
will not be able to have the boat swing to the wind, and other boats
or structures may block the breeze.

IME (and we used to live in the Florida Keys, but on land), if you can
shield the place from the sun, you will be OK without. (House or boat
- doesn't matter which - the same in both cases. For the house - big
trees make it 20 degrees cooler, especially with an attic fan and
keeping the windows open on the shady side and closed on the sunny
side. For the boat- keep a shade over the cockpit and over any
hatches or companionways that are in the direct sunlight, having a
light colored boat, and having opening ports and hatches plus fans for
ventilation.)

We did not have A/C in our house in MD until about 3 years ago, and we
still don't use it much. We do have an attic fan and mature trees.
We did have AC in the Keys, but we had no trees and no way to reduce
the radiant heat load on the house, and we used the AC full time from
May to October.

In the winter, AC isn't necessary. You may even want a little heat
sometimes. We've been to Florida and the Bahamas for 3 winters now,
and we cruise in the Chesapeake in the summer. We do not have AC nor
do we plan to get it.

grandma Rosalie