nortada
Well-known member
Number of things, leaks, air locks or just not cooling efficiently or at all.
Fridge and sailboat:poor bedfellows.
- Thread starter mikegunn
- Start date
Number of things, leaks, air locks or just not cooling efficiently or at all.
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
I grew up on my parents boats in Scotland - no fridges in those days - everything freeze-dried or in tins, no fresh stuff unless it was bought and eaten pretty much on the same day.
We had margarine instead of butter, UHT milk, lots of pasta and lots of tins and jars. It was miserable - I still can't drink UHT milk - hated the stuff.
On my boat we have 300W of solar, 370Ah of batteries and the fridge runs 24/7 - the beer is always cold and we keep the beer glasses in the fridge too. Fresh meat, butter, milk, orange juice, cold meats and cheeses - not to mention all the veggies that would desiccate if subjected to the mediterranean heat. Gin, Tonic and lemons also live in the fridge.
Definitely worth the investment - but living on dried food and tins is also possible.
We had margarine instead of butter, UHT milk, lots of pasta and lots of tins and jars. It was miserable - I still can't drink UHT milk - hated the stuff.
On my boat we have 300W of solar, 370Ah of batteries and the fridge runs 24/7 - the beer is always cold and we keep the beer glasses in the fridge too. Fresh meat, butter, milk, orange juice, cold meats and cheeses - not to mention all the veggies that would desiccate if subjected to the mediterranean heat. Gin, Tonic and lemons also live in the fridge.
Definitely worth the investment - but living on dried food and tins is also possible.
shan
Well-known member
I can't say we experienced any of that.
Black Sheep
Well-known member
I have no fridge.
There's loads of foodstuffs that will keep ages without refrigeration
- dry goods such as rice, pasta, oats, pearl barley, polenta, couscous, noodles, dried mushrooms etc, soup powder, dried fruit, french saucisson, flour, suet
- tinned, eg chicken breast, tongue, tuna, smoked oysters, whole meals (French supermarkets good for these), vegetables, fruit
- jars & bottles, eg confit de canard, pickles & sauces, olive oil, goose fat
- packets & cartons, eg chicken stock, soup, fruit juice, UHT milk
- freeze dried - meat, vegetables, fruit, whole meals, milk powder
All of the above (along with wine, coffee beans & tea bags) can be loaded up at the beginning of the season
Then there's the fresh food that keeps reasonably well:
- vegetabes, esp onions, potatoes, carrots (if careful). Peas in their pods
- eggs if you're careful
- cheese (not plastic wrapped). I once took a whole Coolea on a long trip; it lasted 4 months, and was a delight to watch it change and mature
- part baked rolls
- fruit cake
That lot can be loaded just before a voyage, and should see you through a week or two, or more
Then the fresh food - fruit, meat, milk, butter, cream, fresh bread. That you'll just have to scoff quickly, or use an icebox.
You ought to be able to throw together some good meals out of that lot!
The only things I really miss without a fridge:
- fresh milk, cream, butter. I use more olive oil for cooking, take my coffee black, and accept UHT milk; it's miles better than it used to be
- fresh meat. Use tinned or freeze dried, or just reduce meat consumption. Cheese and pulses are good.
- OK, ice in a drink. Or chilled white wine.
There's loads of foodstuffs that will keep ages without refrigeration
- dry goods such as rice, pasta, oats, pearl barley, polenta, couscous, noodles, dried mushrooms etc, soup powder, dried fruit, french saucisson, flour, suet
- tinned, eg chicken breast, tongue, tuna, smoked oysters, whole meals (French supermarkets good for these), vegetables, fruit
- jars & bottles, eg confit de canard, pickles & sauces, olive oil, goose fat
- packets & cartons, eg chicken stock, soup, fruit juice, UHT milk
- freeze dried - meat, vegetables, fruit, whole meals, milk powder
All of the above (along with wine, coffee beans & tea bags) can be loaded up at the beginning of the season
Then there's the fresh food that keeps reasonably well:
- vegetabes, esp onions, potatoes, carrots (if careful). Peas in their pods
- eggs if you're careful
- cheese (not plastic wrapped). I once took a whole Coolea on a long trip; it lasted 4 months, and was a delight to watch it change and mature
- part baked rolls
- fruit cake
That lot can be loaded just before a voyage, and should see you through a week or two, or more
Then the fresh food - fruit, meat, milk, butter, cream, fresh bread. That you'll just have to scoff quickly, or use an icebox.
You ought to be able to throw together some good meals out of that lot!
The only things I really miss without a fridge:
- fresh milk, cream, butter. I use more olive oil for cooking, take my coffee black, and accept UHT milk; it's miles better than it used to be
- fresh meat. Use tinned or freeze dried, or just reduce meat consumption. Cheese and pulses are good.
- OK, ice in a drink. Or chilled white wine.
mikegunn
Well-known member
I guess each panel is in the region of 1500 x 500 mm. Where have you mounted them?
Mike
Yngmar
Well-known member
1.64 x 1m - on the solar arch I built for them of course!
I described the build over on the Bavaria forums, complete with pictures and my sketches: Arch for solar Panels
Laminar Flow
Well-known member
After years of ocean cruising and full time off- grid living on board in fridgeless splendor, we now have a fridge on our current boat. We have to have a fridge, we have no choice in this, it is for medical reasons, suffice to say ( and to keep the Prosecco cold , of course). It runs 24/7.
