Well, then every sailboat I've ever been on needs air conditioning.
I've never gone into a sailboat cabin on a 90+ degree day and found it
"cool." Sorry, you either like the heat or are full of crap.



Then you haven't been on many sailboats.


Yeah only the "hot" ones!

And we know that you've only
spent a few nights on the hook on a few boats.


Physics are physics. In the last half of the summer here we get great
nights and awful nights where AC is a nice thing to have. No boat is
going to be 70 degrees below when it's 90 topside.

We are talking about
night temps on a mooring, not daytime.

Actually, daytime is where the AC really is nice. I agree that most
nights are fine without it. But since we got it with the boat should we
NOT use it when it's hot and we're dockside?

After all, the point of going
out on a boat is to be outdoors, not huddled down below with the
genset and A/C running!

That's what camping is for. I go sailing because I like sailing.
Afterwards there's nothing fun about being uncomfortable on a boat due
to heat.

Why would you go
somewhere where you have to stay down below?

Well....I'll let you know soon. Thus far the AC's primary use has been
a nice cool place to eat or nap (for Thomas) after a afternoon sail.
Should we NOT run the AC if we're too hot?

And really, even in the midday heat, my forward cabins are cooler
than
the cockpit.

Water temps will often make it cooler below. But last week it was 100+
for several days. The only boats that were cool had AC. We went sailing
late on one of those days and were surprised to find some cool air.
Back at the slip it was in the low 90's and sweltering when we
returned. Were we wrong to turn on the AC then?


And before you bring up your kid as an excuse, remember that we
cruised with our daughter from the time she was 10 months old.

No excuse. We're careful about temps with kids because most folks
aren't. Do you know that Thomas has never had a cough or even the
sniffles?

why don't you have a dodger to protect your kid
from the Sun? Is it because the cockpit is too small?

We have a dodger and bimini. They are practically new and in storage in
the yard's loft. Thomas..which you can clearly see in the pics, is not
burned at all. He's well protected from the sun. I'll probably set the
dodger up next season though.


t may be because you have a lot of marina queens. The question is,
how many of them run the genset all night when they anchor?

Honestly, Jeff....probably very few. But it's a nice option.


I've said, in the midday sun the cabin and cockpit can heat up.

Nuff said....just like any boat.


help this, we've added tight mesh (Phifertex) over the large plexi
windows, and "surface skyscreens" on the hatches. This makes a huge
difference in how much the cabin heats up.
http://uk.oceanair.co.uk/da/10495


Good tip.


Bob, you're the idiot claiming that it would be horrific to anchor
out without A/C.

Never claimed that at all. I said SOME nights are horrific and you
agreed saying you saw a few days where it was oppressive. We're on the
same page there. The only difference is that we enjoy our AC and didn't
pay for it and we don't pay for electric either.


A bit, but I don't worry too much about that. However, A/C plus a
genset does start to add up on a catamaran.


Agreed...and on my boat as well. I'm still tempted if I can get one
cheap or for free though.


I'm a licensed A/C technician. Gauge set, tanks of refrigerant,
tools, etc. Its the family business.

So why not set up an AC for kicks? You could probably do a great job.
It will add to the value of the boat beyond it's cost if you don't pay
for the install. At ANY age it's better for you at dock, especially
when doing a boat project.


Actually, yes. As a retiree on a fixed income I've started looking
at
money differently. The cost, perhaps $5K or more to do my boat
properly, means $300 a year, for the rest of my life! Add the $420 my
marina charges for the electricity, and this becomes a substantial hit
given that we spend very limited time at the dock. If we lived on the
boat I might look at this differently!


Jeff, I appreciate your honesty on this point and I retract calling you
an idiot. The above point is quite valid. If you find your boat
pleasant enough, don't buy it. But remember, our boat had it installed
by the previous owner. He was older than you and liked spending time
aboard and found the AC worthwhile.



To nice to be comfortable on
really hot days when fixing that head of yours? You're courting a heat
stroke, dude.


The discussion is not about A/C at the dock for marina queens, its
about on a mooring, where cruisers like me spend most of our time.

On a mooring I MOSTLY agree with your points...but again, I won't turn
down a free genset. I like the boat toys and I see nothing wrong with
that, even if you want to call it a "powerboater mentality." My friend
with the Tayana 48 just installed a crazy Sat. TV system. He rarely
uses it, but he gets a kick out of the "toys" and it's his money.


You're claiming you need to add a genset to be comfortable on your
boat.

I've made no such claim. I simply said I was exploring the idea. We've
barely slept aboard this boat. We're still getting used to her, using
her as a big daysailor. We'll be doing some short cruises in the coming
weeks and then we'll judge. With temps starting to drop we may pass on
the whole genset idea. But a free one won't be turned away.


Obviously, your boat has terrible ventilation because almost
every boat I've cruised on is quite comfortable if the water is 75
degrees.

This is entirely subjective, Jeff. I have friends who are like you and
others who prefer it cooler. I've sailed a LOT of boats on a LOT of hot
days. I really have noted very little difference regarding temperature
between them...unless the boats were darker colors. I've never gone
inside a boat on a 95 degree day and found it pleasant...and I've been
in a lot of boats, Jeff. The air blowing threw the hatch was still 95
degrees....like a blow dryer to me.


Why don't you ask Neal if he needs A/C on his boat?

Now you're just being silly, Jeff.
It's beautiful here and almost chilly today. We're about to go for a
sail so I'm not in the mood for any more trolling.
Cheers, Jeff.


RB
35s5
NY