Spring is coming, the days are getting longer and the sailing season will soon be upon us. So if its also time to get your boat organised for some Mediterranean cruising, have you got marine air conditioning on your wish list? if so, we can help. We are offering 20% off the main Climma Marine Air Conditioning units throughout March, from the mini Compact 3.5 to the largest Compact 24, we will have the correct sized marine air conditioning unit for your boat.

When do you need Marine Air Conditioning?

While marine air conditioning is not essential for the cruising the Med, it is certainly an important consideration if you are likely to be spending any time in marinas. Anyone who has sailed or cruised the Med will know that a boat sitting at anchor will lie to the wind, so even a gentle breeze will massively help to reduce the heat on board, especially with your hatches open and wind scoops deployed. Compare that with a marina where it is a very different experience. You are normally surrounded by high buildings reflecting the heat back into the dock area, preventing any breeze from circulating through your boat, while the sun beats down mercilessly all day. In short, the boat becomes unbearably hot during the day and takes a very long time to cool back down in the eveningmaking it very uncomfortable to stay on board during the day and difficult to sleep at night. So, while it is a relatively expensive upgrade, a properly installed, water cooled, marine air conditioning system will transform the boat, bringing the ambient temperature down to a comfortable level, allowing you to stay cool down below during the day and get to sleep at night.

What size marine air conditioning unit do you need?

You can run a 24,000 Btu of air conditioning unit from a 16A shore power supply, more than enough cooling capacity for the saloon of a decent sized 50 foot sailboat, so even if you don't have space to install a generator it is still well worth fitting an air conditioning unit in your boat. The size of unit depends on several factors:

• The volume of the space
• The level of cooling required (normally referred to as the Temperature differential from ambient or delta T)
• The amount of windows and glazing - a wheel house has a far higher cooling load than a sleeping cabin
• The total number of people on board

Email us details of the boat make and model, an idea of the cabins you want to cool and where you are cruising and we will do the BTU calculation to give you a recommended BTU load for each space. We can then recommend the size of Compact unit and possible places to locate it.

Where to locate a marine Air Conditioner?

With air conditioning you are trying deliver dense cold air high up - ideally projected across the head lining of the cabin to give the best coverage of the space. This means the air grills need to be placed as high as possible. Low down outlets will free your toes and little else! The AC unit itself is best fitted low down, for noise, vibration also for running condensate drains. An ideal location is under a bunk or seating area where the mattress or cushions act to baffle the noise, with the cold air then ducted up to the outlet higher up. See the example below:

[caption id="attachment_1136" align="alignleft" width="368"] Typical layout[/caption]

For aft cabin installations you can also look at fitting the unit in the lazarette and again ducting the air forwards and back - but be aware of where the steering quadrants are located and make sure you can get sufficient return air back to the unit.

20% off Climma Marine Air Conditioning in March

The good news is that we are offering a 20% discount on Climma Marine Air Conditioning units throughout March. Follow the link below to find the correct sized unit, which is available as a kit or as a stand alone unit.

Follow this link for more details on the Climma Compact Range

Alternatively send us an inquiry with details of your boat (make and model), the areas you want to cool and where you will be cruising and we can generally do the rest. Although we don't install air conditioning at Penguin, we supply lots of people who do, many of who will travel, so if you need a complete supply and fit we can assist.

Send us an email ([email protected]) and we will happily provide you with our ideas on the best way to air condition your boat along with a quote to carry out the work.