To fridge or freeze that is the question

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

what ever happened to using the bin type evaporators that are a freezer if you put stuff in it, but a frig for thing outside of it?

That describes my Super Cold Machine, I believe they are still around,
I believe my box is just too large for one to work very well. It would make ice cubes overnight, but would not keep ice cream.

Fridge / freezer icebox conversions are very expensive, or at least way more than a house sized side by side unit for comparison.

Resale? I think it depends on the boat, cruising boat, yes I'd expect for one to be there, would it make or break my decision to buy the boat? Not me, it wouldn't, but then I bought a basically stripped boat, I guess most people don't do that.


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[Randyonr3]

Our origional freezer/fridge went sour after having the boat for a couple years, the cost to repair was more than a new so we purchased a "Cool Blue"
CoolBlue Marine Refrigerator System | Cruise RO Water & Power
due to the low power it took to run..
And at first choice, it was used as a freezer with a spillover fridge but we found we used the freezer very little so the tempmeture was turned to its lowest point so now the freezer is actually a very cold fridge with the spillover being more of a crisper for veggies..
The great thing is that we can alter the usage as we wish... and the power usage is very little......

[overtheseas]

Originally Posted by Wrong

Interesting question. Does the presence of refrigeration on a boat affect resale value and if so how much? A brand spanking new unit maybe. But, used reefer systems, like electronics might be discounted in a potential buyers mind in terms of reliability, repair and replacement cost if any of them prove to be lemons.

The only time I've regretted not having refrigeration was when a fish so large it could not be consumed in one meal wound up on my hook. But this is a guilt thing. Murder committed for what? A small bit of fish to eat while 90% goes over the side? My compromise was to fish only when a passage was taking so long as to seriously deplete my food reserves. Then it became a case of self preservation...

I caught a wahoo when sailing solo across the Pacific- it was longer than me! I cut it into strips, marinated it and sundried. Lasted for weeks but smelt like a Taiwanese shark boat.

[leftbrainstuff]

We use both which are powered by keel cooled 12v frigoboats. They work a treat and run off solar. We cook a lot and freeze lots of leftovers. Nothing better than having a feast from the freezer after a long sail. If you put the frozen meal for tomorrow in the fridge it takes a little load off the fridge anyway.

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[Zach]

Originally Posted by Philip St1

I am putting a 6 cu ft 'solar' fridge in my catamaran. It is huge ( 2 x 4 x 3ft high), but the compressor runs on just 20 watts. It is made by Electrolux and is marketed at a Sundanzer. I think you might be able to get just the compressor if you look for parts for the Sundanzer. As a fridge, it is expected to run about 1/2 the time. As a freezer, it will run more (they just use a resister in the thermostat line. I like the low wattage. Do not expect it to cool room temp things quickly to below freezing, but you buy things already cold or frozen (except the fish you catch and not cook right away. The fridge was $1200 and the electronics is not epoxy coated but you can do that yourself. You save a lot on the solar panels and batteries by using less power, but I expect you need really good insulation, which you might not have the room for.

I'll be interested to hear how it does. 4 inches of insulation and $1000 makes sense compared to building one.

Zach

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

This as an example, you just can't convert an icebox for this kind of money
Whynter 65 qt. Portable Fridge/Freezer-FM-65G - The Home Depot

There are several, this one is meant only to give example, I'm not familiar with it.

I was on a boat, where a popular 12v portable unit was brought aboard for a long voyage. We provisioned and spent a lot of money on meats for the 3-4 week trip. After the freezer was packed we sailed off. About two days later, we noticed the freezer was not working (unable to fix). Many pounds of meat spoiled (stinking) and we fed the fish instead of the crew.
-------------
I am curious about the new portables, like the one you linked. I am open minded. I am curious what the downsides might be for these.

While I would expect a built in ice chest with cold plate to be better insulated and more efficient, I also know that many older boats have poor insulation or even foam that has deteriorated with age, so possibly less efficient than a smaller box that has new foam, or perhaps these new portable freezers.

Given that a new freezer system could be expensive, especially if one felt a need to rebuild the old ice box, the new efficient portable has my interest now.

Aside from having to have space to locate the portable unit, can anyone state reasons why they might not be good on the boat?

Perhaps they are power hungry? Noisy? Create heat or condensation?

[JPA Cate]

Steady Hand,

The portable ones are mostly based on having an automobile's alternator charging them; usually think insulation, frequent cycling. Friends who use one, enclose it in a jacket made from closed cell foam to help keep the cold in. It's the size of a large camp cooler/ice chest.

