Ice Chest Insulation

Jun 7, 2016
315
Catalina C30 Warwick, RI
I have a 1984 C30 and am looking to insulate the Ice Chest. Currently the factory insulation / lack there of, means on a hot day when I get to the boat I have to buy 5ish bags of ice to cool it off and then the next morning by several more to keep it cool. The ice never lasts very long and even though we only use it for beverages it gets quite annoying.

I want to insulate the ice chest but have a few questions.

1) What is the best / a good material to insulate it with?

2) How do you access the port and aft side of the chest to insulate it. (I know that if I remove the drawers next to the Ice chest I can access the starboard side)

3) For those that have done it, what have you done and how?

Thanks in advance!!
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
side note: are all the items that get put in you onboard ice chest ice cols before they are put in the boat? that also helps
 
Jun 7, 2016
315
Catalina C30 Warwick, RI
side note: are all the items that get put in you onboard ice chest ice cols before they are put in the boat? that also helps
Last summer we used a cooler that we'd bring to and from home for food , the Ice chest was just for water and beer. Even if things were pre-chilled it still ate several bags of ice when we first show up. The chest basically isn't insulated at all and is the equivalent to filling a 15 gallon plastic storage bin with ice and drinks at a summer BBQ.
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
understood. on my boat, i can load it up and it will last a week. ......... if you keep the lid closed. no one but the cook is allowed in the ice box. could lead to keelhauling;)
 
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Likes: Gene Neill
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Sounds like you are making a case to add refrigeration!

My Hunter 280 had an icebox, but no refrigeration. I “upgraded” to a 10-year older boat (O’Day 322) but she has refrigeration...so the beer is always cold! One of her best features :cool:

Greg
 
Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Sounds like you are making a case to add refrigeration!

My Hunter 280 had an icebox, but no refrigeration. I “upgraded” to a 10-year older boat (O’Day 322) but she has refrigeration...so the beer is always cold! One of her best features :cool:

Greg
I’d recommend doing the insulation regardless.
 
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Likes: jon hansen
Jul 6, 2013
221
Catalina 30TR, Atomic 4 2480 Milwaukee
I added refrigeration 2 years ago. It’s great, but I still want to insulate, so it doesn’t have to work quite as hard.
My plan is to fill the starboard and aft gaps with expanding foam. I’ll use a piece of plastic hose to extend the nozzle into the deep corners, spray a little foam, let it fully expand, then add a little more, etc.
I’m going to mock it up in cardboard to practice on.
For the other sides, I think foam board insulation will work fine.
 
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Mikem

.
Dec 20, 2009
820
Hunter 466 Bremerton
Remove the drawers then the drawer frame...should be a screw in each corner of the frame. The frame may or may not be a tight fit but it will come out. You then have access to the inboard side, rear and top of the ice box. You should be able to slide/stuff insulation into those areas. Be advised some of this work, as is often the case in boats, you will be working in the blind. Good luck.
 
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Mar 27, 2016
26
Catalina 310 NAS Pensacola
I use an ICEMULE Classic 15 liters, fits perfectly in my 310, keeps ice for 24-36 hours. $70, Amazon.
 
Oct 10, 2009
982
Catalina 27 Lake Monroe
I had a cockpit cooler built into the seat on my Oday23 (nearly enough reason to buy that boat!) and found that one thin layer of duct insulation, cut to fit the trapezoidal shape of the inside, placed on top of the ice/beer made a huge difference and so my guess about our existing iceboxes and coolers is that insulating the top may be more important than the sides. Secondly, on my current Catalina 27, the cabin ice box is practically worthless, due to the depth, which leaves a large amount of space to the top (packing a cooler full is shown in cooler tests to be important) and because I have not upgraded to the better insulating lid. The prior owner did insulate the sides and bottom, which I assume he accomplished by disassembling the galley. Since I really just day sail, we keep a very good, if smallish, soft cooler onboard for things that need to be kept cool. For over night, I'm kind of in the "five bags of ice" category as well if I want to use the galley icebox.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
The lid on my O’Day 322 does not seal the best, and I would get some condensation around the seam. I cut a sheet of Reflectix insulation to fit inside the opening ( under the lid). It is easy to move around to get into the fridge, and it made a huge difference in keeping things cold, eliminating the condensation, and not making the compressor cycle so much.

I also put hinges on my lid, as I didn’t like lifting it off and having to sit it down somewhere. Now, I can open it, and the lid stays open, I can grab my ice cold beverages, and close the lid...:beer:

Life is good.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
I did the above with our Catalina 30 years ago. For the seal on the lid we added a strip of magnetic tape, found at a hobby shop, to reduce air infiltration. Then I cut two pieces of rigid foam, 2” thick so I could fit them inside on top of the stores. I had some shrink wrap so I wrapped and taped it around the rigid pieces (made them look white for cleaning purposes).

After noticing my insulation would separate as the ice melted, I cut plexiglass to interlock and support the insulation from below and divide the box in four sections. I could then keep items separated inside which was useful when stuffing a hand in the ice rooting around for a beer.

Hope this helps.