Yes, I have one installed in my
Gulfstar Sailmaster 40. I asked them to assess the fridge for
insulation prior to having the new modular evaporator installed. They said it was very good, but after
installation, it was clear that the air/water unit could not keep up at all. At about 2 weeks later, the
coolant disappeared from the system and had to be replaced in St. Lucia, but it was overcharged there, and did not
work properly. That was corrected when back in Trinidad, but the next year, the system had
lost its refrigerant again. Finally, after having the box completely torn out in Cartegena, and re-insulated, and the system recharged, the unit is working very well, and I have about 2 cu ft of
freezer, and 12 cu ft of fridge running on about 50 amp/hr per day. My 480 watts of
solar panels alone, can keep it running 24/7, with
power left over for all of the other
boat electrics, and the VM 200
Watermaker. I am not sure that the
water cooling actually reduces the energy use over just running the air
cooling (I can have either air, or air plus
water cooling with water coming from the water tank). Two water pumps ceased working, before they gave me one that seems to
work well, as long as the water tank is more than 3/4 full. I would not bother with the water cooling option, as long as you have adequate air circulation. My unit is under the settee on a corner, with air circulating from the two exposed sides. The basic
compressor unit is a Danfoss BF50 - most manufacturers use the same unit (check
Isotherm and others). So far the
boat has spent all of its time in the
Caribbean, with this unit.
Doug
S/Y Imajica