Up to My Neck in Fridge

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I agree with Billy. Power is an isssue for most of us. Front loaders will use more amps than a top loader. No offense, since we're complaining about the men a bit, women have this tendancy to try to fit 10lbs of crap into a five gallon bucket. Sometimes it's more of an issue on what to take food wise than the size or design of the fridge. I'm just guesstimating(sp) but I think about 90% of our food does not need refridgeration. I'm curious as to others percentages.

Well more power to them. 10lbs of crap will fit into a five gallon bucket 10 pounds of crap is only about five quarts.

Front loaders use more amps assuming equal door open time. But by the time you have unpacked everything and rummaged around inside a top-loader, then put the now warmed up food back -- I'm not so sure.

[bob_77903]

So when your out sailing and heeled over, how does one keep stuff inside a front load when opening the door. I know it only applies on one tack, but. Or is this discussion only apply to people who never leave the dock....

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by bob_77903

So when your out sailing and heeled over, how does one keep stuff inside a front load when opening the door. I know it only applies on one tack, but. Or is this discussion only apply to people who never leave the dock....

My little fridge is on an aft bulkhead. Door opens forward on any tack. No problem.

[6string]

I have been hearing lately of drawer type refrigeration units. The drawer holds much of the cold in it so you don't use as much power as the typical front load. I am looking for info on these systems to find out if that claim is true. We currently have a top load and are considering rebuilding to get better insulation. We want to look at all options and that is where I started to hear of these. Has anyone here seen these front drawer refrigeration units.? It could be a compromise solution.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by bob_77903

So when your out sailing and heeled over, how does one keep stuff inside a front load when opening the door. I know it only applies on one tack, but. Or is this discussion only apply to people who never leave the dock....

A fridge lock? A squillion designs from OE to retrofit.

Maybe a compromise is a front loading Fridge (with a decent seal), but with an internal plastic bottom drawer (like an upright freezer?). The biggest drawback (geddit??!!) is less storage.

But maybe comparing apples and oranges here - do some of you folks live in your fridge? or are constantly checking to make sure the light is on

[mintyspilot]

Just tilt the fridge 90* so it opens like a dishwasher.

Problem solved.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by bob_77903

So when your out sailing and heeled over, how does one keep stuff inside a front load when opening the door. I know it only applies on one tack, but. Or is this discussion only apply to people who never leave the dock....

Our front-loading fridge faces forward. On a starboard tack the fridge door flops open. On a port tack you have to prop it open somehow with one hand while you rummage around with the other. The head door behaves ina similar manner. Meanwhile the salt and pepper shakers are flying off the counters. And your point is?

[sailorboy1]

I don't have any answer for the shelves. I finally added some more insulation in the bottom of my top opener so I could get that last beer (never had to get the last beer because I keep filling it).

But I've seen (in photos only) boxes that have both top oandfront openings. Maybe the answer is to redo the box so it has both.

On the other hand I've seen a number of motor sailers that just have a real frig in them.

[Hud3]

Our boat came with a 15 cu ft top-loading reefer. Huge! I installed a Frigoboat unit, with a divider between the freezer side and the fridge side. The dang thing drove me crazy trying to find stuff, especially when I had to put my head into it to reach the back part.

My wife came up with a very workable solution. She bought some plastic bins of the proper size to fit (semi-transparent and not the stiff kind of plastic). She layered them in the fridge side, two deep and only one deep in the freezer. Then she made a hard and fast rule: No Men Allowed in the Reefer! Whenever I or other male crew needed something, she'd get it happily, because of the havoc we could wreak if we were allowed to rummage on our own. The only exception to the No Men Allowed rule was when something needed to be extracted from the rear expanses that she couldn't reach, and then it was under strict supervision.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by bob_77903

So when your out sailing and heeled over, how does one keep stuff inside a front load when opening the door. I know it only applies on one tack, but. Or is this discussion only apply to people who never leave the dock....

Heeled over?

What be this heeled over that you speak of?

