My new H290 came with a ice box with a shelf. My wife wants to put the food in the bottom and put bag ice cubes on top of everthing. She uses the shelf for meats and etc. I want to use block ice and put the block on the shelf with all food in the bottom. ???? Will this keep things cool to 40 degrees F. What does any one else do? Just want to use ice, since I only use the boat on weekends. Thanks p.s. I did try to look in the past articles
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hp
ice box cooling
For what it is worth we put ice in the bottom and top! we put block ice on the bottom and cube ice on top so that it is easier to get for drinks etc.. We also have a battery powered fan that circulates the air in the box and have no problem keeping thing cold.So as is the case with most marriages-Compromise! (the fan can be found at any big marine store or in catalogs)
For what it is worth we put ice in the bottom and top! we put block ice on the bottom and cube ice on top so that it is easier to get for drinks etc.. We also have a battery powered fan that circulates the air in the box and have no problem keeping thing cold.So as is the case with most marriages-Compromise! (the fan can be found at any big marine store or in catalogs)
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Barry
Ice Goes on Top!
You'll be disappointed if you put the ice on the bottom but then again, your friends won't come over and drink your beer (unless they like the warm stuff) Since cold air it heavier, it falls to the bottom where your food should be kept. Barry
You'll be disappointed if you put the ice on the bottom but then again, your friends won't come over and drink your beer (unless they like the warm stuff) Since cold air it heavier, it falls to the bottom where your food should be kept. Barry
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Ron
Block Ice
See article in http://sailnet.com/ Refrigeration Part (1) by Tom Wood. Great article that will answer your questions about using the shelf. Or someday maybe a refrigerator system. I have a shelf on my Cat 30. Even though the "first mate" doesn't like it, that is where our block ice goes. Hope this answers your questions. Keep cool!
See article in http://sailnet.com/ Refrigeration Part (1) by Tom Wood. Great article that will answer your questions about using the shelf. Or someday maybe a refrigerator system. I have a shelf on my Cat 30. Even though the "first mate" doesn't like it, that is where our block ice goes. Hope this answers your questions. Keep cool!
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david lewis
Ice News
I have extensive experience with Ice in my boats. My recommendations are as follows: 1. Ice you make yourself is much colder than ice you buy and will last much longer. Get large tupperware tubs, or use trash bags, fill with water, then freeze. 2. All the meat for your trip should be frozen before you start, as it unfreezes cook it, what you don't eat put in plastic food containers or zip lock bags and between unthawing and cooking you can make you food last a week easy. 3. Completely fill your cooler with frozen foods and ice. drain out the water as the ice melts and use a small cooler just for drinks. Use the cold water from the big cooler to cool the drinks in the small cooler. Drink beer which requires no ice in it EXCEPT WHEN YOU ARE UNDERWAY!!!! 4. Drink warm drinks at room temperature, I really like warm beer and thats how I drink it at home (room temp). Margaritas require ice however. 5. Never open the cooler unless you have to, the influx of warm air makes the ice melt faster. I have had block Ice I've made myself go for 7 to 10 days and still had some at the end of the week, my cooler is very well insulated in my 35 however. My Catalina 25 was not insulated at all so I used a portable cooler on that. Happy fishing dave
I have extensive experience with Ice in my boats. My recommendations are as follows: 1. Ice you make yourself is much colder than ice you buy and will last much longer. Get large tupperware tubs, or use trash bags, fill with water, then freeze. 2. All the meat for your trip should be frozen before you start, as it unfreezes cook it, what you don't eat put in plastic food containers or zip lock bags and between unthawing and cooking you can make you food last a week easy. 3. Completely fill your cooler with frozen foods and ice. drain out the water as the ice melts and use a small cooler just for drinks. Use the cold water from the big cooler to cool the drinks in the small cooler. Drink beer which requires no ice in it EXCEPT WHEN YOU ARE UNDERWAY!!!! 4. Drink warm drinks at room temperature, I really like warm beer and thats how I drink it at home (room temp). Margaritas require ice however. 5. Never open the cooler unless you have to, the influx of warm air makes the ice melt faster. I have had block Ice I've made myself go for 7 to 10 days and still had some at the end of the week, my cooler is very well insulated in my 35 however. My Catalina 25 was not insulated at all so I used a portable cooler on that. Happy fishing dave
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john renfro
block
hello " D ".back in the days when ice was the only home refrigeration was the only home cooling, it was found that a BLOCK of ice placed above the food was the best way to keep food cold. all " ice boxes " were built this way. block ice will last a lot longer than crushed ice. the ice pick was invented to chip a pice of ice off the block for your booz. john
hello " D ".back in the days when ice was the only home refrigeration was the only home cooling, it was found that a BLOCK of ice placed above the food was the best way to keep food cold. all " ice boxes " were built this way. block ice will last a lot longer than crushed ice. the ice pick was invented to chip a pice of ice off the block for your booz. john
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Bob Zolczer
Some other ideas
We don't use block ice at all. We freeze water in gallon milk jugs and use commercial blue ice containers. As the milk jugs thaw, we have our drinking water. Any beer, wine or soft drinks we have are put in the big cooler cold. This minimizes melted ice water dripping over food and draining into the bilge, where it can develop a life and smell of its own. Our ice cubes are kept in tupperware and our drinks for the day are kept in a separate cooler. We've gone for 8 or 9 days in a hot summer in New England with this system with no problems, except for maybe buying one bag of cubes. The beer even stays cold.
