Hatteras 48' LRC Air Conditioning.

[SDTugs]

Good afternoon,

Has anyone got a 1976-1981 Hatteras 48' LRC and know the actual BTU per zone as installed by Hatteras.

My boat had the A/C removed by a previous owner and I would like to re install it. I have the Hatteras 48' LRC blueprints that show where the units go, just not what the capacity is.

Along that vane, has anyone replaced the A/C on their 48' Hatteras LRC. What brand did you replace with, how many BTU's are your system, did you use self contained, split gas, or chilled water. Did you install any units in areas that weren't factory, and why?

My intention is to go with self contained units. Reason being that wile cruising in Mexico and Central America if one unit goes down, the remainder are unaffected.

I don't particularly care for the residential style mini split or RV style units as I don't want to sacrifice deck space for the condensing units, or wall space for the air handler.

Thoughts, comments, funny stories are all welcome.

Thank you,

 

[tiltrider1]

If you are in Ensenada you will want 16,000 btu units.

 

[SDTugs]

I guess what I left out is that I am intending to put in the original 5 zones. My plan was 9k in the salon, 9K in the galley (this will give 18k in the salon galley), 14k in the pilot house, 9k in the master, and 6k in the guest stateroom. The best I have been able to find is that the typical is 48-60k BTU. After looking at specs for similar boats this seems to be about the ballpark. My boat has been heavily insulated in the overhead, bulkheads, and hull sides, as well as the deck above the engine room.

 

[ksanders]

I guess what I left out is that I am intending to put in the original 5 zones. My plan was 9k in the salon, 9K in the galley (this will give 18k in the salon galley), 14k in the pilot house, 9k in the master, and 6k in the guest stateroom. The best I have been able to find is that the typical is 48-60k BTU. After looking at specs for similar boats this seems to be about the ballpark. My boat has been heavily insulated in the overhead, bulkheads, and hull sides, as well as the deck above the engine room.

I'm la paz right now, and we have not hit our summer yet.

I have 21K for the salon/galley, and 16K for the pilothouse. I have not had to run the 10K in the master yet because being below decks it isn't bad downstairs yet, and at night it cools off quickly.

This is adequate up into the mid 90's, and might be a bit on the lower end for the hottest months, but we are planning in being up in Ensenada by then.

A FYI I also have new ceramic high tech window tinting all around, which helps a lot.

 

[Comodave]

If you are going to boat in that hot of a climate regularly then I would make exterior window covers out of Pfifertex. Keeping the heat out is much better and easier than getting rid of it once it is inside the boat. It is a very easy DIY thing to make yourself.

 

[SDTugs]

If you are going to boat in that hot of a climate regularly then I would make exterior window covers out of Pfifertex. Keeping the heat out is much better and easier than getting rid of it once it is inside the boat. It is a very easy DIY thing to make yourself.

I have them coming. They should show up in a week or two. Once we get down to Mainland Mexico, and farther south, we will still want a bunch of A/C.

 

[Comodave]

Oh absolutely. We spent 30 years in Arizona and had A/C. The first boat we bought that had A/C my wife said oh no we don’t need it. She didn’t want to spend the money. We sold that boat and I bought another boat and the first question she asked was “does it have A/C?”. I said no and she said she didn’t want that boat. I told her that I would install A/C.

 

[johnrupp]

Talk to the folks at samsmarine.com. The have all the builder info that’s available on vintage Hatt’s.

John

 

[mvweebles]

Talk to the folks at samsmarine.com. The have all the builder info that’s available on vintage Hatt’s.

John

Good suggestion. Also, with 5 AC units, getting water to them will require some logistics. I recently saw a newer boat with four zones. Had a relatively large 220vac pump with approx 1-1/2" outflow to a manifold that had 3/4" raw water supply lines to each AC unit. I believe the owner said the pump alone was over $1200.

I don't know much about large boat AC, but there has to a reason chiller systems exist. Pumping water all over the boat to 5 zones may be a stretch. But only a guess.

Good luck.

Peter

 

[pilot21]

Last year I installed a chilled water system on my 48LRC. All Dometic, 2 48,000btu VARC chillers. V berth 10,000btu, Master 16,000btu, Pilot house 24,000btu, Saloon/Galley 16,000btu X 2 and fly bridge 24,000btu.

The Varcs are variable speed with titanium coils. An economy mode allows max power usage to be set as low as 25%. Great for berths with limited shore power and using smaller 8kw Genset.


It was a big job. Running insulated water lines to each air handler took the most time.

 

[SDTugs]

Talk to the folks at samsmarine.com. The have all the builder info that’s available on vintage Hatt’s.

John

I chawed with Sam's yesterday. They got me in touch with someone at Hatteras who was able to give the specs for what was originally on my boat.

Sam's is a excellent resource.

 

[SDTugs]

Good suggestion. Also, with 5 AC units, getting water to them will require some logistics. I recently saw a newer boat with four zones. Had a relatively large 220vac pump with approx 1-1/2" outflow to a manifold that had 3/4" raw water supply lines to each AC unit. I believe the owner said the pump alone was over $1200.

I don't know much about large boat AC, but there has to a reason chiller systems exist. Pumping water all over the boat to 5 zones may be a stretch. But only a guess.

Good luck.

