When we presented sailing4handicaps to the public at the end of July in Porto, we didn’t imagine what effect we would have achieve.
One of the world market leader in the refrigeration and air conditioning technology, the company VECO S.p.A (www.veco.net) from Italy, has become aware of us and of our project which they have found really exciting.
Giulia Formenti, chief marketing officer of the company, has promised us direct and uncomplicated help.
The installation of an air conditioning system, will make it possible for the doctor on board, even under tropical conditions, to take care of the patients in an optimal way.
Also the German distributor for Veco, North Marine (www.north-marine.de), represented by Managing Director Michael Matz, offered his help and promised us to take care of the installation.
It’s really amazing to recocgnize with how much enthusiasm people are supporting sailing4handicaps!
We want to thank both Veco and North-Marine for their magnificent efforts!
The installation:
The accomodation of the air conditioning on board has been a challenge. Besides, we had to pay attention to the weight distribution on the catamaran.
Michael Matz from North-Marine took the challenge to install on board two Clima!
This was the first piece: a Compact&Split MK3.
So it looks unwrapped. For the clima we chose a place in the cabinet. It was important for us not to loose too much storage space.
We couldn’t place the clima directly on the floor, so we had to remove the back pannel.
But even without the back pannel we didn’t have enough space.
Michael finally found a solution by mounting the clima on a board so that it is slightly higher and we could reach the desired depth.
Wojtek and Elena cut the wood to made space for the grill.
Fortunately, the hole was perfekt :)
In the meanwhile Michael was full busy with the connections for the clima. For this reason he needed two breakthroughs, a power supply and a pump installation each side.
Here you can clearly see the pump in the bilge. It pumps up water up to 60L per minute.
Michael was tireless. He has accepted this challenge and has mastered it brilliantly!!
After all the connections were completed, the final installation could start.
Steffi from the Yachtwerft Heiligenhafen has previously provided the appropriate base for the air conditioning.
In the end the clima could find his final position.
Michael could start the next steps of the electrical installation.
Once the electrical part was done, the blow-out tube had been attached. This monster is so thick insulated so that no condensate can form inside the tube itself.
This tube ends in the blow-box, which will blow cold air into the ship.
To test the clima, we had to put the tube for the outcoming refrigerating water out of the window, since at that time we did not have the matching connector valve.
Project air-conditioning in the closet successfully ended!
The first clima has been installed. But now the story becomes really exciting! We had to figure out something: to place the second air conditioner in the living room hasn’t been so simple.
What didn’t fit, we made it to fit :)
With some creativity and a lot of determination, we have finally found a way. The clima has find its place under the sits around the main table.
At the same time, the same breakthroughts we had on the starboard have been carried out also on the port.
When it comes to the blow-boxes, it is time for Wojtek and Elena to use the Master Blaster.
After several time spent cutting, we could place the two boxes inside the GRP and they fitted like a glove!
Everything fitted, and also the second clima has been brought to its place.
You cannot tell us that we did not take advantage of every space which our Imagine could offer.
Even the control pannel is housed in an easily accessable place.
As a little present, we will get an expansion of our cooling unit. Until now, we had a fridge and a storage box which has about 170L capacity.
The storage box is ideal as a cooling unit. The opening is placed on the top of the box. In this way the cold air cannot excape from the door.
The cooling plate has first to be adapted to the shape of the box.
It has been then connected to a compressor. For this reason we had to drill a hole into the box.
As for the rest, also for the compressor we found the right place close to the fridge.
