Jump to content

How Do You Keep Cool In This Metal Box?!


Salopgal

Featured Posts

OK, so I'm a newbie and this is my first summer owning a boat, but when she's been shut up all day because I'm at work and no opportunity to give her an airing, it is absolutely unbearably hot when opening up late afternoon.

 

She's 52 foot long, fully portholed and none of them open. She has fore and aft hatches, one side hatch roughly mid way, one houdini hatch, one pigeon hatch and only two mushroom vents. If there's no breeze at all, it's still staggeringly hot inside and I'm suffering... sad.png

 

I'd really love to know what nifty ideas folk have found for cooling the boat interior down quick enough to not need 5 cold showers before 7pm!! I'm trying not to be a wimp, but does such a thing exist as aircon for boats, for the rare, but possibly increasing likelihood that we will have 35 degree temperatures in the near and long futures? As this will be my home, I'd like to be a bit more comfortable.

 

Pleasehelp.gif

 

Thank you! K

 

I've got one of these 18" air circulators, has done sterling service this week:

 

811AYkGIbhL._SL1500_.jpg

I open doors at bow and stern, then put it outside the door on the stern deck raised up on a couple of boxes, pointing in and slightly upwards towards the ceiling.

 

Only need to have it on low and it guarantees there will be a good breeze through the boat cheers.gif

 

OK it's a bit of a pain to store, maybe a landlubber friend could look after it the rest of the year. Reckon it'd be a good way to use up surplus solar for off-grid liveaboards too, only needs 90W and a small PSW inverter. smile.png

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited by smileypete
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lie on the floor. Its always cold at floor level inside a NB! MtB

Not on mine it's not. The inside air temp of the boat has been at 39 degrees centigrade and the laminate flooring is warm to the touch. It's not usually though! Edited by BlueStringPudding
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like a desk fan blowing over a wet towel to me.icecream.gificecream.gificecream.gif

Floor fans draw cool air from bilge, poor mans air con, works a treat, not for us at the moment though we're on dry land LOL

I did consider that, I still have the box of 1 dozen computer that I intended to use

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 2 in the kitchen that blow cool air up the back of the fridge as well as below through a plinth the fridge sits on. Also have 2 under the bed.

 

Fans are 0.32 amp and shift a fair amount of air.

 

The 2 fans under the bed hovver just above respective holes cut in the floor, they're suspended just above the holes by elastic to 4 screws set in the floor so when running their virtually noiseless. I have to access that area tomorrow so will take some photo's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 2 in the kitchen that blow cool air up the back of the fridge as well as below through a plinth the fridge sits on. Also have 2 under the bed.

 

Fans are 0.32 amp and shift a fair amount of air.

 

The 2 fans under the bed hovver just above respective holes cut in the floor, they're suspended just above the holes by elastic to 4 screws set in the floor so when running their virtually noiseless. I have to access that area tomorrow so will take some photo's.

Two fans under the bed? unsure.png You sleep on a flying bedstead ? rolleyes.gif So, I've got dust under my bed, tongue.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

12V Hover bed. Keeps you well cool.....man. And no dust Biz.wink.png

 

 

12V Hover bed. Keeps you well cool.....man. And no dust Biz.wink.png

Yes all the rage, the latest state of the art in Hover-Hoovers. closedeyes.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As mentioned photo's of the underbed bed fans.

 

bedfans_zps40afb394.jpg

 

I've run these most of the day and surprisingly even though we're out of the water the back of the boat is now quite cool compared to the front. I've had to take some floor up to do some additional wiring, and the ballast is surprisingly cool, so I think I'll leave these fans running non stop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it's not a proper air con, it's a "swamp cooler" a fan blowing through a water soaked bit of cloth.

 

Not to say it wont work, but at £79 for a £1 pc fan it would tell them to stick it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not worth it if we go back to our normal weather, but it not could you get a second set of doors fitted? Maybe just a frame with bars across- could then leave doors open but still be secure? We have frames with insect nets on them in this fashion- means the doors can be open but little critters can't get in, in your case it would stop rather larger critters getting in but would let a breeze through.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turn on a fan and aim it at your face then fill a bucket full of ice cubes, plonk it on your head, your heads heat will cause the ice to slowly melt, the resultant trickle of water running down your face will super-cool your face. Drink cups upon cups of cold tea at the same time.

Or you can cut a hole in your fridges door big enough to poke your head in. A book can be propped up in there for you to read to while away the time until things cool down. If your internal fridge light doesn't work to read by use a torch. When your heads cool enough you can swap around and shove your feet in there to cool them, that will then only leave you with the hot part left in the middle. Hope this help to cool and refresh you. closedeyes.gif

thats exactly what i done.works a treat except you have to learn to turn the pages of the book with your nose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you can move then I would move to shade somewhere...a motorway bridge or similar?...or much more preferably a wooded area? Though if it were possible I guess you would have done it so I'm not really of any help at all. ;)

Edited by Capt.Golightly
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got back from 3 weeks out and about on the GU, Oxford, Thames and not seen an inside temp above 30 as most days when not moving we were under trees. There was some pretty inventive mooring on the Thames including a couple on anchor and mudweight under trees one right by a no mooring sign ;)

Moored up at home and inside temp has shot up to 34 or it was until trusty Amcor appeared in the cratch, its now down to 28........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting.

 

Lots of high low tech ways of keeping the boat cool but completely missing the obvious....

 

...moor under a tree.

 

No trees at marina. Constant cruising not an option currently. May go for the 'big bugger' fan options - will ask for the spenny one for a birthday present next month! Thanks one and all - it's always interesting to find out what solutions folk come up with and the under bed fans weren't even on my radar!

 

My friend who is moored under trees and has cream paintwork has a lovely cool boat.

 

I've got to work with what I've got for now and moving isn't an option with work and it being my first year of owning/living aboard...

 

Thanks again! K x

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The heat is coming through the roof and the sunny side of the boat. Try setting up a submersible pump system on a basic plug timer with a hose that will take water from the canal and spread it over the roof. Maybe an old hose pipe with holes. Should only be about a two metre head so not a very big pump would be required. A cheap Chinese one should be fine for the experiment and can be used for other applications like boat washing in the cooler season.

Am thinking that a submersible pump is a really good idea. Do you recommend any particular type that's pretty compact but still efficient?

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

No trees at marina. Constant cruising not an option currently. May go for the 'big bugger' fan options - will ask for the spenny one for a birthday present next month! Thanks one and all - it's always interesting to find out what solutions folk come up with and the under bed fans weren't even on my radar!

 

My friend who is moored under trees and has cream paintwork has a lovely cool boat.

 

I've got to work with what I've got for now and moving isn't an option with work and it being my first year of owning/living aboard...

 

Thanks again! K x

 

They don't do they?

 

There's a document circulating at my mooring "The Future" and where my nice shady pontoon is there's not one tree.

 

Madness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

They don't do they?

 

There's a document circulating at my mooring "The Future" and where my nice shady pontoon is there's not one tree.

 

Madness.

 

Sorry, I don't follow. I am a bear of very little brain...

frusty.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been trying to find reviews of these just now, but no luck at all so far. I'm a bit suspicious, but there seem plenty of them around (which isn't a recommendation, I know). I'm on shore power...

There are plenty of Eco fans around !! Tis very easy to chuck money away on useless bits of kit.

 

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.