Will we be able to run our 16,000 Btu AC off our lithium battery bank?! (Calico Skies Sailing Ep 93)

[@13rwaldrop]

Awesome job, y'all! I just installed my 3rd AC unit aboard our Hatteras. One recommendation - Make yourself a flushing hose to connect a shore water hose to the raw water inlet for flushing mud out. There will be things that get past your strainers, or in my case the 2-month old MarinAire unit had paint inside the water outlet. When you start noticing a drop in performance, flush the system and see if it doesn't come right back to awesome. And kudos for making it a beautiful finished job.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Great tip! Smart to be able to flush the unit out occasionally. We've had to clear the strainer a couple time already!

[@raybedell883]

I once had to dove over and Plus k Out an "ice bag" that was sucked into the Intake. It was a Wonderful Setting on Block Island R.I. BUT.... At the Time the water was full of Jellys!...Yuck! Note: make sure your INLET has a "BAY Stainer" on it. That will also keep out Eel grass. Just sayin'.... Happy Sailing...

[@feathersky860]

BILL of ALL TRADES~as of Jack~EXCELLENT JOB ✔️ ⛵️ 💙

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

🤣🥰

[@allenshepherd5225]

Great job Bill and Grace. I appreciate your inventiveness!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks! 😍

[@trinadecker657]

Love the shot at the end in front of the a/c and the food!🤣.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

haha 😂 😆

[@jginmt]

"That was painful, Yep" cracked me up

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

@@jginmt LOL

[@sockeyevoyages8840]

Agreed! The was a hilarious ending!

[@tvonzweck]

Ending was great... Like proud new parents.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

😂

[@ninline2000]

You're getting better and better at these projects Bill. Practice makes perfect! :)

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks 👍 It's getting easier as we go on!

[@marisaconner628]

Impressive install! That’s so amazing you can run it off your lithium battery pack!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thank you! It's been a game changer!

[@marisaconner628]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing I’ll bet it is! I told my husband he has to watch this so we can replicate…but we would have to make a lot of upgrades to do it…such as lithium batteries!

[@strong002]

thank you so much for sharing your lives and adventures with us.

[@maureenb7399]

That all went right over my head but I just ❤️ watching your channel!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks for watching!!! 🥰We should be done with the technical videos for a bit as we get down to some good ole' cruising!!

[@maureenb7399]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing Regardless, your content is unique and enjoyable. Keep it up! Maureen from Canada.

[@allmomomosthomebus3895]

Nice work! Those 4+" large hole saws are even more fun on steel with a corded half inch drill. Damn near ripped my arm off when using one on the bus conversion.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

😂😂 yea transmit a lot of torque to the arms!

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

I watch so many channels that are unable to use their air conditioning because they don't want to have their generator or their engine running to charge their batteries and most don't have enough solar or enough lithium batteries to make a workable system. There are very few channels that ever let it be known how hot, sweaty and uncomfortable they really are. It is only when guests come to visit that we might get to see how hard it is to sleep. Congratulations on your beautiful installation and it was amazing to see all of the hurdles that you had to overcome.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

It's a game changer! Even just a couple hours of running the air con removes the humidly and makes the boat so much more comfortable!

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing Maybe I would consider sailing around the world, if I could only stop my constant throwing up from many types of movements.

[@songsinthedrawer]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing Absolutely, Getting rid of the humidity is what does it. Living in the humid South, this is always on our mind for when the zombies come and you go off grid. So while we have an overrated central AC that keeps it winter cold when we have grid power...also have window units in each room for using generator, and battery power. Remove the humidity in a room, cut it off, go to the next room. Very comfortable. Once the humidity is removed, we can go with a large temp rise before it gets uncomfortable. This great video should have links for off grid folks, they would get a lot of useful info from it.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

@@songsinthedrawer Getting rid of the humidity so good for the boat too, reduce mold issues. That's a good idea to share it with off grid folks. There is a lot of crossover with the systems!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

@@mitchellbarnow1709 Dang it! Yea sailing around the world may not be the best option if susceptible to motion sickness 😂!

[@Ferinm]

Amazing job brother Bill. You have amazing craftsmanship and are a good handyman

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks!!! 😊 🙏

[@nickwebster1473]

Awesome video!!!

