Ice Box or Ice Chest?

[Ike Cook]

Can anybody direct me on how to construct an ice box for my H25. In the owners manual, it shows one behind the sink, but they must have forgot it in production. I kind of have an idea... by using rigid insulation, but the liner is what's troubling me. Should it be drained, or will the warm air from the drain thaw out my goodies? Should I just stick to an ice chest? Just not a lot of room.

 

[Tim Schaaf]

drain...

I am not familiar with your boat, but, in general, you will be much better off with a dry bilge. Wet bilges are significant blister invitations! But, you can mount a vertical tube of PVC in the icebox, mount a small vertical plunger type manual bilge pump in that, and, when you want to drain the box, just open the top and run the output hose over to your sink and pump. You can make quite a nice, permanent installation this way.

 

[Richard Laribee]

Ice boxes and ice chests

Hi Ike,My '83 Hunter 25 came with an ice box already built. It's placed fairly conveniently in the companion way.However, I no longer use it as an icebox -- just dry storage. It has turned out actually to be easier, simpler, and more convenient to pack an icechest at home with food and ice. You have to pack it all anyway to get it to the boat, and it seems silly to have to repack it when we get to the boat. Just carry the icechest aboard and stow it. At the end of the trip it is MUCH easier and simpler just to carry away the icechest, with whatever is left, without having to unpack and clean the icebox. (Of course, my icechest has a built in drain plug, so I don't haul water (melted ice) back up to the parking lot.

 

[Tony Zambella]

don't let the cold out ??

Part of your design should include a trap in the drain . This will keep all you cold air in and warm air out.

 

[Dick Vance]

Frozen Water

Ike,Whether you build in an ice box or just use a cooler, you can use frozen 1/2 or 1 gallon jugs of frozen water. The frozen blocks last longer than crushed ice and when melted, provides extra drinking water without wasted water draining into the bilge or bottom of the cooler. I like to use the thicker plastic ones in which bottled drinking water at the supermarket is sold.Dick VanceH-25.5 "Honey Bear"