DIY BOAT HATCH AIR CONDITIONER | How We Run A Window Unit AC On Our Sailboat | Sailboat Story 196
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Just a short video showing our homemade cowling that allows a window a unit AC to be used on a boat hatch. This is a simple DIY cowling that we made to help keep the boat comfortable during the hot, humid Florida summer while we work on refitting our Westsail 42 sailboat. It's made of 3/4" plywood, foam board, fiberglass cloth, epoxy, and gelcoat.
This video is, admittedly, short and basic. We're trying to stretch the available footage we have as to not miss a weekly upload. Next week we're getting back into the refit videos.
Thanks for watching!
~ Ben, Tambi, & Molly | "SAILBOATSTORY"
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I came across this video because a female friend who is a new sailor is buying a used Cruisair drop-in (they now are out of production). As I recall, the drop-ins were not all that great but it is probably the easiest short-term solution for her ar present. I have an 8000 Btu window unit mounted in a vertical hatch on my catamaran which works very well to cool the salon but less so in the areas down in the hulls, although it does dehumidify the entire interior. Like you, I sealed the space around the hatch with split swim noodles for a relatively airtight fit. The biggest improvement to efficiency came from painting the salon cabin-top with white Kiwi-Grip. All of the original non-skid was painted pale gray but not pale enough! I shot the inside of the overhead with a laser thermometer in locations where there was still gray non-skid as well as the white Kiwi-Gripped overhead. There was a 25 degree F difference.
"Short & Sweet" can be a good thing. Sometimes "less is more." 👍👍👍
Great video, good job I been thinking that something like this could be done and although you didn’t give us exact size but not that hard to figure out. Good job😄
I recognized that look on your face when the cold air started blowing. Glad you're getting cooling worked out as you work on the boat. Good luck with your projects!
Believe it or not I came out with the exact same design, and watching your video I was in Aw! Amazing!!
Check your email. NASA is looking for you.
Great idea!!! Love your videos. Ya'll are such a nice family, and I'm enjoying spending my time with Ya'll...
"Energy saver, NAH." Love it. Keep the bulkhead doors closed to cool where you are working. Low fan speed to cool entire boat and crack that aft hatch. Hot air rises and cool sinks but you already know that. Very nice job, I'm impressed.
How nice to be cool, and dry in Florida in the summer time!
Ben,, so happy to see you have the same old funky sun glass's
Of course. I just got them properly broken in.
Tootle oooo.. Pasta Lasagna, don't get any on ya. Still very funny to watch. Stay Safe Semper Fidelis.
Pretty impressive AC box you whipped up!
Brilliant
Good job on the air conditioner install. Just a suggestion about its use though, I work on air conditioners for a living. Don't set the temperature super low as it will cause problems. If its 97 degrees inside just set it at about 78 or around there. You don't want a shock every time you enter or leave the boat and the biggest plus about air conditioning is that it takes the humidity out of the air. You are going to have a constant puddle outside your beautifully built frame as it sucks the water out of the air. Also it might give your compressor a bit of time to cool down every once in awhile.
You guys are doing a great job both on the boat and in the videos.
Fair winds.
When you first showed the A/C housing I thought of 2 improvements. The first was some kind of screen front to keep insects from entering, but I suppose your foam noodles will keep them out of the boat, even if they can get inside the housing. The second improvement I thought of was some kind of louvered front piece to keep rain from entering the housing.
Oh I like the louvered panel idea.
I'll file that away for a revision sometime down the line.
That project will sure cut down on the aggravation level going forward.
Nothing beats creature comforts!
Thanks
Cool Clardy!
This idea! I'll be doing the same for my camper!
Nice build. I made a similar setup for a Pearson 365. As a data point for anyone considering, I built mine around a 5k BTU unit and should have gone 8k. 5k keeps the boat around 80F when it's 90, sunny, and humid in the Chesapeake Bay summers. I stick another 5k in the companionway for the worst days and that's fine.
Sounds about right. Ours is a 5k unit and it works well for cooling our aft cabin only. I bet an 8k unit would make a considerable difference.
I'm feeling it!
No pronuncie la H. Loved the video. Do not care if it is short, no explanation necessary!
Nice video & box Ben.
Thanks, David. It's working great so far.
Really makes the difference in keeping the heat strokes at bay.
Genius at work! Well done Ben👍
Thanks 👍 Glad you enjoyed it!
"Energy saver [mode]? Nah, turn that junk off!."
Awesome! My kind of guy.
Excelente Trabajo, saludos desde MEXICO
I am curious to see how well that cools things off . It looks good.
Nice job, lmao over the buttoned up long sleeved shirt and the 97 degrees. One note, I worked at a fiberglass shop for several years and currently paint cars for a living. You would be better off with automotive paint in that application since it has better UV protection.
