Question:
Have any of you purchased and/or used a through-a-top-hatch portable air
conditioner for your boat? If so, please let me know your opinions. I've
heard good things and bad. (Just getting ready for the upcoming Summer season.)
Answer:
The unit uses air as the heat transfer medium rather than sea
water like a built in marine air unit uses. This means that performance is
directly related to ambient temperature. I live in Arizona, very low
humidity, but very high temperatures. The unit probably would be more
appropriate in a higher humidity lower temperature climate than mine. The
unit struggled hard during the day, but did a good job at night. If you
sleep directly under the unit, it is very noisy. If you don't sleep under
it, you probably won't get good airflow to your body. The unit is heavy to
pick up and move around. I left mine installed over the foredeck hatch
during the summer. I used bungee cords attached to the forward bow rail
stanchions to keep forward tension on the unit. It never budged, but it was
always a visual impairment to be looked over or around. I put a 1-inch foam
pad (similar to a typewriter pad) under the unit to lessen the vibration
noise transmitted through the foredeck into the cabin.
When I sold the boat, I let the Carry-On go with it as the
new boat has marine air installed. I can tell you it is a world of
difference. If you intend to keep the boat for a while, and you intend to
use the AC a lot, I would recommend spending the extra money to have someone
install a water cooled unit in your boat. Marine Aire Systems sells a fully
contained water cooled 5000 btu unit for less than $1,200 that will
seriously out-cool the Carry-On unit. The unit can be self installed or
professionally installed. 7000 btu units can be installed for less than
$2000. The next question is whether you wish to be able to use the AC while
away from the dock or not. If so, then you get into issues of generators
and AC power consumption of the unit. I was able to run my Carry-On with a
portable Yamaha 1000W generator. It was all that little guy could do to run
the AC, but it did happen. Kludgy yes, but it beat sweating through the
nights.
I struggled with this issue for several years and have researched it quite a
bit. In the end, the want for marine air and a marine genset caused me to
trade up. If you have more specific questions and can give me more facts as
to your boat size and how you intend to use the AC.
