Sailing Umavideo
We’re Not Supposed to DIY This… But Here We Are | Step 483
April 26, 2026 · 31 min · 139K views
Crew member coated in epoxy dust inside sailboat cabin
What this video covers
Dan and Kika install a Termodynamica marine HVAC split system aboard Uma, replacing a sequence of earlier heating solutions that failed to meet their needs offshore.3:54 The wood stove — a Cubic Mini — worked in the UK, Norway, Svalbard, Iceland, and France but consumed too much space, let smoke back into the boat in gusting wind, and required compressed wood blocks that swelled with moisture and had to be chiseled out of storage.1:36 A residential split unit installed during the boat's construction was oversized, non-marine-grade, and impractical.5:02 The new Termodynamica system — the smallest the manufacturer makes, normally fitted in superyacht cabins — pairs a seawater-cooled compressor with a variable-speed air handler rated at 30,000 BTU combined, roughly double the old unit's output.4:32 The compressor mounts in the cockpit locker and uses a titanium heat exchanger fed by a saltwater pump already installed through the lazarette.5:32 The air handler sits in an interior nook and distributes air through short runs of reinforced flexible vinyl duct to 45-degree vents fore and aft.6:04 The system runs on 230V AC from the boat's inverter.29:07 Refrigerant charging requires a certified technician, which Termodynamica arranged as an exception to its normal professional-install-only policy.6:21
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