Peter

My plan would be to split the system and have multiple pumps. I would do pilot house, salon, galley all on one 1,000 gah pump, and do the V-berth and master on a separate pump. That way I can run the smaller generator at night and just cool the needed areas without the entire system and pumps running.

I had thought about the chilled water systems. While I like the Idea, I think I prefer stand alone stuff. Reason being if one unit goes down, I am not up the creek.

With chilled water, I would have to run supply and return lines to the engine room. That would be a bunch more of a headache than a single supply and local discharge.

I am still figuring out what I want to do. A good bit of the work I will do myself, the rest will happen at Baja Naval in Ensenada.

Thank you,

 

[Mako]

Last year I installed a chilled water system on my 48LRC. All Dometic, 2 48,000btu VARC chillers. V berth 10,000btu, Master 16,000btu, Pilot house 24,000btu, Saloon/Galley 16,000btu X 2 and fly bridge 24,000btu.

100,000btu of capacity for that size boat seems rather large. How did you calculate your needs and how is it working out for you?

 

[pilot21]

Sizing based on prior experience with this boat and direction from my workplace fleet engineer.

Not sure about the actual BTU capacity of marine units. River water temperature at home berth in Isle of Hope, GA in the summer is in th high 80s.

With the variable speed compressor and electronically controlled expansion valve it only does what it needs to maintain chilled water loop.

 

[Jeff F]

If you're sticking to the OEM arrangement check the wiring and breaker size. You should be able to infer the original sizing from that, and it might be wise to size replacements to use existing wiring.

 

[SDTugs]

If you're sticking to the OEM arrangement check the wiring and breaker size. You should be able to infer the original sizing from that, and it might be wise to size replacements to use existing wiring.

I spoke with Hatteras the other day. I was able to get what was originally used in my boat. That is at least a good place to start, and helps with the calculations I had been doing based on the volume of the spaces. My calls were a bit under OEM.

No I at least have a not less than spot. And with that in mind, a modern unit, and the fact that my boat has been heavily insulated I will probably go with something similar.

Thank you,

 

[ranger58sb]

I spoke with Hatteras the other day. I was able to get what was originally used in my boat. That is at least a good place to start, and helps with the calculations I had been doing based on the volume of the spaces. My calls were a bit under OEM.

And what were the originals?

I'd guess you're best off also matching supply wiring/breakers for each system and (pre-existing?) ducting for each zone.

FWIW, we have five zones, five self-contained units, and two pumps. Two 16K BTU units for saloon and galley, one 12K for master, one 12K for guest staterooms... all on one pump. 3/4" supply hose from pump to 1:4 manifold, 5/8" supply and drain lines from manifold to units to overboard.

Reasonably well insulated boat, I think, but we still tinted the forward "windshield" and cockpit sliding door... and we use mesh cover over the front, too, at least in July and August.

Our flybridge is the fifth zone, 27K, on it's own pump.

-Chris

 

[SDTugs]

And what were the originals?

I'd guess you're best off also matching supply wiring/breakers for each system and (pre-existing?) ducting for each zone.

FWIW, we have five zones, five self-contained units, and two pumps. Two 16K BTU units for saloon and galley, one 12K for master, one 12K for guest staterooms... all on one pump. 3/4" supply hose from pump to 1:4 manifold, 5/8" supply and drain lines from manifold to units to overboard.

Reasonably well insulated boat, I think, but we still tinted the forward "windshield" and cockpit sliding door... and we use mesh cover over the front, too, at least in July and August.

Our flybridge is the fifth zone, 27K, on it's own pump.

-Chris

Chris,

We will go a slight modification of the original. Originally they were all split gas systems. I want to go self contained since I really like the added space in the engine room.

Originally it was set with 7,000 BTU in the v-berth, 10,000 BTU in the master which is under the pilot house, 16,000 BTU in the pilot house, and a 16,000 BTU in the forward salon / galley, and a 10,000 BTU in the salon. 59,000 BTU in total. We won't do the flybridge.

I will do a 1,100 GPH pump for the salon, salon / galley, and pilot house, and a separate for the staterooms, possibly split it to three pumps and do salon / galley, pilothouse, and staterooms on their own pumps.

We are getting window mesh, I hadn't put a lot of thought into tinting. I like un-tinted windows for running at night.

Thanks,

 

[Mako]

@Brandon, sounds like a good plan. Have you thought about upgrading the master stateroom only to a DC Aircon, or something highly efficient, so that you can run it on batteries at night, assuming it's just you and your partner?

 

[ranger58sb]

We are getting window mesh, I hadn't put a lot of thought into tinting. I like un-tinted windows for running at night.

We don't have a lower helm, so night vision isn't an issue.

That said, our tinting is mostly for IR/UV filtering; it's not dark, privacy tinting. I don't notice much difference in the visible light spectrum. See through at night is almost the same as during daytime.

FWIW.

-Chris

 

[Shaunc]

I have. 1975 53 MY

I had all the ac go down at the same time due to an electrical issue on the dock.

After going around and around with many ac contractors, all who wanted to tear the boat apart because they no longer make the units and the work to repair was almost the price of the ac equipment.

Then I found Ocean Breeze in Stuart Florida. They make each piece from scratch and will make new parts to replace the old original pieces.
They cost was better than most major brands and much better quality.

Old piece out new piece fitted perfectly and no tearing the boat apart and then to run water lines to unit where water shouldn’t be. No brainer.

The ac you who did the install for me has now started using them regularly and is super happy with them