[@donnakawana]

Great job guys!! Team work makes the dream work!!! ✌🏻💗😊❣️

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Yes it does!😍

[@redbovine]

Drill goes zoom. Operator goes owwwww. I can relate to that.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

🤪Lot of torque with that big of a hole saw!!

[@jbsanger696]

Great job! Stay cool!!!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks! Its amazing we can turn the boat into a meat lockers 😂

[@stevelambert7496]

Nice job Bill. It must be a great addition in Panama

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks Steve! I don’t think we’d be able to be down here right now without air con 🥵

[@sandycrane1739]

One fine AC install.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thank you :)

[@joecucch8261]

Good looking heat pump installation !! As a journeyman HVAC technician for fifteen years I can tell you an unfiltered supply duct feeding the evaporator coil with supply air will clog the fins with dust, skin particles, atomized grease and oils from the galley and many other sources leading to many headaches in a relatively short amount of time. Please make sure to install a filter and a means to clean it or replace it on a regular basis. Lastly, ENJOY !!!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks for the tips! There is a filter on the unit, although the shelf is installed over it so I will have to remove ofr cleaning or get a vacuum attachment in there. Maybe I should throw another filter behind the teak register to make it easier to clean.. :)

[@joecucch8261]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing One good filter where the return air (the air entering to feed the evaporator coil) enters should be satisfactory.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

@@joecucch8261 Cool yep there is one on the unit

[@joecucch8261]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing You should be in good shape !!

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

Bill... I LOVE the electrics explanation... and the bewildered acceptance by Grace. Ok, if you say so honey!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

😂🤪

[@bigred5535]

A lot of hard work...geez! The ending was cute.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Big project but well worth it! :)

[@upinyou8]

Love it thanks

[@StealthMode139]

Good Job on the AC install. You will sleep much better. Love you guys from FL :)

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thats for sure!!! The boat is in a slip for rainy season and its down right cozy!

[@MK-gr9qz]

Love it🤟

[@ScoopdyWhoop]

I didnt know you guys had a channel!!!

[@KP-bg3sr]

I love your videos. You two are just so real. 😆 y’all make me laugh. 🤣

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Glad you like them! 😎

[@SpartyTime]

I run a small window AC unit on my sailboat at anchor. But with a small battery bank I can only run it for a few hours unless the sun is up. I have 1150W of solar. Great video guys. I'm tempted to get a built in unit now.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

We went back and forth as to whether we should just pickup a window unit when we arrived to Panama or go for the built in unit. We decided we didn't want to store the unit as we travel around. We also felt its a bit better for safety as we can lock the cabin, we were originally heading for Guatamala where theft is an issue and you need to be able to secure the cabin. The reverse cycle heat will be nice if we eventually make it to NZ as a backup to our diesel heater. We have 1140w of solar and 600 amps of lithium. We were able to get a couple hours of air con in the afternoon and still be fully charged at the end of the day. This is when we were in Florida where it was very sunny. Now that we are in rainy season in Panama we can no longer do that. But luckily the Honda 2200 powers it with no issue once started and also slips are affordable in Central America. 😎

[@DowneastThunderCreations]

👍👍👍

[@nancyrautmann1636]

lmao you guys are a riot! Good job Bill & Grace!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

😂🙃😍

[@allied1394]

Crank up the vacuum suck that dust out of the air as your cutting so it doesn’t end up in ur mouth. Great work air conditioning is gonna make a huge difference in your comfort while cruising

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

😂yea not my finest moment LOL. I think there was some project fatigue towards the end there! It's been an absolute game changer as we are now in Panama during rainy season. Add's so much comfort!

[@lyndacuppage7353]

Every square inch extra must feel so good

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Especially for Grace, she is a bit of a food hoarder! We are going through lockers as we prep to leave the boat in Panama for the rainy season and we still have about 4 months of food left onboard HAHAH

[@NUSSIE123]

I LIKE THE TTYC PENNANT

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Isn't that awesome! One of our patrons made it for us as well as t-shirts :)

[@lmrstrrs]

💗💗💗

[@ChrisandEileen]

WHoa.. You know when you get to invested in a show and bam its over with.. that time went by so fast.. I wish all shows were like this.. Totally love you guys. Do you have any Decals people can buy to slap on stuff like what Delos has ?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

aww thanks!! Glad to here you enjoyed it 😍! We were wondering how interested people would be in all the inverter tech info HAHA We have a shop with stickers and stuff :) calicoskiessailing.com/get-your-calico-skies-gear/

[@ChrisandEileen]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing I am no geek but i love the DIY side of what you guys are doing. I also did find your shop after i made the comment.. Now its just paying some bills and seeing what i have left over to get me some decals. ( sadly i live off SSD from a work injury so i rarely get outside )

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

@@ChrisandEileen Send us a dm and we will send some decals out to you, no charge :)

[@ChrisandEileen]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing I didnt know how to send a dm from YT so i messaged you on Instagram. Thanks ! I totally appreciate it.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

@@ChrisandEileen Cool we sent em out!

