Fridge and sailboat:poor bedfellows.

[mikegunn]

There have been many threads on fridge/freezer power management. Finding the resources to power a fridge, let alone a freezer is difficult without resorting to running engine or a generator periodically. Does anyone cruise without a fridge? If so, how do they manage? What is their diet and how do they store foodstuffs?
Mike.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I'll be interested to read any replies to this thread. I have a fridge, but my solar is not quite large enough to meet its consumption and I spend enough time at anchor that I sometimes have to switch it off.

I have been wondering if lowering a crate of beer over the side would serve to keep it cool.

 

[LittleSister]

I'll be interested to read any replies to this thread. I have a fridge, but my solar is not quite large enough to meet its consumption and I spend enough time at anchor that I sometimes have to switch it off.

I have been wondering if lowering a crate of beer over the side would serve to keep it cool.

Yes, my previous boat had no fridge, and moored or at anchor I'd drop bottles of beer or wine over the side in a carrier bag on a length of rope if the water temperature was lower than that of the air.

As I've related on previous threads, I used to pack the coolbox with mainly frozen and some pre-refrigerated foodstuffs when setting off, After a few days it would all be up to ambient temperature, I'd then put e.g. milk and butter in a bucket in the cockpit with a few inches of water in it (it requires moving it around to keep it in the shade) with a tea-towel or other cloth draped over the contents and with the bottom few inches of the twelfths in the water. The evaporation from the wet cloth keeps the contents slightly (but only slightly!) below ambient temperature. You have to adjust your eating and shopping habits to suit, and it certainly wouldn't suit the expectations of most people these days, but it served us well enough on several hot summer cruises of a few weeks.

Supplementary tip - put stuff you want cooler out in the cockpit at night with a good view of the sky. The lower air temperature helps, and your carton of milk, or whatever, will radiate heat, cooling itself and warming ever so slightly the far reaches of the universe. You do, though, have to be up early enough in the summer to make sure it isn't out when the sun comes up.

Perhaps I could make my first million marketing a wavelet powered boat fridge?

 

[Gerry]

We cruised for some years without a fridge. Perfectly do-able. I can much of our food myself so a good supply of canned meats, veg, fruit etc is a great base for catering. Dry goods such as pasta and beans need no refrigeration. I had canned butter on board and preserved cheese in olive oil. Using evaporation was enough to keep the open can of butter serviceable so long as we weren't in the Tropics.

Storing veg in airy hammocks goes a long way to extending it's life span. Potatoes in linen bags in the cooler part of the boat, same for onions. Squash keeps well as do most root crops.Long life milk in cartons for cooking and cereal. in individual catering portions for tea/coffee. You get used to not having chilled drinks.

Its just a different way of thinking about food.

 

[Kelpie]

Just avoid the chilled section when buying food!

 

[ashtead]

Ask the local shop to supply a large ice lock and put it in the cool box . Lasts for longer than you would expect. Or buy a cheap cool box from carrefour or suchlike if in foreign lands and plug into the12v socket .

 

[john_morris_uk]

If your fridge is insulated enough and you have enough solar panels then you can be independent of engine and generator. (So I’m told). We have a ‘Super-wind’ wind generator atm and a VERY well insulated fridge with keel cooling compressor etc and it’s net power use is down in the weeds.

 

[GHA]

Fridgeless full time onboard for a while. Just so much more pleasant with some solar and a cold beer (you can keep sikoflex & food in there as well)

 

[shan]

Also, think about the fridge. A seawater cooled condenser is lot more energy efficient.

 

[nortada]

Also, think about the fridge. A seawater cooled condenser is lot more energy efficient.

A seawater cooled condenser can cause a lot of problems. More holes in the bottom of the boat, being just one.

Personal experience. In Portugal during the long sunny summer days, although high air temperatures reduces their efficiency, the 100w solar panels can support the fridge. This holds up until towards the end of September. Wind generator not so useful useful.?

 

[RupertW]

I wouldn’t just miss the cold beers and ice in G&T but would also be popping into harbours every couple of days to buy steaks and pate melon and all the other nice foods I enjoy at anchor. So much so that I’ve ended up with 3 independent ways of keeping food cold as I’ve added things over the years.

 

[shan]

A seawater cooled condenser can cause a lot of problems. More holes in the bottom of the boat, being just one.

Personal experience. In Portugal during the long sunny summer days, although high air temperatures reduces their efficiency, the 100w solar panels can support the fridge. This holds up until towards the end of September. Wind generator not so useful useful.?

We had one on our sailboat and never had an ounce of trouble.

 

[nortada]

We had one on our sailboat and never had an ounce of trouble.

Lucky you. There a number of boats here who have had nothing but trouble. So much so 2 have had a retrofit to remove salt water cooling.

 

[James_Calvert]

We don't have a fridge but bring and then buy ice for our icebox. Preferably not ice cubes but frozen bottles.

Coastal cruising in the English Channel mainly, so easy to manage.

We've paid for a lot of ice over the years, probably more than the cost of a marine fridge or two, but it works for us.

 

[jordanbasset]

We had one on our sailboat and never had an ounce of trouble.

Same for us on our previous boat.
Did not fit one on our current boat, but with 2 x 100 watt solar panels and a big enough battery bank we have enough power to run the fridge throughout the summer anyway

 

[mikegunn]

Many years ago I remember reading a tip in PBO, to add a teaspoon full of Milton to a Pint (yes it was that long ago) of milk to extend its life. Has anyone tried that?
Mike.

 

[Kelpie]

A seawater cooled condenser can cause a lot of problems. More holes in the bottom of the boat, being just one.

Personal experience. In Portugal during the long sunny summer days, although high air temperatures reduces their efficiency, the 100w solar panels can support the fridge. This holds up until towards the end of September. Wind generator not so useful useful.?

I thought the idea was that the cooler was fitted to a through hull that was used for something else, e.g. a sink drain. So no additional holes. Is that not correct?

 

[nortada]

I thought the idea was that the cooler was fitted to a through hull that was used for something else, e.g. a sink drain. So no additional holes. Is that not correct?

Not on the boats I have seen - but that said, don't see why it shouldn't.

From my experience, rather than part of the original build they have been retrofitted, which is possibly where the problems start.

Big thing, boats are becoming far less power hungry. There are more and more efficient methods of generating power. Even fridge design is becoming more efficient.

 

[KompetentKrew]

A seawater cooled condenser can cause a lot of problems. More holes in the bottom of the boat, being just one.

What other problems, please?

I don't mind an extra hole in the bottom of my boat - it'll be properly sealed - but I had not anticipated other shortcomings.

 

[Yngmar]

Got a 160 litre top-loading fridge. In Greek summer it's running pretty much non-stop, but that's not really a problem with so much sun around. We have 2 x 300W panels in series with a MPPT charger. Powers the fridge and everything else, plus plenty of power left to run a small watermaker from it and cover our water needs too.

It's nice to have. Sure, could do without it (boat fridges always make trouble), but it's not for lack of power.