Ann

[Mirage Gecko]

Australia can be a very hot place plenty of Engels,Waecos,Evacools etc sitting in the sun in the tray of a 4x4 in 45 c temperatures and working fine for years.
Well known branded portable fridges today no question just so efficient and cost effective.
Chris

[Badsanta]

Ozefrige.com from Australia has some great looking stuff. I am trying to buy one of their stainless steel heat exchanger. Used as a spillover to cool refer box. I like the design that it eliminates air exchange from the freezer side. Prices seem competitive. Anybody ever try them?

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by overtheseas

I caught a wahoo when sailing solo across the Pacific- it was longer than me! I cut it into strips, marinated it and sundried. Lasted for weeks but smelt like a Taiwanese shark boat.

If I had the real estate on my entire deck which is approximately the equivalent of most larger boat's foredeck I'd try preserving the fish by drying and or salting. Unfortunately... Also, cutting a fish into strips and finding anywhere to hang for drying on a boat underway creates comedic images in my mind. I need my fingers and there ain't anywhere to hang anything - even wet clothing - unless I drop the sails, drift and string lines for the purpose. Oh yeah. Must have sun too...

When I was in Chagos, 2002 or so, some kind cruisers shared their method for pickling fish with me. Proud of my new skill, I contributed a jar of pickled fish to a potluck. Strange. Nobody touched it... Go figger.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Wrong

If I had the real estate on my entire deck which is approximately the equivalent of most larger boat's foredeck I'd try preserving the fish by drying and or salting. Unfortunately... Also, cutting a fish into strips and finding anywhere to hang for drying on a boat underway creates comedic images in my mind. I need my fingers and there ain't anywhere to hang anything - even wet clothing - unless I drop the sails, drift and string lines for the purpose. Oh yeah. Must have sun too...

When I was in Chagos, 2002 or so, some kind cruisers shared their method for pickling fish with me. Proud of my new skill, I contributed a jar of pickled fish to a potluck. Strange. Nobody touched it... Go figger.

I like pickled herring, smoked kippers, whitefish salad, and anchovies in salads and on pizza. So, I might have tried your pickle.

For years I have read about air drying fish in a sailboat, but have not tried it yet. I would like to in the future.

As I like fish, one of the reasons why I would like a freezer on board is to keep fish I catch, such as dorado.

[roygee]

I have this unit, works as frig or freezer. Two compartments, switch either way; and 12volt or 110V. Whynter Cheers!

[crazyoldboatguy]

Since I am starting from scratch I can choose the ideal (ha!) setup. If I can afford the insulation, I will go with aerogel, at least in the most advantageous locations. I hope to have 2 separate compressors servicing 2 separate side by side units - no spill over. With R 30 equivalent insulation all around I will have freezer capacity in both units. I plan to use one for freezing and one for refrigeration. This will give me redundancy and alternatives. I need to finalize my galley layout to determine if I have the space along with computing how much of the high efficiency/high cost aerogel I can afford/need.

[Sandero]

Shiva came with an cool box. When I decided to live aboard and cruise for several years refer was something I add. I selected an engine drive with a freezer cold plate. I normally don't bring the box down to freezer temps. I need to have a lot of food inside and run the engine quite a bit. But it will freeze! Usually I run it less and the food closest to the plate might freeze but not the food further away.

For passages I get pre cooked frozen meals and pack the box and work my way down. For normal use. It operates and is used as a fridge. The engine drive uses no electricity because engine is running when it's "on".

I don't if other sailors have done what I did. But it works a charm and has been since '91 with a few maintenance repairs.

[gspeak]

Originally Posted by Badsanta

Ozefrige.com from Australia has some great looking stuff. I am trying to buy one of their stainless steel heat exchanger. Used as a spillover to cool refer box. I like the design that it eliminates air exchange from the freezer side. Prices seem competitive. Anybody ever try them?

We have had our Ozefridge for 3.5 years & in that time it has been running continuously both on 240V & 12V (it switches automatically & also senses when you have abundant 12v power & starts its cycle). We replaced our original motor driven Frigoboat system with it. Great performance & uses low power. The service & backup are the best & they ship world wide.

Have nothing to do with Ozefridge, just a happy customer.


There's been a few threads on here about Ozefridge.

Ozefridge Reviews

Refrigeration Options

Ozefridge multi voltage refrigerator

Dave