Thanks. For folks like me with skin that's sensitive to the sun, it's more important to keep the direct sunlight off. We just burn so easily. Aside from that, it's extremely common for folks who live on boats to have rampant skin issues from sun exposure so we try hard to protect ourselves as best we can. Covering up with long-sleeve shirts is the most basic step we take to protect ourselves from the sun. It's a little hotter than wearing a short sleeve or tank top, which I'd certainly prefer, but we'd rather be a little hot than be setting ourselves up for skin issues or cancers in the future. I don't have any direct knowledge to draw from when comparing gelcoat to automotive paint other than knowing that virtually all fiberglass boats are gelcoated. In my mind they tend to hold up pretty well. Our boat is 45 years old and the gelcoat is generally in fantastic shape. It's my understanding that boat's are gelcoated because it's more durable than paint and is also somewhat more flexible. It's for those reasons that I chose gelcoat over paint for the AC box. So far it's holding up great after 2 seasons of hard use and looks just as good as it did on day 1. I suppose automotive paint would have worked just fine as well as the coatings primary purpose is just to protect the epoxy that's underneath.
We have a huge portable air-con It heats as well and is a dehumidifier. It is awkward but useful in the height of summer. That unit that you have is more compact and looks like it would fit on of our hatches. Obviously your in the US and we are currently in Turkey but, have you got some details on that unit, maybe a link or something similar. Sail Safe Guys, Ant & Cid.
Hey! little late to the part, but got a few questions about this design you made. How did you handle the condensation drain from the AC unit? and is there any particular reason you didn't secure the AC unit to the board, or the housing to the boat/hatch?
Hope you get to set sail soon.
Relatively soon. End of the year. It'll be here before we know it.
Noice. Another option are the portable units, which are a bit more efficient plus as they are indoor units they are less prone to corrosion. Just need to vent the exhaust and the condensation can go right into the bilge for the pump to take care of. I've been using this for years and they work great. Mine hides away behind the companionway steps.
And look at Molly growing up
I guess you're replacing that stand up unit with the window unit though you could recharge the stand-up unit it probably just is lacking and refrigerant and you can use the r34a that you use for automobiles to recharge the refrigerant in that AC unit just make sure that you get the one with the gauge so that way you can see the it rise up into the green and the gauge will tell you if it's dead or alive and tell you if there's refrigerant under pressure in the unit hopefully that helps you out with the AC unit seeing how the stand up one is a little one and that wall unit can't be used it on the ocean so hope for all the best have a good one and enjoy your sailing yacht.
Thank You !!!! Will the harbor I have my boat in (Oceanside Ca) allow this do you think…
Maybe.
I always wondered what happens to the condensate water from the ac on these setups? Does it evaporate or puddle up?
I've not noticed a puddle, but yes - it has to go somewhere. Maybe it's too hot in FL to stick around for very long right now.
What did you do for the condenser water draining off? Is that just going to run on the deck? Otherwise, nice build!!! 👍
There's a "dam" that I built into the front to prevent the water from dripping inside. It's visible when I'm showing the inside of the box. Yes, it will run out the back and onto the deck.
“Turn THAT sucker off.” YES! YES! That’s our boy!
Do you still have the dimensions on the cuts you made for the box? I'd like to replicate on my W43. Thank you!
No, but Id be surprised if they’d be exactly the same anyways. So much variation on these boats that I’d want to measure for myself.
You run it on a inverter? Or a shore power?
Shore power.
I have thought about doing something similar to my van, but if I did I would not be able to fit it in my garage anymore. Compromises.
Where are you at in Florida? I'd love to stop by and say hello.....
We're in Green Cove Spring, FL. Just South of Jacksonville. We go back and forth between there and Toccoa, GA every other week.
@@Sailboatstory Oh, thats where I get my mail forwarded to St. Brendan's Isle. We're in Vero Beach right now, but may need to run up there in the future...will let ya know before hand to confirm the time is ok...
Shouldn’t half of the AC unit be sticking out? Seems like the outer ventilation is inhibited by putting it all the way in that box?
CRIKEY...were you a shipwright in a previous life ?? You seem to know everything there is to fix up a relatively old sailboat ..I bet you could build a shopping mall with a pen knife.......also in my humble opinion you have the right boat to spend money and a lot of time on ....
Michael, thanks for the kind compliments. Please send many more of them my way. ;)
Cant figure out why, but portable AC's dont work on my 28 ft boat either. They seem to work fine in homes, but not in boats.. weird.
figured it out. has to be a Dual tube model, the single tube models don't stand a chance! Dual tube had it down to 75 while it was 92 outside today
I wonder if you'll be able to run it in the South Pacific if you turn the energy saver mode on 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Still gets me that the cheapest top hatch AC you can get is still twice the price of a window shaker unit. They're the exact same thing, just a slightly different shape. Makes it totally worth while to build a hutch like you did, just annoying that you have to.
Partner it's time for some new shades lol
You know, I have 2 brand new pairs but I just prefer wearing these old beat up ones when getting all dirty and nasty everyday. I'll whip out the new ones once we're past this refit phase.
really love the design! BUT how does it not shut on and off from cold trapped air from the sensor?👎 major flaw! try extending tour copper sensor thats behind the filter to inside the cabin! worked in my camper to replce the $1200 ceiling unit!
