Cruising without refrigeration

[benvanstaveren]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Rebuilding and super insulating the box on my boat was the largest single project in the refit and I don't regret a second of the whole job.

Since the fridge/cold box on my new boat isn't really keeping things super cold, how does one go about super insulating one of these? Stuff it with insulating foam and be done or is there more magic to it?

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by benvanstaveren

Since the fridge/cold box on my new boat isn't really keeping things super cold, how does one go about super insulating one of these? Stuff it with insulating foam and be done or is there more magic to it?

replacing the old soggy insulation will go a long way towards keeping things cold and reducing power usage .

There are several threads on diy insulating of old refer boxes and ice box conversions on this forum .

[benvanstaveren]

Originally Posted by newhaul

replacing the old soggy insulation will go a long way towards keeping things cold and reducing power usage .

There are several threads on diy insulating of old refer boxes and ice box conversions on this forum .

I shall attempt a good bit of search-... ehr... guess the letters f and u are censored... Apologies if I was being a lazy git, but... yeah.. I like being a lazy git sometimes

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by benvanstaveren

Since the fridge/cold box on my new boat isn't really keeping things super cold, how does one go about super insulating one of these? Stuff it with insulating foam and be done or is there more magic to it?

before going down the road

- how do you know it isn't staying cold (what's super cold)
- is the system cycling or staying on
- is the condenser clean
- is there good air flow through the condenser (I just changed my fan and got 40% more air flow and it only cost $17)
- are the box seals good
- how much ice is on the evaporator

you can spend a lot of time and get nothing depending on the above

just saying

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by benvanstaveren

I shall attempt a good bit of search-... ehr... guess the letters f and u are censored... Apologies if I was being a lazy git, but... yeah.. I like being a lazy git sometimes

no its just that There are so many good threads on doing just that complete with lost of great pictures that for me to describe the process would be an injustice . As I have not done my own reinsulate as of yet. ( been procrastinating )

[benvanstaveren]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

before going down the road

- how do you know it isn't staying cold (what's super cold)
- is the system cycling or staying on
- is the condenser clean
- is there good air flow through the condenser (I just changed my fan and got 40% more air flow and it only cost $17)
- are the box seals good
- how much ice is on the evaporator

you can spend a lot of time and get nothing depending on the above

just saying

1: Small thermometer (with the sensor on a tiny cable) placed inside, reads 14C after running for 3 hours straight after not having been used for ages (and it being about 40C inside)
2: it stayed on - I'll have to actually verify this by just running it for a day I guess
3: as far as I could tell, yes
4: Probably not, condenser pump is in one of the storage lockers

5: the "lid" seals like crap, I think. Too easy to lift it out.
6: none since, well, it hasn't been used in a while.


I guess I should've probably been a bit more clear, but I do think that in it's current state it will go to about 14C and stay there, and I'd really like it to be at about 8C due to.. euh... anal retentiveness, I guess.

[Adelie]

“Cruising on a Small Income” by Annie Hill has a big section on keeping food without refrigeration.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

We did not spend 30 years as hard working professionals to go camping.

10 things you can make using dry ingredients you can get anywhere

1. Bread (yeast based)
2. Biscuits, cake, soda bread, etc.
3. Rice
4. Hot cereal
5. Bean dishes (black beans, refried beans, etc)
6. Spaghetti and other noodle dishes based on dried noodles
7. Flatbreads: pita, tortilla, pancake, pizza crust
8. Grain dishes other than rice (millet, quinoa, bulgur, etc)
9. Coffee, tea, yerba mate
10. Hot chocolate (using cocoa and dried milk)

10 readily available shelf-stable products that most people like


Many available in remote areas

1. Peanut butter
2. Jam, jelly, honey, syrups, etc.
3. Mayonnaise, which can be used as a base for other sauces
4. Most savory condiments: pickles, salad dressing, relish, mustard, ...
5. Canned tuna
6. Canned tomato products: spaghetti sauce, paste, whole tomatoes, ketchup, salsa
7. Juice in cans, jars, or pouches. Available varieties vary regionally
8. Nuts of any kind
9. Candies and sweets
10. Chili

Some fruits and vegetables that keep for several weeks without refrigeration

1. Potatoes (and similar e.g. rutabaga, parsnip)
2. Onions (garlic, shallots, leek)
3. Cabbage
4. Carrots
5. Squash
6. Apples

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by benvanstaveren

1: Small thermometer (with the sensor on a tiny cable) placed inside, reads 14C after running for 3 hours straight after not having been used for ages (and it being about 40C inside)

real hot out and you need to run it longer to know if it will cool down into range

boat freezer/refrigerator systems are good at keeping things cold, but not so much in making hot things cold fast

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by benvanstaveren

Since the fridge/cold box on my new boat isn't really keeping things super cold, how does one go about super insulating one of these? Stuff it with insulating foam and be done or is there more magic to it?

