Refrigeration

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One of the first things John did wnen we bought the boat was to screw shut the front-opening icebox door. It made sense that a lot of cold air was spilling out onto the cabin sole, but I was not too thirlled to negotiate the ice box from the top. We spent many a day holding up the cutting board icebox lid with one hand while rooting with the other for the elusive item that had worked its way to the bottom of the box. Or, balancing the lid on the head so we could root two-handed: mobility is cut 'way back!

John solved the problem by installing an eye strap in the overhead where the lid would strike if pivoted on the short, outboard edge. Another eye strap went on the inboard short edge of the lid. A bungee cord (10" overall, including bungee and the two hooks) fastens the lid in the up-tilted position. When not in use, the bungee hooks out of the way on a portlight.

My arms haven't gotten any longer, but my temper sure has!

Using a hole saw, I cut a 1.75" hole in the bottom of the box. I did this by hand-very carefully! After the hole was cut, I had to scrape out the old insulation under the box where the drain hose would go. The drain fitting itself had to be compact because there is not much space under the box. I used a 3/4" PVC slip-fit-to 1/2" thread elbow fitting. One side had a hose barb threaded into it for the drain line, and the other I epoxied in place under the hold using West Epoxy thickened with microfibers. I smooth out the epoxy mixture on the inside of the box so that it formed a funnel into the fitting.

After the epoxy set, I filled the gaps around the hose and PVC fitting with refrigeration foam out of an aerosol can and routed the drain house under the galley cabinet and through the bulkhead into the engine compartment. It drains into the bilge.

This drain has been in place for almost 10 years and has only needed occasional clean with a blast from the dock hose. There is no sign that the epoxy joint has ever leaked.

Put a case of frozen cans of beer (figure 48 hours to freeze them at home) in the bottom of the ice box at the start of a cruise and load the food and ice on top.

Take care not to get food that you don't want to freeze near the beer because frozen beer is much colder than ice. I usually put it in the very lowest section of the ice box, replace the shelf, and put the food in the upper sections along with blocks of ice.

The taste of the beer doesn't change. Don't try this with pop, however; they'll burst.