[@annafraley5388]

Wow, that was a Lot of holes to drill, Bill 😱🤔👏. We’ve only watch a few videos now, the First 10 or so, and these last 3, BUT, we put you at being one of these three occupations... (1) an Aircraft A&P mechanic... (2) a Marine, like a Tugboat mechanic 🧑‍🔧 or (3) a apartment building handyman mechanic, this all considering the NYC area, What say yee..?? 😎

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks for watching! HAHA Bill was actually a CPA at a Hedge Fund, go figure?! LOL. Neither of us were very handy and Calico was entirely yard maintained as we worked a lot of hours in NYC. We made it a mission to get more handy bc you can't call a a mechanic when crossing an ocean!

[@annafraley5388]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing ... Hahah, Yes, I was just saying that, “Watch, he was Probably a tech support guy (software, hard drives, etc) on Wallstreet, or a stock trader...!! 🤔🤭🤷🏻‍♂️ You all did really good then adapting to all this boat work, just like Brian did going from writing code to a sailboat handy man. 😎👍✅ BTW, I counted, and we have watched the first 21 videos and the last 3 now... So yeah, lots to catch up on 😁

[@richb313]

Great job guys. For storage solutions look to how submarines store their food taking advantage of any odd shaped space.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

very cool! I didn't know that about submarines! Makes total sense :)

[@rhirwin10]

Three thumbs up!!! I rate your blogs by how many holes are drilled in your boat. Higher scores for larger holes. I score exploratory smaller holes and holes for the jig saw and of course if the jig saw cuts a hole that is positively scored also. Perhaps you were a Swiss cheese maker or termi

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

HAHA yea I think I have PTSD from drilling so many holes in the boat!

[@roncanizares9966]

Very interesting and informative video. How many amps does the inverter draw when the A/C is on and how big is you house bank?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

It draws about 100 amps @12vdc or so. Our house bank is 600amp hours and we have 1110w of solar.

[@ninline2000]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing How many hours can you run that system off solar alone? To me, A/C is a luxury I grew up without but I can no longer sleep at night in the heat. During the day it's not a problem, I can take heat fine even while at work out in the blazing Georgia sun. When I get in bed though I love the cool and heat makes sleep miserable.

[@tim3wade4]

My guess that system will only run 2 to 3 hours on that size battery bank. Double the battery bank and double the solar and you might be in business

[@Mechone11]

Putting the hole drain hole that hi should really make you friends in a marina, nice one. And you should have put a venturi fertilizer injector in the feed line to suck the condensate instead of dumping it to the bilge

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

We have a hose we install to lower the sea water exit 👍

[@timmitchell8784]

Not sure as I haven’t read all the comments and didn’t hear you mention it. But that A/C unit has a reversing valve which will let it heat as well as cool.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

yep we have a reversing valve on the heater, we also have a diesel heater onboard but if we are a slip it will be nice to save diesel 👍

[@chewningwitmer5806]

I really like the Woodglut plans.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Never heard of that before. Interesting!

[@LewPification]

😀😀🐠

[@9mswoody]

That was creepy at the end with fake smiles

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

😂😂😂

[@danieloliver20]

I hope you're staying cool in Bocos del Toro! 🧊🏝⛵🧊

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

We are!! The boat is now at an awesome marina where she will sit till rainy season is over!

[@jamesbrewer6789]

"prettyyy prettyyy prettyyy good."

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

😂I'm glad someone got the reference!!!! LOL

[@jasonjohnson651]

Nice job on the air conditioner. Are you running the generator more then using solar? Or are you just running the air conditioner a few hours at night? Thank you for a answering alot of air conditioner questions I have had. Especially about solar power

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

It depends on where we are! In Florida there was plenty of sun so we ran it more off of solar. Now that we are in Panama in the rainy season we are using the honda 2200 more now as there isn't as much solar power available.