If there was a major flaw, you'd think it would have failed by now. Oddly, it hasn't. There's no trapped cold air. 🤦🏻 The box was intentionally designed for both proper cooling and ventilation. It's been working flawlessly the entire Summer, and this is the units 3rd year of use.
⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵
what about the drain??
Due to a lack of context, I'm not completely certain what you're asking or referring to, but I'll take a stab at providing a reply. Neither the AC unit nor the box have a "drain". The condensation from the AC unit accumulates and runs out of the back of the box at the large opening - the same opening that the AC unit slides into. There is a "dam", of sorts, at the forward end so the condensation cannot run forward and fall into the boat, it can only run out of the box. Simple and works great.
I bought a eco flow wave. Its a better aircon for sailing. I can run it at sea. Draws 30 amps a hour .or runs off its battery for 4 hours. 1,200.00
As far as I know, those haven't been released yet and are in pre-order status. Some of the performance specs of that unit are hard for me to believe, but I hope it works as well as advertised for you.
@@Sailboatstory yes still waiting for mine.the youtube testers all claim its doing what eco flow claims . I need to run air while under sail or passages so the fact that its a inverter type,with slow start i can run it off a inverter and my lead acid battery bank. I priced out a proper marine unit. 7,000.00 for mabru 12 volt unit for my 37 foot boat. Crazy prices and huge battery banks costing another 5,000.00 minimum. There is no other solution for me. 1,200.00 plug and play. and maybe later buy the battery they make or even a eco flow max.
An open hole in the top of a boat especially during waves and storms,and made of wood, I don’t know.
It’s the 1000 mile long extension cord we have to use to keep it plugged in that’ll be the real problem.
Lmao
Nice job
But you have to open the sides of your box or the unit is going to overheat and serious risk of fire.
The sides of unit is supposed to be ventilated.
Please let me know if I am wrong I would like to learn from you.
Safety first!!!
It’s ventilated.
Yeah, I’m in the same situation. I’ve covered the top but I’ve left about 2.5” on each side that I think it’s enough for ventilation but people insist that I should make holes on the sides. I live in the Caribbean and summer killing us. I didn’t fibreglass it yet until I make sure it’s working properly. When I put my hands on the sides air is pretty hot but I’m not sure how bad it’s for the a/c…
@@valeriaojeda6202 All I can tell you is that our's has been happily running 24 hours a day for many months now. We have closer to a 1" gap of ventilation on 3 sides. More would probably be better. A neat way of adding more ventilation, if needed, would be to add louvers to each side so that air could come in, but rain would still shed. I've thought about doing just that at some point because I'm always tinkering with things and trying to improve them, even if it's not necessarily needed.
You need to put an identifying number on your episodes this episode is the third time I’ve watched it says 1 hour ago.
its all kool goul man.. but the rv community are now moving to mini split ac and heat systems that will use about have the power that window shaker will do.. and able to run off solar panels and batteries.. i just got a morgan 41 .. what i want to do is run a dual mini split one in bedroom and other in living room center of boat. both remote controlled, and i would also like to put that noisy outside box part up high in a cage on the solar arch. , out of the way and easy access when need be.. man its gunna take at least 30 grand to get what i want done . but ill have one hell of a state of the art 1977 morgan Out Islander CC 41 ketch sailboat. , gets hauled out bout this time next year, if if all goes well. the cabin is beautiful every where inside.. its the mechanics , they are all 1977 old shit and a refit to modern specs is in order.. give me a year saving and ill show you a beautiful bad ass morgan 41 ... who is she.. her name is ISABEL and i hope me and her meet all the boating community as i enter your boating life style and adventures beyond.. as for now im stuck working for Isabel right now.. anyone want to buy a real nice 2003 Hummer H2 all white and chromed, all upgraded , new tranny, new ac system. right now seats need reupholstered, and driver seat has power out, .. every thing else seems to run great. tires are at half tread. gets 8.6 on hiway. thats average for a hummer h2.. had a 05 that only got 6.5 and it ran great , till it hit a cement wall..a few times... and this 03 hummer comes with beach toys, sand castle making set, two solar powered battery operated blutooth speakers, a bar that goes into the reece hitch, along with another bar that goes into that one that lets you put a 2 inch tube into it, that tube has a crank handle, start cranking and you get an umbrella thats 15 feet long and 9 feet wide. and wont go no where untill you want it to.. this is my professional beach car. with all accessories , plus a four wheel wagon that also goes in the reece hitch front or back, and again, a crank handle cranks the wagon off the ground, rated for 4000 lbs, all aluminum and stainless steel hardware. with a custom weather resistant cargo bag. there you have it all in one single car, to conquer any florida beach. or back country.. price for car and all the accessories. 30 grand.
Paint. Humidity will destroy it if you don't
BEN! For God sakes put boxers on next time you put the camera on the floor.
Oh come on. I do you a favor by wearing clothes in the first place and this is the thanks I get.
@@Sailboatstory Sorry!
Thats actually a pretty good setup dude. What happened to the boats ac?
The boat doesn’t have AC, but even if it did it wouldn’t be operational with the boat out of the water.