The air conditioner is going to be installed under the vee berth, as the admiral wasn't a fan of giving up hanging locker space other than to allow some duct routing. Has anyone replaced one or more of the drawers or the tilt out lockers in the vee berth with a return air grill? If so, how did you mount it and what size grill did you use? I'm trying to determine if I need to source a custom sized grill or if an "off the shelf" size will work but forgot to measure the drawer sizes and spacing while I was last onboard.
We'll either sacrifice the two lowest drawers under the insert, or one of the tilt out shoe lockers. Any lessons learned are appreciated!
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Dan & Amanda Reed
1989 Catalina 36 #947 Miss America
Fin Keel Std Rig
FL Panhandle
A prior owner installed the heat pump/AC in our boat that way. In response to another owner's query, I posted bunch of photos a few years ago in this thread: https://www.catalina36.org/forum/technical-discussion/ac-advice-mk-i , but, alas, when the site changed over from a different forum program many (but not all) of the photos disappeared, including of the return grate.
I've attached an older shot from a few years back, below.
Bottom line is that 1) the starboard tilt out locker was replaced with a grille that is substantially the size of the drawer front, and 2) the ducting inside the hanging locker takes up some room, but not that much (https://www.catalina36.org/sites/default/files/forum/07_3.JPG )
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Related to this subject...our air return grill is spaced about 2-3 inches from the AC intake. That gap appears to suck in a fair amount of bilge air with holding tank and other oders, and send the smell throughout the ductwork in the aft and forward cabins, and head. I'm tolerant of a little boat smell, but the Admiral is more sensative, and prefers to live without the AC/Heat. I'm planning on building a collar to connect the return grate to the AC blower to minimize bilge oders. I also want to build a grate cover, as oders seem to waft out without the unit running. I keep the bilge as dry as possible, use fresh water for flushes and vinegar in the head, but some oders still persist. Has anyone tried a grate cover and/or collar and noticed any improvement?
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
If you have holding tank odors - It is time to replace your black water lines. Go with a high quality line like Raritan Sani-Flex -- expect to pay north of $10/ft -- install cheaper stuff and you will be replacing it again in a year. -- The test for saturated hoses is to wipe the tubing with a clean rag then sniff - if you smell effluent - replace the hoses.
You might also try a bigger vent, This is on my lower priority to-do list - but the Catalina holding tank vent is just too wimpy to keep good aerobic conditions in the tank - when it goes anaerobic is when the stink happens.
Look for Peggy Hall's book it is full of useful info on boat odors.
Les
Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor.
Commodore
Thanks Les. I'll give it the wipe test and go with Raritan if it flunks.
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
Thanks, all for the feedback. I was actually considering fabricating a collar to keep the bilge and void air from being drawn into the return. Also looking at adding the eductor pumps to the discharge line to send the condensate overboard instead of into the bilge.
Dan & Amanda Reed
1989 Catalina 36 #947 Miss America
Fin Keel Std Rig
FL Panhandle
You may want to check this link,
http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1%7C6880%7C2061076%7C2061077%...
I just installed it. Great kit! Easy installation and it works great. No more condensate in bilge. Not sure how it matches up price wise, but everything necessary was in the kit.
Roger Hare
Synchronicity, 2006 Cat 36 Mk II, #2283
Cayuga Lake, NY
That's exactly the setup I was looking at. Glad to hear that they work, as I really didn't want to rig up a condensate pump and intentionally putting water in the bilge doesn't seem right!
Dan & Amanda Reed
1989 Catalina 36 #947 Miss America
Fin Keel Std Rig
FL Panhandle
My AC is also in the V-berth. The PO installed it and did a horrible job. It was mounted to the side with a mount Glued to the hull that had broken loose and the whole unit slid into the V. It still ran though???
He also mounted a large aluminum intake grate by cutting out the starboard tilt out drawer face - Doh!
I hated it. So I rebuilt the door face frame and purchased a new louver insert - looks much better. Also mounted a filter on the back to try to control dust getting to the cooling fins. Seems to work fine.
I have not addressed the bilge odor issue mentioned above - and it is very noticeable when we close things up and run the AC or heat. I place a Tea-Tree oil canister inside the door - not sure it helps.
_____________
Harold Baker
S/V Lucky Duck
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan Michigan - Lake Huron
1989 C-36 mkI TR/WK M25XP
Harold,
That teak louvre grate looks really nice! Did you custom order that?
We are looking at mounting options for ours, I was actually thinking of putting the unit on a shelf glassed in up further forward, as my measurements didn't look like i'd be able to properly fit the unit directly behind the either of the tilt-outs without mounting it on a rather extreme angle.
Dan & Amanda Reed
1989 Catalina 36 #947 Miss America
Fin Keel Std Rig
FL Panhandle
Dan:
I rebuilt the tip out face (best I could) and purchased a teak insert from Amazon for ~$50 (Seateak Louvered insert). The door was pretty badly chopped up so I didn't have anything to loose by trying to make my own. I did not really find any other solution that would have been that cheap.
If you don't want to cut up your tip out you could make a frame from scratch and insert that louver. it does take a few wood working tools to make that happen and I realize that not everyone is in to that.
As far as mounting the AC - mine was mounted on the side originally but did not stay there. I made a frame to allow it to sit centered above the V but I don't have anything in front of my drawers. It is very noisey if you sleep in the V-berth but if not it is a good solution.
_____________
Harold Baker
S/V Lucky Duck
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan Michigan - Lake Huron
1989 C-36 mkI TR/WK M25XP
Matthew, Harold, and all, thanks again for all the feedback. Our installation isn't quite "complete" as I have a few details to wrap up next trip to the boat, but we DO now have air conditioning!
We ended up going with two units (a 10K forward and a 6K aft) for a total of 16,000 BTU's of cooling. with the aft cabin closed off, the 10K does a phenomenal job of cooling the vee berth and main cabin. The system is very quiet up under the Vee, and we only gave up a little bit of hanging space.
I'll start gathering up my pictures from the install and put together a technical article on the "from scratch" installation of A/C in a MK1. It's really nice having to steal blankets... on a boat... in Florida... in August!
Thanks again for all the help!
Dan & Amanda Reed
1989 Catalina 36 #947 Miss America
Fin Keel Std Rig
FL Panhandle