snowdog said:
It's funny to me to read the overwhelming responses in favor of AC. If I was sailing in summer (June - Sept) I would want AC. But I regularly sail in the Spring, late Fall, and Winter and only use my AC when I am at the dock. It is very rare for me to use the AC while at anchor or on a mooring. I can count the number of times on one hand in over 150 days/nights in the last few years.
The variables are huge. It depends on the ventilation the boat offers and the location your boat ends up for the night. Rain and humidity can come anytime. Age, weight, diet, and alcohol can also come into play. I have also notice with each year that goes by more guests are concerned with leaving the entire boat wide open all night long. For me most of the boats have more hatches and ports than ever. I hate the rain dance to close all the hatches and ports. We can and have done great without AC many times. We do look for boats with generators, ac, and watermakers. If they work we use them heavily. If they turn out to be troubled we do just fine without them.
If you live in a world at home with 24/7 closed windows and AC with little exposure to real outside heat in your home life the 24/7 heat of the Carribean can be a shock to many. If you live in a warm climate and play 18 holes of golf each weekend or sail 2.5 days a week the impact may not be as much.