Front loading fridges with this design will solve problems, and keep cold air in when door is opened (it is contained in the draws)

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by stevemac00

I usually get two beers at a time - it saves 50% on openings.

Clever idea. I had the great idea of keeping a cool box on deck, so we could keep ALL the beers handy, and we'd hardly ever need to open fridge. DH couldn't see the point of running a fridge if I did that.

Originally Posted by Vasco

before going into the fridge I have a 10 minute conversation with my wife (she's the keeper of the fridge) to determine the approximate spot where I might find what I'm looking for. It's not usually where she says it is.

You sound rather like hubby. Can I suggest you try listening to your wife more carefully in future.... you could save valuable minutes.

Originally Posted by colemj

We have pneumatic struts on ours (like those for hatchback autos) that hold the lid up. They are easy to retrofit.
Mark

We have a hi-tech tupperware container we keep chocolates in, which we jam between the lid and the wall of the fridge. Trouble is, it keeps disappearing on account of the chocolates inside.

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well more power to them. 10lbs of crap will fit into a five gallon bucket 10 pounds of crap is only about five quarts.
.

Now I'm really confused. What's a bucket doing in your fridge?

Originally Posted by Hud3

My wife came up with a very workable solution. Then she made a hard and fast rule: No Men Allowed in the Reefer!

Sounds like a brilliant idea in theory, but in practise, how can you do all the fetching and carrying for her if you're not allowed in the fridge? Wouldn't that means she has toget up and go all the way into the galley whenever she wants something from the fridge?

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

This sort of shows have we've done it. Worked pretty well.

Rebel Heart - The boat and her crew - Charlotte's Blog - How to Clean a Fridge on a*Boat

Thanks for link - It seems you have a similar set up to ours. You have smaller, sturdier baskets, whereas we have large flimsy ones!!! Although I like how ours have the plastic legs to keep them up over the food in the basket below... I'll keep a look out I think for smaller ones anyway!

I always enjoy looking at Charlotte's blogs - she makes me want to take photos and start writing a diary!!

EDIT: I just dug a bit deeper into Charlotte's blog....CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!
(And what are you doing on CF with a day old baby girl to adore?)

[Tampabayfireman]

Going to your original question, I build my Fridge/Freezer, and in the Fridge, I added a slider half way up from the bottom. This allows a tray/plexiglas box to slide left/right to allow access under this area. I am very happy with this arrangement, and it allows this tray to be removed to clean the box. No it doesnt cover the whole area, but the slider does. It has worked very well over the last 4 months.

[Reach]

We have a similar system to yours with a top-loading fridge & freezer side-by-side. I use a combination of what you & Hud3 described: half-sized stackable baskets plus plastic locking tupperware bins. The bins can be stacked horizontally or vertically (depending on what you have in them) with frequently used items on top.

The 1/2 sized baskets only take up the back wall of the fridge so that I only have to remove a plastic bin to reach the lower shelf of the basket (where the beer is stored). The rest of the space has room for drink containers/cans. As alluded to, this system can get so personalized that it might only work if you're me!

As to the pile of "stuff" that accumulates on the top surfaces, with the fridge & freezer next to each other I just slide the pile over to one side or the other depending on which I'm using. Good luck!

~Michele
svreach.com

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by bob_77903

So when your out sailing and heeled over, how does one keep stuff inside a front load when opening the door. I know it only applies on one tack, but. Or is this discussion only apply to people who never leave the dock....

Fridge has a bracket with a hole in it that corresponds to a matching hole in the door top edge. A bolt/peg drops in and locks it shut for while underway.

Now of course that bolt didn't help much when, the first time we went out after I installed her, the whole thing, with door carefully bolted shut, went flying across the companionway and landed on the head...

And for the original poster, I have seen and really thought were smart, boat fridges that had BOTH top and side doors. Maybe your (obviously) talented and handy spouse could frame in a door low in the compartment, with a suitable locking closure, that would allow you to keep the *use all the time* stuff on top and still be able to access the stuff stowed in the nether regions....