[C320-list] Seacock question / AC Install

[Jack Brennan]

Hi Troy:

It may sound funny, but we don’t want the AC to be too cold. Reducing the humidity and the temperature to about 79 or 80 is fine with us.

Going from 72 into our summer weather is absolutely brutal. Your shirt is soaked through in 10 minutes. It’s much better to be mildly cool in the boat and ease into the hotter weather.

>From May through October, I wear nothing but shorts and T shirts. I wore long pants tonight for my wife’s 62nd birthday at a fancy restaurant. First time in months. My daughters laugh at my wardrobe, but I’m comfortable.

Kudos to Onat on the Mermaid recommendation. Locally built, locally headquartered. It is 125 miles from me. The reviews on the company are excellent, and I’m hoping it can recommend a good installer for me. That would seal the deal.

Jack Brennan
Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
Tierra Verde, Fl.






Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Troy Dunn
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2021 7:27 PM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Seacock question / AC Install

Jack et. .al-

We have our AC in the port lazerette.   (aka worst possible location.).
Jeff's right, this location should simply be 'off the table'.   Sigh.

Here's some real world data for you on BTU sizing.   We got to the boat
today at 4pm.   Anyone on the Chesapeake today can tell you…this is not the
weekend to go anchor out on your boat.   96°F and something like 90 %
humidity.  When we opened up the boat it was 98°F inside.   I replaced our
failed AC this spring with a 12,000 BTU turbo unit from Dometic.     The AC
thruhull was opened and the AC was turned on before we started loading the
boat with 'stuff'.   It's now 83°F and a comfortable humidity in the boat.
Still unbearable out…even though there is a breeze ( blast furnace?)   It
will be easily fine for sleeping by 10pm in either berth and we have no
ducting to the vberth (I've seen pictures of this done up the starboard
side under the fiddle but above the port light. It can be done).

If you ran the AC all day, you would be fine.   If like us you need to
leave the boat during the week to go get money to put into the boat…then I
guess it is a trade of BTUs to how quickly you can cool down the boat.
12K seems fine to me.   If you can run the AC 24/7, then 10K would probably
be ok too.

FWIW

Troy Dunn
Hull #514