When we talk about the 'environment' on our boat, we are talking about the air. Since we will be in a marine environment, this means moist air almost all the time. Moisture is a problem on boats, which can cause humidity below deck, musty air, trapped moisture, damage to electronics, mold, and mildew. All of these are very undesirable things! What we can do to combat these is ventilate the boat well and use dehumidifiers, including Air Conditioners. Let's take a look at some of these systems, below.
Every boat comes with some amount of passive ventilation, we're talking about hatches, cowls vents, clamshell vents, louvers, grilles, ports, etc. We will be making sure our design for the Solitaire 1520 has plenty of ventilation. However, there are additional things which can be done to improve ventilation and dehumidify the air by using a more active ventilation system. Here are some options S/V Lynx might employ.
Hatch Canopy
Leaving your hatch open for ventilation while at anchor is a must in many locations. However, if a squall shows up while you are sleeping or away from the boat, you can drench your cabin. A Hatch Canopy is designed to keep the rain out yet let the air flow into your open hatch. The picture (left) is of a Sailrite DIY hatch canopy. There is an instructional video online about how to make one, you can find the video here: Sailrite Video
Though A/C is not something that you will leave on all the time, it is something we plan to have on S/V Lynx, especially for hot nights in the tropics. One of reasons we plan to go with a Combo Hybrid Propulsion System is so that we have a massive battery bank. This allows us to run the A/C units in the cabins all night long without having to turn on a motor or generator. That means we aren't making a loud racket and disturbing other boats in the anchorage while they are trying to sleep.
With four cabins needing A/C and assuming each of them is using 9,000 BTUs, they each burn about 12.5 amps (at 48v). That works out to 400ah over eight hours, assuming the A/C units ran all 8 hours. Of course, they will shut down at times so they will use less than 400ah. Our boat will have about 690 ah of battery power, though only 552 ah are usable. Still, as long as we start with full batteries we will have enough for a full night even if they ran continuously.
In addition, A/C dehumidifies the air, so it cuts down on mildew and mold. They also act as heaters for when we are in cold climates (like above the arctic circle in Norway).
Here are the A/C units we choose...
Our Self Contained, 48vdc, 9000 btu A/C units
These are 48vdc A/C units from a Chinese vendor and put out 9,000 btu. They are made for the marine environment with a stainless steel box and titanium alloy condenser pipe. Best yet, we got them at a very good price, so not much risk. US and an Italian vendor we approached wanted around $4,000 per unit, we got these, with all import fees, taxes, air freight and the AC units for $1,000 each.
A/C control panel
The control panels have an on/off switch, cold/heat choice, wind velocity, and temperature control. So, these units will handle both our heating and cooling needs on S/V Lynx.
Everything is contained in a small package. These units are installed somewhere in the cabin, probably under the bunks in S/V Lynx. Since they only have to handle a small cabin size space of about 400 sq. ft., these should do the trick. The rule of thumb is you multiply the square footage by 20 to find the BTU number you need for a given space, in our case, 8,000 btu per cabin..
We have purchased four of these units, one for each cabin. However, by using split ducting, and closeable vents, we plan to make use of these in the salon as well as the cabins. During the day, when cabins are not in use, we'll close the ducts into the cabins and open the ones in the salon. At night, we can close the ones in the salon and open them in the cabins. If needed on a hot day, the four units will supply 36,000 btu to cool the salon. The salon is about 1618 sq. ft, so, times 20, means, by rule of thumb, we need 32,360 btu to cool it, so that 36,000 should do the job.
Since air is moist, it causes mold and mildew. No boat is going to solve this problem completely, it's more about making it less than eliminating it all together. We have already talked about Air Conditioning and Ventilation (above), but let's take a look at the options for standalone dehumidifiers.
Compressor Dehumidifiers
In simple terms, compressor driven dehumidifiers are really much like air conditioners except that they don't vent hot air outside. These work well in hot climates but they do raise the temperature a couple of degrees. They also don't work well in cold climates (below around 60 degrees Fahrenheit). These pull similar amps to an A/C unit, so, in the end, this means that we may as well just run the A/C instead and save the cost, space, and weight of adding additional equipment in the way of compressor driven dehumidifiers.
Thermo-Electric Dehumidifiers
These don't do well in a high humidity environment, like a boat on water. Also, when it is too cold or too hot, thermo-electric humidifiers don't absorb moisture very well, which also makes them a poor choice for places we will visit, some of which will have extreme temperatures.
Desiccant Dehumidifiers
These work well in cold climates, but tend to heat the air up about 10 degrees, so not great for hot locations. These don't pull a lot of amps, less than A/C, but since they don't work well in hot places, the only time they will be useful is when we are visiting cold climates (and we might get a few for those years, like when we are in the UK, Northern Europe, or Alaska, then get rid of them once we leave for warmer locations).
As you can see, dehumidifiers don't work well for a boat. Fans are a better solution so we will go over those next.
Fans are the least expensive in power to get a lot of cooling and dehumidifying on a boat.
Caframo Ultimate 747/757 fan
Compact, Powerful 12 and 24 Volt Cabin Fans
The quiet and compact Ultimate provides airflow equal to much larger fans yet draws less than an amp. The grill-free fan has a shock absorbing FingerSafe blade that makes it whisper quiet. The 747 Ultimate comes with a suction cup mount that enables the fan to be moved about the boat, it also includes a 6' cord with lighter plug. An optional clothespin-style clamp allows for additional positioning.
First Choice of Boaters All Over the World
Compact Design Fits in Tight Spaces
2 Speed, Low Power-Draw Motor
Grill-free and Whisper Quiet
Available in 12 and 24 Volts Options
Available in Direct Wire or Lighter Plug Adapter
Item Dimensions 2.5 x 5.25 x 8 inches (LxWxH)
Caframo Bora Fan
Compact & quiet 12V OR 24V fans for marine and RV use
The Bora is a favorite of both boat manufacturers and boat owners. This high-performance cabin fan offers quiet operation and impressive airflow. RV owners also appreciate its small size yet powerful air output. Made in the Canada by Caframo Limited, the Bora is backed by one-call support for any manufacturer defects up to 2 years after purchase.
Available in 12V or 24V models.
WEIGHT (LBS) 1.59
CFM ON HIGH 130
CURRENT DRAW ON LOW 0.15A (12V) 0.06A (24V)
CURRENT DRAW ON HIGH 0.27A (12V) 0.18 (24V
INFORMATION
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