New Boat, new compressor...

[OceanMist333]

Purchasing a new boat soon and was wondering how difficult it is to install an air compressor. Any thoughts or people out there who have gone about doing this? Any suggestions are welcome since I haven't the slightest about purchasing an air compresspor

 

[Tom Winters]

How up are you on buying a boat?

 

[Doubler]

I would think it depended on the size and layout of the boat. I would also take into consideration how I plan on using the boat. Am I going to take week long cruises out to the Cays or just weekend jaunts with my buddies. A compressor and its filter system take up space, space that could be used for other more important equipment or carry on's. Is the cost of a compressor, I think a cheap one runs about 3K worth the additional hassle? You add in your time and money spent on filters and maintenance and it is more money down the tube. What do you do when you get to the dive site, carrying minimal tanks and your compressor craps out? Do the math. It would be much cheaper and less worrisome to purchase a few extra tanks, a rack system and 100 fill card. Take this from a former boat owner. A boat is just a hole in the water you throw your hard earned cash in so why add another hole? JMO

 

[captain]

I have a boat and a portable compressor. I would rarely take it on the boat except when it was not capable of carrying enough tanks for the planed dives. Trapped on a boat with a noisy compressor running constantly to keep tanks full is not a lot of fun. Even then I would carry as many tanks as possible and just run the compressor when they were all empty.

 

[Nemrod]

Unless it is a fairly large boat, like as in BIG! Over 30 feet or more, I would not take the compressor. There are numerous reasons, space, weight, security (rough water it could fly around and kill you) and gasoline out on the deck with a hot muffler and a gas can around, set up for a fire and fiberglass and Styrofoam will burn to the water line.

Large boats, yachts, large sailing vessels etc do not play by the same rules as small boats but fire is always a very bad thing.

YRMV

N

 

[OceanMist333]

It's a 65 foot steel trawler with sufficient space in the bow and stern

 

[Nemrod]

It's a 65 foot steel trawler with sufficient space in the bow and stern

I doubt you will find many people here with experience on that type of vessel. Try for an example:

The Hull Truth - Powered by vBulletin


I should think if you could plumb it into an on board fuel system and anchor the unit on pads with a bilge blower to clear fumes and an overboard exhaust---or---use a generator from your diesels through an inverter to run an electric compressor.

what runs your air conditioning and heat and lighting, can it handle a compressor? Most electric compressors are 220v with 25 amp(?).

I see small diesel industrial engines--instead of gasoline??

N

 

[dannobee]

If the boat is that big, chances are good that it has a decent sized generator. That actually opens up possibilities as most yacht generators are three phase. Three phase compressors don't sell as well as single phase compressors because of the lack of three phase in residential houses. You could probably get a good deal on one (comparatively speaking, it'll still be expensive).

You'll still be hearing the compressor running when you're filling tanks, and if you have a lot of tanks to fill, even a decent sized compressor (10-15 cfm) will take a while to fill them all. A better method would be to add a cascade system and fill it when the mains are running.

 

[Jupiter31]

It's a 65 foot steel trawler with sufficient space in the bow and stern

You posted this yesterday:

"I'd be bummed too, but the class over at my dive shop is far too expensive for me to foot the bill right now so be happy you can at least do that..."

And now you are buying a 65' trawler???

24 hours ago you could not afford a dive class; prior to that you were looking for DM work - guess you hit the Powerball Lottery, or you sold some of the "artifacts" you brought up.

Seriously, have you read some of your posts/threads? Questioning the need for dive tables, wondering why you feel like crap after you drink after diving - these are your posts and you are a DM??

I have, and you can't be for real - its the problem with leaving a written record; too easy to call you on it.

If you have something constructive to post, or a legit question, by all means do so - but if not, don't bother.

 

[Cavs42]

Jupiter just saved me a bit of typing. thanks.