We bought the 65l cabinet fridge with holding plate and external control box second hand for 40 euro (knocked 'em down from 50, the wife did) after our camping chest fridge/freezer retired itself. I increased our battery bank from 200A to 460A, packed 300 W of solar panels in 50W units on the wheelhouse roof and run in parallel through a MPPT charger. I cut a large vent into the side of the cabinet and hooked up a computer fan to cycle with the compressor. In five years we have never looked back.
On a sunny day (Northern Europe) the batteries are fully charged by 10am, on a cloudy day by 14.00. In the summer we frequently have had over 40 degr. C in the cabin. After a few months of living aboard, monitoring the MPPT output and power useage, we have never looked at the display again.
I used to worry about shading, tie off the boom etc, I don't bother any more. We have never run the engine or our suitcase genny once to charge the batteries since. The Charger is a (relative) cheapy off the net, the panels, used for nav aids, were 50 Euro a pop.
We love the fridge, what's not to like?
We bought the 65l cabinet fridge with holding plate and external control box second hand for 40 euro (knocked 'em down from 50, the wife did) after our camping chest fridge/freezer retired itself. I increased our battery bank from 200A to 460A, packed 300 W of solar panels in 50W units on the wheelhouse roof and run in parallel through a MPPT charger. I cut a large vent into the side of the cabinet and hooked up a computer fan to cycle with the compressor. In five years we have never looked back.
On a sunny day (Northern Europe) the batteries are fully charged by 10am, on a cloudy day by 14.00. In the summer we frequently have had over 40 degr. C in the cabin. After a few months of living aboard, monitoring the MPPT output and power useage, we have never looked at the display again.
I used to worry about shading, tie off the boom etc, I don't bother any more. We have never run the engine or our suitcase genny once to charge the batteries since. The Charger is a (relative) cheapy off the net, the panels, used for nav aids, were 50 Euro a pop.
We love the fridge, what's not to like?
jordanbasset
Well-known member
The thought of of a hot day without chilled drinks, beer/wine etc would put me off sailing
cherod
Well-known member
thats cool , did you build it yourself or get it built ?1.64 x 1m - on the solar arch I built for them of course!
I described the build over on the Bavaria forums, complete with pictures and my sketches: Arch for solar Panels
cherod
Well-known member
excl ,,, 12 v ?
Laminar Flow
Well-known member
If I have understood your reply correctly, yes, 12v.
LittleSister
Well-known member
Yngmar
Well-known member
I designed it, then got stainless Bob in Brighton to build it. He also came up with some very useful modifications that were incorporated.
ryanroberts
Well-known member
I rarely ran a fridge on narrowboat as was 100% off grid, needed quite a lot of power for work laptops etc. Just an ice machine was good, but I didn't have to get in a dinghy to go to the shop either..
geem
Well-known member
Number of things, leaks, air locks or just not cooling efficiently or at all.
[/QUOTE]
why does a water cooled fridge suffer air locks? Keeled cooled fridges where the refrigerant passes directly through a bronze casting mounted on the outside of the hull have no more moving parts than an air cooled fridge. Any other version of water cooled is old technology and now obsolete
[/QUOTE]
why does a water cooled fridge suffer air locks? Keeled cooled fridges where the refrigerant passes directly through a bronze casting mounted on the outside of the hull have no more moving parts than an air cooled fridge. Any other version of water cooled is old technology and now obsolete
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Lucy52
Active member
Geem said "Keeled cooled fridges where the refrigerant passes directly through a bronze casting mounted on the outside of the hull.............."
They cost around 350 pounds, are made of sintered bronze to let water pass through. Would they work in the mud of an East Coast drying mooring, and do they get fouled up? Nice warm water to grow in.
Narrow boats, and other steel boats, can use a cooler attached to the hull plating using it as a heat sink, maybe appropriate technology for them. (Should be in "The pros and cons of steel boats," lol
They cost around 350 pounds, are made of sintered bronze to let water pass through. Would they work in the mud of an East Coast drying mooring, and do they get fouled up? Nice warm water to grow in.
Narrow boats, and other steel boats, can use a cooler attached to the hull plating using it as a heat sink, maybe appropriate technology for them. (Should be in "The pros and cons of steel boats," lol
geem
Well-known member
We used one for ten years on our previous boat that spent many years in a mud berth. It worked perfectly and never gave us any problems. The fridge even worked fine when out of the water for a few days in a boat yard in the Caribbean whilst we antifouled the bottom
Lucy52
Active member
Thank you, I did wonder, it is a lot of loot to shell out if it got all clogged up. I looked at one at SIBS and by repute they save some Amps which can be no bad thing if you are away from shore power..
geem
Well-known member
They work best where water is cold. They are also quieter as they have no condenser fan. The sintered bronze aspect seems irrelevant to me. Ours seemed to be permanently fouled up with marine growth but still worked fine.
RupertW
Well-known member
Ours works fine with the sea temp in mid or even high 20s but I’m sure would use even less power in colder water.
As it is I found our 400w solar gave so much potential extra energy after running lights, gadgets and fridge that I set it to run the immersion heater too once the battery was near float.