[dinosdad]

Long story somewhat shortened, I was going to add insulation to the ice box on my c&c30, 72 vintage this winter. But I was reading a thread on drop in refrigeration here a day or so ago, and someone was using a stand alone engel fridge and using the icebox for storage. This makes more sense for my usage of our boat( use the ice box for non-perishable goods, and pack a cooler with cold stuff for the weekends ( which is the bulk of the way we are at our boat).
Currently we pack soft cooler bags( soggy and not great at retaining ice, and then placing them in the icebox) . So I'm thinking a smaller cooler , with wheels,
Somewhere in the mid 20 quart capacity, which should serve our needs well space wise, and won't get in the way all that bad in the cabin , and won't be a bear to lift from the dink onto the boat. Anyone have a favorite that's stood the typical abuse and didn't bust the wheels , handles , held ice well?

 

[Delezynski]

Skip the ice and get a portable Engel unit. Plug it in at home to cool it off, plug it in to the car on the trip to/from the boat. Get a small solar panel and you are good to go!

Standard disclaimer, no interest other than a very happy user.

Greg

 

[cthoops]

It doesn't have wheels, and it is heavy, but our Yeti cooler is indestructible and keeps ice better than any other cooler we've owned. It's expensive, but for us it was definitely worth it.

 

[deniseO30]

DD.. you don't "have to" add insulation most boxes have foam around them. Most boxes aren't very big, and retro fit units are very easy DIY projects and are usually able to handle larger boxes then most 30ish foot boats have.

On the other hand. I have a "super cooler" one of the few things I actually bought at west marine. it's very well insulated and when we used it ice would last 4-5 days unless we kept opening it.

 

[dinosdad]

The icebox on our boat is reaaaally big! If your not tall your bent over so far to get to the bottom your feet are coming off the ground. And it's not well insulated to boot. My thought is the boat and ice box is at "room temperature ", when we put the ice and contents from the coolers in it on the weekend a lot of the ice melts just bringing the box temp down. I like the idea of the engel, having it chilled before we leave the house would be beneficial, my only negative I can think of is possibly dropping it from the dink to boat or vice versa, a cooler, not as worried about it plopping in the water!

 

[SVAuspicious]

It doesn't have wheels, and it is heavy, but our Yeti cooler is indestructible and keeps ice better than any other cooler we've owned. It's expensive, but for us it was definitely worth it.

+1 on Yeti.

I bought an Igloo 70 on sale for around $100. Over the course of three or four years I put hundreds of dollars into replacement handles, hold downs, hinges, and latches. Something was always broken. When the case finally cracked I had had enough. In fairness, the cooler lived outdoors on my aft deck. The UV and maybe acid rain just beat it up.

I got a Yeti 85 that is now about five years old. In the same service the only maintenance has been a little ArmorAll on the hold downs once or twice a year. It is better insulated and much more robust. The higher purchase price pays back in just a few years.

All that said, I agree with Denise that a drop-in refrigeration mod is easy to do.

 

[Multihullgirl]

Our solution is a good quality cooler with a couple of the Arctic Ice TUNDRA packs in the bottom, and either wet or dry ice over that, with the food/drinks on top. These TUNDRA packs really are good at keeping the ice, I've been impressed.

 

[TropicCat]

At the dock I use an ancient (1990s model) model of these.

Products - Dometic

Mine is 3 way power 120volts / 12 volts DC / LP gas .... but I use it strictly on 110 volts AC. It's not a perfect solution, but will hold a 45 degree temperature differential between ambient boat temperature and refrigeration temperature, which isn't bad for an ancient portable unit.

Here in Florida it means 50 to 60 degree box temperature in the heat of the summer (boat interior is 90 to 100 degrees F), but spring winter and fall, it will freeze if you don't pay attention.

 

[pdqaltair]

I've been very happy loading about a dozen frozen water bottles into the frig and using that as an ice box, without even turning it on, for over-night trips. This cools faster than the fridge, is neat, and they are drinkable later in the trip. We also have a tub (cut-down ice tea jug) that holds about 5 pounds of cubes that we use for items that must stay near freezing. Try it. The cooler, after transferring stuff to the fridge, stays in the car or is stashed (MT) in an extra locker, out of the way.

As for non-perishables, some of them will stay on the boat in cupboards for the next trip. I wouldn't want them piled in an ice box.

 

[deniseO30]

arrrrg "frig" it's fridge! lol

fridge (fridʒ)
short for refrigerator.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

 

[svHyLyte]

You might find that a soft cooler with a few bottles of frozen drinking water and a pound of dry-ice is adequate for your needs for a weekend. We used a Polar Bear soft cooler for years (and still use it on weekend trips) and find it quite effective, even in the heat of southwest Florida summer temps. A version of this cooler is still available through Bass Pro Shops.

FWIW...