[@jasonjohnson651]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing ok thank you so much! I am in Pensacola FL. And wanting air conditioner in my small sailboat. So you have made that possible now. Thank you for your help!!

[@kennethpaladino4948]

Kool! 🥶

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Installing the air con has been such a game changer!!!

[@PEI_Guy]

I gotta say you guys are gutsy to take on some of these projects. I'm just wondering if it's possible to put some type of defuser on your water outlet to cut down on the noise, taking into account that I know absolutely nothing about this type of system.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Ha projects get easier the more we do! I have a hose I can jam in the outlet and have the water release at the waterline. We haven't had to use it yet bc all our neighbors are also running air conditioning and you can't hear it inside the boats :)

[@scott3708]

What about condensation at those temps? has that been an issue?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

We layed insulation around the air ducts so it hasn't been an issue. I notice the wood grate gets some moisture if we have the cabin door left open for some reason

[@sledhead904]

Do you have it in there backwards? The suction of the fan is meant to pull from the room, "return" air

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

hmm not sure..the unit works really well!

[@syexplorarconmigo8853]

Great Job guys!! Sorry- how many Lithium AMP hours did you all upgrade to? I also have that same AC unit onboard our boat- I’ve only ever been able to run it from the dock; but this video is making me re-think the idea of getting two smaller units to run independently for the Aft Cabin / V-Berth. I’ll have to upgrade the Led acid batteries to lithium anywho- so all good stuff guys!! Thanks for posting and glad to see you guys making some comfort upgrades! Y’all work hard at this lifestyle! Cheers, Thomas & Vicki ( 🇺🇸 & 🇦🇺)

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks!! We have 600 amp hours of lithium and 1110w of solar. When we were in south Florida we were able to run the air con for an hour or two and still get fully charged by the end of the day. Now that we are in Panama for the rainy season we aren't getting as much sun so we can't do that. Once we start the compressor with our inverter we can easily power the air con with the Honda 2200 generator. Unfortunately the Honda doesn't have enough power to cycle the compressor so we make it really cold in the boat and then shut it down. We were being a bit stubborn not getting a soft start. They are like $300 and reduces the start up load so that even a honda 2000 can start the compressor.

[@syexplorarconmigo8853]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing -- so hindsight always being 20/20- Which of these scenarios do you wish you would/could have done= Move up to an additional 800amp hours to be able to run the Air Conditioning off solar? Or would simply adding the Soft-Starter resolve the AC issue? Or would the soft start only be a band-aid in your opinion for your specific set up?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

@@syexplorarconmigo8853 Ha I think the best option would be having a built in diesel genset to run air con 😂. Adding more amp hours in the battery bank helps but you also have to put those amps back in. We are pulling about 100 amps an hour with air con running. Without a ton more solar we would never be able to run the air con overnight for example. We have a 120 amp battery charger. so it'd be an hour of generator time per hour of air con time if it isn't sunny enough. That being said it is really nice to be able to cool the cabin down for a couple hours and also suck out all the humidity. When it's really hot and rainy in Panama we've been running the air off the honda which is a nice luxury. The soft start would be nice in that application so we can keep the thermostat at a reasonable level instead of super cold to avoid cycling

[@syexplorarconmigo8853]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing - awesomeness!! Thanks- y’all stay safe out there- look forward to your Panama adventure vids!!

[@donhearn2248]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing Do you feel you have BTU overkill?. I have seen several 4000 BTU units with draw rates of 25-35 amps. Great Videos BTW quickly becoming one of my favorite sailing channels.

[@richardmikesell1335]

you guys are funny

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

😂

[@marklapierre5629]

That's a pretty stout bulkhead. Is it a structural bulkhead? Do you need any structural compensation for those hole cuts?

