Compressor for now and later?

[jlcnuke]

I have a membrane that is 2 feet long, and includes an 10"x10"x6" box that contains the heater controls, regulator, on/off valve, and the heater. It's a UBS (that are defunct), but that doesn't mean that they aren't there.

Yeah, but then it still needs a full compressor's worth of space on top of that, right? Well, often 2 compressors for the membrane systems I looked at. That's way more room than I'm going to have to spare. Literally a Bauer Junior II or similar is about the maximum size worth of space I'll have available on the boat to work with in all likelihood. In fact, one of the primary reasons for looking at 43-46' boats instead of 35-39' boats is to have enough room to put a compressor and my dive gear on it at all.

 

[Wookie]

Yeah, but then it still needs a full compressor's worth of space on top of that, right? Well, often 2 compressors for the membrane systems I looked at. That's way more room than I'm going to have to spare. Literally a Bauer Junior II or similar is about the maximum size worth of space I'll have available on the boat to work with in all likelihood. In fact, one of the primary reasons for looking at 43-46' boats instead of 35-39' boats is to have enough room to put a compressor and my dive gear on it at all.

Yes. You might consider a small compressor driven (and clutch drive) off of the main engine. Usually they are set up to run with the engine at IDLE speed. Conversely, I have on my generator a PTO hydraulic pump, which could easily be swapped for an air compressor. I removed the hydraulic pump and drive nothing now. That saves your room you would use to place the compressor for your LP air compressor, ot whatever combo you choose. There are a ton of solutions to your problem, all of them cost money, which is why BOAT stands for Bring On Another Thousand, until you get over 50 feet, then it's Bring On Another Ten.

 

[jlcnuke]

Yes. You might consider a small compressor driven (and clutch drive) off of the main engine. Usually they are set up to run with the engine at IDLE speed. Conversely, I have on my generator a PTO hydraulic pump, which could easily be swapped for an air compressor. I removed the hydraulic pump and drive nothing now. That saves your room you would use to place the compressor for your LP air compressor, ot whatever combo you choose. There are a ton of solutions to your problem, all of them cost money, which is why BOAT stands for Bring On Another Thousand, until you get over 50 feet, then it's Bring On Another Ten.

I'm really not sure how I'd fit a compressor in with the engine at all. The engine "compartments" barely have room to work on the engine, much less mount large pieces of equipment on to it. For example, a Jeanneau engine compartment:

In something like an Amel Super Maramu with a real "engine compartment" there are a lot of options, but I'm not seeing room to mount a compressor on the engine in typical 40 foot production boats really.

 

[rjack321]

I'm really not sure how I'd fit a compressor in with the engine at all. The engine "compartments" barely have room to work on the engine, much less mount large pieces of equipment on to it. For example, a Jeanneau engine compartment:

You could fit a hydraulic PTO in that space and then remotely drive a compressor elsewhere. An expensive option but its doable with enough money

 

[100days-a-year]

Worked on boats with PTO and belt driven hydraulic pumps for compressor use.
The advantages are remotely mounting the compressor for access and cooling. And the system needs little maintenance after being set up.
Disadvantages are the need to run your main at a specific rpm, the addional fuel burn on a larger main engine is significantly greater than an auxiliary engine of the proper size.
Really not that expensive, a little less than a Yanmar auxiliary actually. Even with the welding needed to make a mount to align the hydraulic motor with the compressor.
I've run most compressors under covered deck space for the access and cooling, no matter how they were powered. The remain semi portable that way as well. On boats as small as 30' even, there is more than enough deck space.
Blow boats provide a lot of challenges concerning space and platforms but I've seen a few nicely set up.