Several ways you can go about it, depending on the size of the existing box, how large a box you want to end up with, what insulation is already there and what kind of condition it's in.


In my case some parts of the original box weren't insulated at all. Also it was pretty large so I decided to pull the cabinets apart and do a total rebuild. Insulation was minimum 4" of Dow Blueboard, 8-9" in places along the bottom and the hull. There are other kinds of insulation that have higher R value but I chose Blueboard for ease of use, cost, easy access to materials and resistance to absorbing moisture over time.


Ended up with about 9 cu ft box including 2 cu ft of freezer space. Mid summer, max ambient temps I use maybe 40 amp hours/day. Winter is half that.


Alternatively, if you have the room you can just add layers of blue board on the inside of the existing box with a lot less work. If you decide to do something let me know and I'll point out a couple of things I would have done differently and probably saved a lot of time and work.

[RaymondR]

Pretty well the entire world was explored by sail boars averaging 3 knots without one single fridge between the lot of them.

[Mike OReilly]

Fretting about artificial refrigeration on a recreational smallish cruising boat is definitely a "first world problem." But I do like my cold wine spritzer in the evening [emoji6]

[boatman61]

Dont get this " having to live on canned food and beans with no fridge"
Just goes to show a lazy mind..
Many fresh things can survive quite a while without a fridge including fruit and veg, meats the same, Spanish hams, German sausage etc.
One can also pre cook and vac pack food and store in the bilge while on the hook/alongside prior to a voyage.
As for humping ice.. never done it, mind I am a Brit and my beer hanging over the side or dropped in a bucket of seawater is chilled enough for me.
Mind, many here it seems would consider a self catering villa a camping holiday.
That being said, they have their uses.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Jammer

10 things you can make using dry ingredients you can get anywhere

1. Bread (yeast based)
2. Biscuits, cake, soda bread, etc.
3. Rice
4. Hot cereal
5. Bean dishes (black beans, refried beans, etc)
6. Spaghetti and other noodle dishes based on dried noodles
7. Flatbreads: pita, tortilla, pancake, pizza crust
8. Grain dishes other than rice (millet, quinoa, bulgur, etc)
9. Coffee, tea, yerba mate
10. Hot chocolate (using cocoa and dried milk)

10 readily available shelf-stable products that most people like


Many available in remote areas

1. Peanut butter
2. Jam, jelly, honey, syrups, etc.
3. Mayonnaise, which can be used as a base for other sauces
4. Most savory condiments: pickles, salad dressing, relish, mustard, ...
5. Canned tuna
6. Canned tomato products: spaghetti sauce, paste, whole tomatoes, ketchup, salsa
7. Juice in cans, jars, or pouches. Available varieties vary regionally
8. Nuts of any kind
9. Candies and sweets
10. Chili

Some fruits and vegetables that keep for several weeks without refrigeration

1. Potatoes (and similar e.g. rutabaga, parsnip)
2. Onions (garlic, shallots, leek)
3. Cabbage
4. Carrots
5. Squash
6. Apples

Many times you will read stories of sailors having their favorite dinner of potatoes and onions on long open water cruises sometimes along with a recently caught fish. I've done this on vacation cruises

Apples, bananas, peanut butter, jelly, bread, coffee, canned tuna, canned lima beans, pork and beans, and crackers are usually always onboard and sometimes pineapple. Rice is another good item to have

Combining this type thing with your ice box or electric cold box, you can get by and usually have some refrigerated/cooled items also

You can also adjust from cold beer to just cooled off beer as your ice goes down before you can restock. Buying a quality cooler can be a big help also

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Pretty well the entire world was explored by sail boars averaging 3 knots without one single fridge between the lot of them.

Quite true, but during that same time thousands of sailors died of scurvy and suffered other forms of malnutrition.