[@raybedell883]

Nice "Install Bill. Man things have changed as far as power options. I remember sitting on and Old Chris Craft " Connie" in College Point staring at a "synchonization light" for motors thinking " Wow, Space Age!". Now with panels and turbines and inverters " We're Baking in COOLED galleys on The HOOK!... Just tbe Whole FOILING THING now? It's ALLOT for and Old Wooden Sailboat guy to take in. But I'm Really Cool with an ICE MAKER TOO?... ha ha. So the $64,000. Question IS...." NY. NY. " Whereabouts? You look familiar Capt. Your Mrs. is Delightful and well chosen for narration. Like that Guy's Voice on that FRENCH Boat who seems to be Following you guys around. Ask him for Captn. Ray; " Hey, Do we guys OWE you Money or Something?"... I watch them like so many. You guys are New to me but I'm Likin' Ya.. I started sailing in Queens on a Wood Boat and Now I'm in the DESERT sailing in Arizona! Nope, Not East Quogue or TIANA BAY( I'll be THERE ALL NEXT WEEK!) The DESERT, with Wild Donkeys, Coyotes...and HEAT! Brother like WE on Long Island NEVER imagined. Well enough for now, just this... C'mon Out, We'll copy your NEW SYSTEM on My Hunter 260( stand bye vessel) and I'll FOOT Your Ticket and Keep! Like ALL GOOD Captains DO!...P.S. Do an episode on MEZCAL when you get South. With the WORM!..(Con Gusano) Big Boy Stuff"... Lol... Enjoy People.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

It's crazy right?! Lithium batteries, powerful inverters and solar panels. We are like a floating power plant on top of a sailboat LOL. We've been living aboard full time and traveling now for five years and it's nice to have some creature comforts. I grew up on Long Island, mostly in the Smithtown area. We kept the boat in Manhasset Bay for years before sailing away. We lived in Manhattan 7,8 years and then moved to Sunnyside, Queens which felt more like "real NY" to us. Such a vibrant and diverse neighborhood! We were just in Arizona in July visiting Graces Mom and Sister, man it is it hot there! LOL

[@raybedell883]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing Small world Bill. My Mentor in Sailing WAS a Blonde...from Manhasset Bay! Manhasset Isle?... In the port. Her Pop was a Thistle Champ. I'm a "Bayside Boy" who did summer in The Hamptons as a kid. ( was'nt Like THAT! lol)...but IT STUCK! Retired electrician from N.Y.C. who has a 10 year Old @ 59..? So, We sail, Snorkel...raise EMU. Don't ALL the "Cool Kids " have EMU FARMS? The Stories are Endless. I'm in New River, where in PHX. Did you stay? I'm now, getting ready to go Off grid up North on 40acres. That's When "DADDY BOLTS!" I've been shopping Hard for My NEXT Vessel. I like the center cock pits the most with aft staterooms. I had a Cheribini Hunter for 20 something years and Donated it to Children'sCancer foundation when I made the Move Outta NY. I gotta get ouuta the Desert for 6 months a year moving forward. It starts THIS FALL in Florida.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

@@raybedell883 We kept the boat at MICA, Manhasset Isle Civic Association while there, great little community. We stayed in Scottsdale, AZ with Grace's sister. I grew up sailing on a Cherubini Hunter 27 on the Great South Bay. Great boat. My Grandfather was an electrician at Rockefeller center his entire career 👍

[@raybedell883]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing wow, that's Creepy....I Knew Mi.C.A. WELL! I had the 37!...a beast under 130 jenny! Now Tiana Bay. Local 3! You and ME! Lol. My Italian Great Grand Father was foreman in charge of Demolition in1931? He and HIS CREW Put up the FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE EVERRR! Photo's in the Times! "My Mom's Pop founded and Built the D.A.V. in Scottsdale in the 70's...? Stories Forever!"... I stopped a 50 horse Merc with My Knee under the Whitestone Bridge at 18 while Active Navy...STILL HERE...with 2 FINNS! Lol. [e-mail] " Brother"...

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

@@raybedell883 Wow crazy, my grandfather was Local 3 as well. Very cool! He used to setup the tree lights as well! Such a small world. His name was Michael Bavaro, also Italian!

[@benmason1980]

Hey Bill, this is so awesome and I have an almost identical setup but had not tried our built-in AC until this video inspired me to turn it on today. (We bought a lightning damaged boat 6 months ago so have been fixing it on the hook). We have the same inverter charger, 800ah of lithium and a Harbour Freight 2000w generator which we plug into the shore power. Would you mind posting your Victron settings on AC Input Limit, Dynamic Power Assist etc? I tried mine today and the AC powered up but tripped the generator after 5 minutes. I tried a whole bunch of different settings and don't understand why the draw on then generator is enough to trip it. It's working load is 1600w so I was being conservative. I'm wondering if the existing wiring setup is the problem. I can see Power Assist kick in on some other stuff but I think the water heater and AC are wired to be on shore power only, so Power Assist doesn't kick in, even though the power is passing-through the inverter charger. I'm confused - any pointers very much appreciated!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

