Adding Ice Box Insulation

dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
971
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
Anyone beef up their insulation on a 34/35 icebox? The access seems pretty limited - what did you do?
 
May 17, 2004
2,099
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
Take a close look at the existing insulation. On a C30 the ice box did a great job of melting ice even though I tried a bunch of methods to prevent melting -- wrap ice in paper, insulate the lid, insulate the interior etc. Nothing really worked so I decided to add a fridge. While preparing for the fridge install and when the area was opened up what surprised me was the amount of of insulation on 3 sides and the bottom of the ice box -- there was so much I had to chip a lot of it away to get the fridge to fit. There was ZERO insulation on the side facing the hull and that was what caused the melting problem. Actually, the ice box was situated so close to the hull that there was no room for insulation anyway. After installing the fridge, I used the ice box for storage.
 

dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
971
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
I don't want to go the fridge route as I'd have to add more electrical capacity. From the sides of the icebox I can see and the bottom, there's insulation - if there's none on the hull side, maybe I can insulate it on the inside. Ice sure doesn't last long right now.
 
May 17, 2004
2,099
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
I don't want to go the fridge route as I'd have to add more electrical capacity. From the sides of the icebox I can see and the bottom, there's insulation - if there's none on the hull side, maybe I can insulate it on the inside. Ice sure doesn't last long right now.
There's nothing like going to the boat for whatever and to pop the cap on a cool "tinney" from the fridge. Anyway, if one side of the ice box is next to the hull you can bet there's little insulation there so insulating the hull side inside the ice box is a good idea and also the lid. Plan how you load the ice box so you don't have to open the lid so often. Maybe some of the lister's on this forum have some ideas on how they preserve the ice. I forget how I used the newspaper and ice. Someone on this forum gave me that idea and it kind of worked - it was better than just dumping the block in the ice box.
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
Be sure to form a trap in the drain hose so that you do not have a convection current of cold air exiting the bottom to the bilge and warm air entering the top. Easy to do.
 
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
My Columbia 36 was about the same, the sides I could see had about 3" of foam but can't tell about the hull side or the bottom. The hull was dark green and late in the day when the sun would shine on that side of the hull the icebox temp would rise, so Im thinking there wasn't much there if any. I added six layers of half inch insulation board (the pink or blue stuff used in houses) to give 3 inches. Had to use layers to conform to the curve, if it was flat I could have used one thick layer. Did the same to the bottom too. Covered that with 8oz glass and epoxy. Big job but it worked, the box stays cold now. Box is a little smaller now, but my fridge conversion unit was too small for the original size anyway.
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
DOn't use the ice box for drinks. Put your frozen meat and veggies in with block ice. Use a day cooler for drinks as you open it often. I use a space blanket on top of the icebox. It is like bubble wrap but with reflective coating on the sides. Seems to work well. Others have noted to put the ice on a platform to keep it out of the cold melt water. Freeze your ice at home even if you buy the ice. The ice you buy is not very cold. Melting fast is good for sales. Freeze it to zero degrees in your fridge before you put it in the boat. Double Bubble Reflective Foil Insulation (24 inch X 10 Ft Roll) Industrial Strength, Commercial Grade, No Tear, Radiant Barrier Wrap for Weatherproofing Attics, Windows, Garages, RV's, Ducts & More! . - - Amazon.com
 

dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
971
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
Thanks for the tips all. Though I can't see it, it looks like the side of the ice box facing the hull has enough room for insulation so I'm pretty sure it's not bare. Jibes, your comment about the ice not being very cold is spot-on - it melts a lot just on the dinghy ride to the boat.