The idea was to avoid the circulating pump. If the whole thing craps out I
can always add a couple of conventional tube-in tube condensers and pull
seawater off the sea chest. I plan to keep the vacuum pump, extra
refrigerant and HVAC tools on board. Should be good for a few free beers
from fixing systems on other boats if I ever get down island. :-)

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 13:23:26 -0500, "Glenn Ashmore"
wrote:
The loops are a continuous downward slope so the oil will pool right at
the
return end. Probably could have made it a bit more efficient with a
larger
OD tube to slow the refrigerant down, get more surface area and less
pressure drop but I read so much about oil getting trapped in the
condenser
and starving the compressors that I got scared.

Glenn, did you give any thought to circulating water through the keel,
and then using that to cool the condenser? That would allow you to
use a combination air and water cooled condensing unit, and if
anything went wrong with the keel loop (and I'm concerned that it
will), at least you have the air cooling as a backup.