After the fact we added a soft start to the our air conditioner, way better for all the gear. I don't think the BMS on the lithiums likes the spike in power associated with the LRA of the air con. It can damage the circuity. With the soft start the compressor very slow starts up 👍. We have an Micro Air Easy Start battlebornbatteries.com/product/easystart-364-3-ton-soft-starter/

[@stevelambert7496]

Hey Bill how well does it reduce the humidity on the boat is it similar to what you would see in an automotive application? Second question were you nervous about cutting a 4 inch hole in the bulkhead from a structural perspective? That was a good picture of you guys at the end

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

It greatly reduces the humidity in the cabin. Right now the humidity level in the cabin is 55% and its rainy seasons so extremely humid outside. We had to plumb in a condensation drain attached to a tray that the compressor sits in. It puts off a surprising amount of water. Kicks our bilge pump on four times a day. We have a counter on the bilge and typically it doesn't run at all when sitting at anchor. I was a bit nervous about putting that big of a hole in the bulkhead. Luckily we had other Sabre 36 owners to chat with and they sent pictures of their installs and we modeled off of that for the ducting. I tried to keep as far away as possible from the chainplates on the bulkhead, so far so good 🤞

[@patrickjohn2990]

Nice job. One question, by putting the AC output that high up on the hull what happens when you are dock on that side of the boat?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

we have a hose we can put in the exit to have the water exit down low by the waterline.

[@tomcraddock244]

Smile ! No you smile.I don’t want to smile.well I don’t want to smile either! OK let’s just both do pretend smiles. Hilarious 😂🤣😂🤣😂cool breeze

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

🤪ohh the things we do to get a youtube thumbnail! LOL. It's important to have fun and not take it too seriously :)

[@miketcq8]

Only Americans sail with AC, do you still have some space for food on board... Love your channel and your attitude to problems solving. I have one question, do you wire the Honda straight into the shore-power input? Do you have any issues with ground and earth?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

HAHA but it is just so nice!!! To be fair we did make it 11 years without one onboard 😂 I think converting the hanging locker to include shelves actually utilizes the space better and we actually got a little extra storage space 😀. Yep we run the Honda straight into the shore power via an an adapter. No issues with ground so far. We just changed our prop zinc after a year and a half. I just went down a rabbit hole on cruisers forum on the topic tho, interesting question!

[@buckboardfreight5537]

How long will the batteries run the a/c before you have to turn the generator on? 100 amps is a lot like you said.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

We get an hour or two a day when it's sunny and still have full batteries at nightfall. The Solar reduces the load and to like 40-50 amps. If we don't have the sun we will fire up the Honda 2200 to power the air con

[@connietraines9409]

Nice job! Its not easy to find room and install an AC unit in a small boat. So a big thumbs up. You will definitely enjoy having this in the tropics. How long do you think you can run it off of your batteries?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Thanks! We feel like we almost got more usable space getting rid of the hanging locker and adding shelves over the air con. The closet space isn't really optimizing space on a boat of our size!

[@Jackanory222]

what was the inverter model number you used? Interested in looking up the ability to common up combine shore power and inverter power. 100amps dc continuous is a lot of amps ...... depending on the distance it has to travel ie battery to inverter, is the gauge of the 12 v and gnd return cables adequate to handle that without overheating? not trying to second guess you but wiring issues are a real hazard on boats and I'd rather pipe up and ask the questions. Again, well done on this project.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

We have a Victron Energy MultiPlus 3000 the feature is called PowerControl. Yep the inverter is right next to the battery bank with appropriate size wiring and fuses between the two. We had the first inverter professionally installed while we were working and they did a great job :) Always good to double check tho!

[@TERMIN8TOR99]

I'm having priming issues, do you think a check valve after the seacock may solve this.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

hmm maybe, the water level in the hoses is going to stay at the waterline of the boat, a a check-valve above the water line may help keep it primed. I think we have issues because I installed the reject line up high so I need to help the water along to get it flowing initially.

[@TERMIN8TOR99]

I have a t fitting installed on my input to pump hose, with a hose and a valve that I open and prime system with.

