I have an ice box on board my sailboat. It’s doesn’t have any shelves and everything ends up being piled in. When ever I open the hatch, the race is on to find what I need before the cold air escapes. Since there’s no refrigeration, I rely on ice which is a commodity past the 8th hour or thereabouts. Has anyone developed a good shelve like system in their ice box? From an ergonomic perspective you have to lean into the box to get stuff out of it, versus the traditional fridge designs where you open a door and see food in front of you. Thanx for advise,
- Status
Tony: I bought some very small wire type shelves from Lowes. When they get a bit rusty I just throw them out and buy new ones. The stuff you are going to use last goes in first. You can load acording to the menu you set up. Catalina ice boxes are notorious for "melting" ice. The insulation on 3 sides and bottom are more than adequate but the problem is on the side up against the hull. Hardly any insulation is present. One way I found to get extra life out of ice is to place it in brown paper bags. Don't laught till you try it.
Ours has a sliding shelf
It is a metal wire grate which allows you to see through it (depending on what is on it). It is mounted on wooden cleats which allow it to slide back and forth for access underneath. We also use some wire baskets on top for things like lettuce. On the bottom we put tall things like wine, milk, pop, etc. Things which are not in their own tall containers, we use large rectangular tupperware containers. It helps to label them.
It is a metal wire grate which allows you to see through it (depending on what is on it). It is mounted on wooden cleats which allow it to slide back and forth for access underneath. We also use some wire baskets on top for things like lettuce. On the bottom we put tall things like wine, milk, pop, etc. Things which are not in their own tall containers, we use large rectangular tupperware containers. It helps to label them.
Neat ice box
My wife and I have used wire racks, plastic baskets with handles, and mesh bags that hung from hooks near the top, in various ice boxes. The best was the stackable plastic baskets with handles, which were available at Walmart, Target or Bed Bath adn Beyond, (my wife can't remember where.)The best part was this: afer all was loaded, I placed a double thick fitted piece of Reflextix insulating material (it's like plastic bubble wrap with two shiny sides)over the top of everything to keep the cold down below the cover. As the amount of ice, food and beverage goes down, the cover goes down with it, to keep the smallest space possible cooled by the ice. Use block ice, not cubes or chips if possible. In the case of the icebox having one side against the hull, I'd condider laminating two inches of closed cell foam against that side to add to the insulation. Any places too awkward for sheet foam installation to improve the original might be filled in with expanding foam product like Great STuff or it's clones. In Texas summer sailing (although it goes over 100, we don't sail if it's more than 95 F.)our ice box in the previous boat with only 2.5 inches of insulation, allowed 15 lbs of ice cubes to last four days with the above described baskets and cover. In the present boat we store groceries in the ice box and use a 12v Koolatron thermoelectric cooler for the cold stuff. Works well since it draws less than 4 amps when running and our solar panel will renew that to the house batteries even if we don't run the engine at least 60 minutes a day. It has an optional battery saver circuit to prevent running down the batteries. Hope this helps.
My wife and I have used wire racks, plastic baskets with handles, and mesh bags that hung from hooks near the top, in various ice boxes. The best was the stackable plastic baskets with handles, which were available at Walmart, Target or Bed Bath adn Beyond, (my wife can't remember where.)The best part was this: afer all was loaded, I placed a double thick fitted piece of Reflextix insulating material (it's like plastic bubble wrap with two shiny sides)over the top of everything to keep the cold down below the cover. As the amount of ice, food and beverage goes down, the cover goes down with it, to keep the smallest space possible cooled by the ice. Use block ice, not cubes or chips if possible. In the case of the icebox having one side against the hull, I'd condider laminating two inches of closed cell foam against that side to add to the insulation. Any places too awkward for sheet foam installation to improve the original might be filled in with expanding foam product like Great STuff or it's clones. In Texas summer sailing (although it goes over 100, we don't sail if it's more than 95 F.)our ice box in the previous boat with only 2.5 inches of insulation, allowed 15 lbs of ice cubes to last four days with the above described baskets and cover. In the present boat we store groceries in the ice box and use a 12v Koolatron thermoelectric cooler for the cold stuff. Works well since it draws less than 4 amps when running and our solar panel will renew that to the house batteries even if we don't run the engine at least 60 minutes a day. It has an optional battery saver circuit to prevent running down the batteries. Hope this helps.
Neat ice box
The problem with the Catalina is you can't get anything into the area between the ice box and the hull. The box is almost tight up against the hull. Also, you have to be very careful with expandable foam. That stuff expands in tight places with trememdous force. You could possably end up with a nice bubble in the hull.
The problem with the Catalina is you can't get anything into the area between the ice box and the hull. The box is almost tight up against the hull. Also, you have to be very careful with expandable foam. That stuff expands in tight places with trememdous force. You could possably end up with a nice bubble in the hull.
Don
There are three different types of expandable foam. Choose the one in the blue can. It fills the void but does not expand past that. You can find it at Lowes. r.w.landau
There are three different types of expandable foam. Choose the one in the blue can. It fills the void but does not expand past that. You can find it at Lowes. r.w.landau
where the ice cold beer?
The foam insulation is a good idea and will help considerably. I've also been sucessfull with freezing 2-3 big cans of pineapple juice. They act like a poor mans holding plate, they work well in keeping the box colder longer and as they melt...the're great with rum!
The foam insulation is a good idea and will help considerably. I've also been sucessfull with freezing 2-3 big cans of pineapple juice. They act like a poor mans holding plate, they work well in keeping the box colder longer and as they melt...the're great with rum!
- Status