A freezer on board - the liveaborard point of view?

We've managed for 7 years without a freezer no problems, you don't really need one as most of the time you can get fresh/frozen foods that'll keep for about a week. We didn't feel the need for one in Gambia or while crossing the Atlantic and now we are in the Caribbean, we still don't need one.

But if I could fit one in place and run it efficiently, yes I would have one! I'd also have a washing machine as well; but if I wanted to make life totally easy for all on board - a watermaker is still top of the list!
 
vyv_cox said:
The old workaround dodge for that was to put empty ice cream containers in to fill up the space. Or loaves of sliced bread, but that may not be applicable in the Med:)
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I have yet to find a superior way of filling the fridge to our chosen method of lining the bottom with cans of beer. :cool:

In terms of the OP's original question I can do no better to refer him to Nigel Calder's boat bible "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boat's Essential Systems" in which he compares the power consumption of different designs at different ambient temperatures together with insulation options.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=nigel+calder+books&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=27743622421&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2627130451623373740&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8k40f2y5b4_b

I am starting to feel like a book seller I have recommended this book so often
 
Ariadne said:
We've managed for 7 years without a freezer no problems, you don't really need one as most of the time you can get fresh/frozen foods that'll keep for about a week. We didn't feel the need for one in Gambia or while crossing the Atlantic and now we are in the Caribbean, we still don't need one.
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I agree, nobody needs one but it does make life more comfortable. We even met a couple cruising in Greece who had taken their fridge out - they seemed happy enough to go ashore shopping almost every day.

In Greece we find more and more shops that sell frozen food but much of it comes in family sized packs, 1.5 kg of chicken, fish, etc is just too much for the tiny freezer compartment on a standard fridge. A freezer would be very convenient for the avoidance of frequent shopping.
 
silver-fox said:
I have yet to find a superior way of filling the fridge to our chosen method of lining the bottom with cans of beer. :cool:

In terms of the OP's original question I can do no better to refer him to Nigel Calder's boat bible "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boat's Essential Systems" in which he compares the power consumption of different designs at different ambient temperatures together with insulation options.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=nigel+calder+books&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=27743622421&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2627130451623373740&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8k40f2y5b4_b

I am starting to feel like a book seller I have recommended this book so often
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There are some other very 'interesting' books for sale on the same page...............:p
I'm off area 51, or is it 52.....whatever.
 
vyv_cox said:
The fridge in the picture below is a freezer on the left and fridge on the right. We generally run them both as fridges when supplies are plentiful, but on the delivery trip to Greece through the canals of france we ran the freezer at -25C. The right hand fridge takes air from the freezer side with a thermostatically controlled fan. (Liner from Tek Tanks)


Any thing I would do different? Yes - the central divider between the two compartments need to be slightly more insulated when running at -25C - made the fridge a little too cold. 10mm extra would suffice.
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Your picture above shows pretty much our current set-up. Though the partition would need beefing up if one part was to be used as a freezer.

Numpty question: is it possible to use a freezer as a fridge?

silver-fox said:
In terms of the OP's original question I can do no better to refer him to Nigel Calder's boat bible "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boat's Essential Systems" in which he compares the power consumption of different designs at different ambient temperatures together with insulation options.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=nigel+calder+books&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=27743622421&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2627130451623373740&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8k40f2y5b4_b
Click to expand...

Whilst Nigel's book undoubtedly has merits, he does tend to get stuck 'too deep under the hood' to be of any real benefit to me.
Now, if he were ever to write an 'Idiots guide on how to...' I'd be one of the first to buy it.
 
I have no need for a freezer but I'd love one, just to keep ice-cream and frozen peas in! Unfortunately we don't have a big enough space available so that we could adequately insulate a freezer worth having. I'll just have to continue to put up with the ice box in the fridge which does provide us with ice cubes
 
OR4751 said:
Your picture above shows pretty much our current set-up. Though the partition would need beefing up if one part was to be used as a freezer.

Numpty question: is it possible to use a freezer as a fridge?
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Yes - the freezer side has been used as fridge for the last 2 years. The bottom can get down to freezing or just above, but we find this a useful storage for meet for a week. The Fridge side is controlled by a thermostatically controlled fan so it will bring down the temp but will always be slightly warmer than the freezer side (aprox 3C).

No point in doing anything if the insulation in the current one is not at least 3 to 4 inches - a freezer without proper insulation will take a huge amount of power.


I seem to remember reading an article on his new boat where he was designing it to use the most unbelievable (to me) amounts of Amps. He might know his stuff, but I hardly think its relevant to the cash strapped yachtsman... certainly not for me......
 
We had a fan cooled fridge in UK and now have a keel cooled one in the tropics. I don't waste too much time measuring every amp consume on the boat but my feeling is that our fridge with the keel cooler is using less power than the air cooled one, despite the difference in air and sea temperature between UK and the Caribbean.
 
We have a mains fridge and freezer, (air cooled of course) found them at least as efficient as a "marine" fridge and why wouldn't they be of course, run them with an inverter, of which we have two, belt and braces, found the freezer to be very useful for buying in bulk, in season food stuffs and stuff we find. Modern inverters are approx. 95-97% efficient, so we can live with that and taking into consideration the price difference, 1200 pounds for marine units equivalent size and 256 for the pair (new) it was a no brainer. We already had the inverters. We also have an icemaker, which we turn on when the engine(s) are/is running, or on shore power/generator then bag the ice and put it in the freezer, which is always on. Works for us.
 
Although back in the UK now, this boat was fitted with keel cool pump-less fridge with inbuilt small freezer in the Caribbean. Which would have replaced an inefficient aircool set up..

I have sailed the tropics on my last two boats fridge less . Seemingly without inconvenience, hardship not want of er company..running the engine every bloody morning to top up batteries is a total ( arguably antisocial ) pain, on boats I have been on. You become a slave to it unless immaculately and expensively installed. Still needs gas top ups . Boats are complicated enough perhaps?
In the UK, The keel cooler is efficient and, usefully, silent. And miserly on power.
At sea the top loader I prefer to front openers . I make ice in v little time indeed and power comes from one 70w solar or the rutland 913, ice is possibly of more social benefit than lugging frozen food around?
You can buy cold beer by the case and blocks of ice most everywhere too. Lots of blocks of ice in the cost of one reefer unit IME.

Anyway, fresh fish at sea eh with lime marinade!
Eat yer heart out Cap'n Birdseye fish fingers ( smiley)
 
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