[@davefoster7770]

16000 BTU? 43c here today. Mines not that big and I live in a house. Start up draw is a biggie. In the old days the entire area's power would go out at 6.30 - 7.00pm as everyone got home from work and urgently start the life support system at the same time. The ability to turn electricity into cool air is often underrated. Enjoy.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Ha one of the places we contacted wanted us to go to 18,000 btu, I though 16,000 was more than enough! We have the ability to get the boat pretty cool!

[@steffennylenna8889]

nice vid....how long can the ac go on the batteries?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Well it depends on how sunny it is, on a sunny day we can get an hour or two and still be fully charged at the end of the day. When it is cloudy we will start the air con on the inverter and the turn on our honda 2200 to power the air con!

[@superyachtsurveysltd1082]

vaya che ciapusa !

[@jameshamilton6598]

What unit is this?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Webasto FCF 16k BTU :)

[@davidalbright7335]

We ran 600ah lithiums on a Victron 3000/120/50 and REMOVED the 16k BTU onboard, water-cooled Cruisair unit that was inefficient. Replaced it with a 5k BTU portable window unit that we drop in the companionway opening, when needed. $200 on Amazon. It will run 24/7 on ECO mode. 37% humidity inside the cabin is nice. No bugs. No sticky and it takes 20% off the SOC overnight. We are in the boatyard, converting to electric propulsion. We have 14 x 100ah 12v lithiums to power a 300ah 48v propulsion bank and 1.2kw of solar. Hats off on your install. You will appreciate the ability to cool and reduce humidity. Operate at solar noon on full charge and you skate for free!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Wow that is quite the battery bank!! Will you have regen on the drive as well? Always curious about electric drive! We considered a window unit as well. That was the first idea lol. It seemed like one more thing we'd have to store and our boat is pretty full. Converting the hanging locker to have shelves actually opened more storage space for us. So it felt like a good compromise :)

[@davidalbright7335]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing, yes, we have regen when sailing. It will add about as much as a wind generator - 300 or so watts at 6kts. We had hoped to love on our remanufactured Yanmar for a few years. Wasn't meant to be. She died on the ICW when the supposedly remanufactured heat exchanger opened up and pissed all the coolant out of the exhaust. Cracked the head, destroyed a couple of cylinders and totaled the engine. Electric made sense. We were 75% of the way there, when tragedy struck. Even with the expense of 8 more lithiums, it was $12k cheaper than a Yanmar replacement. We like to sail. That's why we don't have a cat. Good luck on your brief hiatus. I hope you hit a ton of business and get back out there doing what you were born to do.

[@dingo397]

WOW .....I'm impressed she Put on lipstick to fill her new food space....lmao. Good Job on the install.....by the way, how is it holding up in Panama ????

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

🤪the air con is doing amazing here in Panama! It's be hot and humid in rainy season without it!

[@sailingwind326]

How is the A/C treating you guys now I hear it's hot 🔥🥵😳

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

It's amazing!! It's rainy and hot here in Panama. We are tied up to a nice marina at a reasonable cost. Pretty awesome!!

[@sailingwind326]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing sweet

[@wayneanderson1641]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing what Marina are you at and what do they charge

[@cajunvideos]

easy to spot someone who rolls the peace lol eyes dont lie

[@kimberlydeann]

Dude, multitool.

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

We have one! Which part is best to use a multitool? :)

[@urlkrueger]

Somebody needs to get that man a Lego Set so he will stop drilling and sawing holes in her boat. Or was this her idea?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

HAHAHA Legos were Bill's favorite toy as a kid, go figure! We should be done making holes for a while now :)

[@petertorrey4080]

Im curious....do you think there is still a quantum leap to be made in climate control for smaller yachts?

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

I sure hope so! Either battery/solar technology has to keep improving or we need to find away to reduce the load it takes to cool.

[@petertorrey4080]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing Yea...it seems that battery tech has already reached its zenith..we shall see! Thanks for the response and, btw, nice job! There is nothing like ac to take the edge off of humidity and heat on a yacht interior of any size.

[@rogerkerkmann]

@@CalicoSkiesSailing they already have it half the power three times the price check out maybru AC units 👍🤔

[@shaneriehl223]

You’re gonna be much cooler... but I think you just took about $20K off any possible asking price if/when you sell your boat given that install.... It looks like an Engineer did it: if it works it’s perfect!

[@CalicoSkiesSailing]

Ha! We didn't film all the final touch for the cabinetry and staining the wood to match, it looks much more finished :)