 

[CalypsoP35]

I have the same issue on my P-35. Very large ice box without a lot of insulation. We also use the icebox for storage of nonperishables/drygoods. We have a large Coleman cooler that we use for cold drinks and perishables. We passed on the wheels as they reduce the size of storage room in the cooler and you have to lift it onto the boat anyway. Two people on the cooler makes carrying it very manageable, even when one of the persons is my younger daughter. We leave the Cooler in cockpit in the sun and the ice will last for 3 days. We have a large cockpit and the cooler fits well and also acts a table. We only put the cooler below deck if we are racing. Plus it's nice not to have to go below everytime somebody wants a beverage. I've had it for 5 or 6 years now and no issues with handles or hinges breaking.

 

[DonScribner]

Extend your ice.

Use 3 blocks

1) straight water. 1) water and 10% alcohol 1) water and 15% alcohol (Jim Beam works)

They thaw at different rates (so to speak) and at the melting point become 8000 X more efficient for a brief time. (1 BTU/lb frozen 80 BTU/lb melting) So, if they melt at different times, at three different times 1/3 of your ice becomes 8000 X more effective.

Article in GOB on this a few months back.

 

[Delezynski]

I know this thread is for weekending, but something to think about if you plan to head off cruising some time in the future.

On Guenevere, we bought a red VERY good waterproof soft sided cooler. Sort of like this one.....

It has worked very well for many years. When we are dock we use it for day to day cooler. Before we head off, we re-pack it as our ASB (abandon ship bag). We inspect each item as it goes in so we know it's all good.

During a pot lock we have also used it to hold our pressure cooker filled with sangria....

And, with the SAME pressure cooker, as a slow cooker. Simply heat the contents of the PC, then put it in the bag for a few hours.

Just some ideas.

Greg

 

[dinosdad]

Many great ideas! Never gave much thought to a quality soft side cooler,
Good point on the wheels taking up cooler space, being on a mooring and only using the boat for weekends ( during the short summer season in New England adding the solar and other items to run a reefer unit all week just isn't money well spent IMHO , if this was the boat we would be keeping ....... Then yes , but bringing an engel plug in unit with us,
Might be the ticket as it could transfer to our next boat if needed.... Oh well,
Gonna be a long winter got time to think this one out.( if this is my biggest problem to find a solution for this winter I'll count my blessings...)

 

[pdqaltair]

arrrrg "frig" it's fridge! lol

fridge (fridʒ)
short for refrigerator.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

Frig (frid2)
noun, Informal.
1.
refrigerator.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2014.
Cite This Source



Actually, I would have conjugated frig and used it to describe defrosting, shortening refrigerator instead to fridge (as I did in the second usage), but it seems both forms are accepted, at least by some authority. Of course, it was only an unimportant typo, the result of speed typing on a tablet, justifying neither the notation nor this response.

 

[deniseO30]

Well if one writes something like " DIY frig is fun" it could be misunderstood. Then, if they tried for a plural.. frigging :

but the lady doth protest too much

 

[Delezynski]

GOOD ON Ya. The correct way of thinking!

Greg

Many great ideas! Never gave much thought to a quality soft side cooler,
Good point on the wheels taking up cooler space, being on a mooring and only using the boat for weekends ( during the short summer season in New England adding the solar and other items to run a reefer unit all week just isn't money well spent IMHO , if this was the boat we would be keeping ....... Then yes , but bringing an engel plug in unit with us,
Might be the ticket as it could transfer to our next boat if needed.... Oh well,
Gonna be a long winter got time to think this one out.( if this is my biggest problem to find a solution for this winter I'll count my blessings...)

 

[Brewgyver]

Well if one writes something like " DIY frig is fun" it could be misunderstood. Then, if they tried for a plural.. frigging :

but the lady doth protest too much

Yes, indeed. Many internet dictionaries are wiki, thus apt to have all manner of inaccuracies, not to mention deliberate false entries. "Frig" is a sexual epithet that has been in use for a very long time. OTOH, I find it amusing that so many people use the word "fridge" that when they actually type the complete word (on CL, for example) the spell it "refriDgerator."

On June 22nd, I was singed up for a Summer Sailstice event, and was ready to take off at 9:00 am from Ventura to Santa Cruz Island for an overnight. I wound up delayed til afternoon because the only other boat from my marina going had his FRIGGING FRIDGE ON THE FRITZ!

(mildly interesting that the board bot doesn't ******** "frigging")

 

[svHyLyte]

...
On June 22nd, I was singed up for a Summer Sailstice event, and was ready to take off at 9:00 am from Ventura to Santa Cruz Island for an overnight. I wound up delayed til afternoon because the only other boat from my marina going had his FRIGGING FRIDGE ON THE FRITZ!

Why would his frigging frig fritz delay your departure? Did he have all the beer?