We don't use block ice at all. We freeze water in gallon milk jugs and use commercial blue ice containers. As the milk jugs thaw, we have our drinking water. Any beer, wine or soft drinks we have are put in the big cooler cold. This minimizes melted ice water dripping over food and draining into the bilge, where it can develop a life and smell of its own. Our ice cubes are kept in tupperware and our drinks for the day are kept in a separate cooler. We've gone for 8 or 9 days in a hot summer in New England with this system with no problems, except for maybe buying one bag of cubes. The beer even stays cold.
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Rob Rich
New Product
I just bought a product at the boat show that is supposed to last longer than ice itself. It is a weird little colloid that is trapped in 1 inch cells which comprise a plastic sheet. The colloid absorbs water, and then you freeze it. It is supposed to last three to four times longer than ice, and you use it to line your ice box. It is re-usable. Anyone used this? I got it because it routinely hits 100 down here in Austin, and we go through ice like you wouldn't believe. I'll let you know how it works. Rob
I just bought a product at the boat show that is supposed to last longer than ice itself. It is a weird little colloid that is trapped in 1 inch cells which comprise a plastic sheet. The colloid absorbs water, and then you freeze it. It is supposed to last three to four times longer than ice, and you use it to line your ice box. It is re-usable. Anyone used this? I got it because it routinely hits 100 down here in Austin, and we go through ice like you wouldn't believe. I'll let you know how it works. Rob
Rob, robbed!
Rob: I bought this crap at the Sail Expo last year. It was from Australia. Cannot remember what it was called. I used it for 2-3 weeks and decided that it really did not work. We were using it in our ICE BOX with a refrigeration unit. I think my ice lasted longer than it did. Hope you have better luck than I did. I'll be interested in your experience. The only good think is that it did not actually melt.
Rob: I bought this crap at the Sail Expo last year. It was from Australia. Cannot remember what it was called. I used it for 2-3 weeks and decided that it really did not work. We were using it in our ICE BOX with a refrigeration unit. I think my ice lasted longer than it did. Hope you have better luck than I did. I'll be interested in your experience. The only good think is that it did not actually melt.
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Joe
Sounds like "Techni-ice"
It works pretty well, but you have to follow the directions closely. If you use the recommended amount, it will keep for a few to several days. Don't let it get wet while in use after the inital "wetting". Good luck, Joe C. in NC
It works pretty well, but you have to follow the directions closely. If you use the recommended amount, it will keep for a few to several days. Don't let it get wet while in use after the inital "wetting". Good luck, Joe C. in NC
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Rob Rich
Between Steve and Joe..
I hope Joe is right! Will post results after June goes by. Temps are usually in the mid 90's by then. Thanks! Rob
I hope Joe is right! Will post results after June goes by. Temps are usually in the mid 90's by then. Thanks! Rob
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Ken Palmer
Bob, tell me more
You mentioned in a previous post that your food, beer, soft drinks, etc. stay cool for 8 to 9 days with little ice purchased. I also use my own frozen blocks, but I also use empty box-wine bladders to freeze the ice. The shape is nice and flat, fitting quite nicely in the cooler or ice box. However, even with block ice and a seperate cooler (the kind that can cool with shore power or 12V) I still have to buy ice every other day or so. I don't use the 12 V option on the cooler since it sucks up the juice pretty quickly. We probably have the same type climate here in Rochester, so I need your secret of keeping ice for over a week. Thanks. Ken Palmer, S/V Liberty
You mentioned in a previous post that your food, beer, soft drinks, etc. stay cool for 8 to 9 days with little ice purchased. I also use my own frozen blocks, but I also use empty box-wine bladders to freeze the ice. The shape is nice and flat, fitting quite nicely in the cooler or ice box. However, even with block ice and a seperate cooler (the kind that can cool with shore power or 12V) I still have to buy ice every other day or so. I don't use the 12 V option on the cooler since it sucks up the juice pretty quickly. We probably have the same type climate here in Rochester, so I need your secret of keeping ice for over a week. Thanks. Ken Palmer, S/V Liberty
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Bob Zolczer
Ice Box Conservation
There's no real secret, Ken. Anything that can be frozen (meats, vegetables, etc.)are put into the icebox frozen. Beer and sodas are put into the icebox chilled. We use plenty of commercial blue ice containers and make sure the icebox is full or nearly so. We use 6 or 7 gallon jugs of water frozen to fill up the icebox if need be. We try to open the icebox only once a day, but probably average twice a day. In the morning, we take our full day's food and drinks out and put it/them in a separate cooler. I got one at West Marine advertised to keep ice for a week with outside temp of 90 degrees. This goes underneath the saloon table. I also use a separate six pack cooler for sodas, bottled water and ice cubes while sailing, so I don't open our daily cooler often. Using this regimen, the last gallon jug of water thaws completely around the 7th day, but the large icebox keeps things cool for a day or so longer. The only thing I replenish is ice cubes. The secret, if there is one, is to keep the large ice box closed and not rummage in it looking for drinks, snacks, etc.
There's no real secret, Ken. Anything that can be frozen (meats, vegetables, etc.)are put into the icebox frozen. Beer and sodas are put into the icebox chilled. We use plenty of commercial blue ice containers and make sure the icebox is full or nearly so. We use 6 or 7 gallon jugs of water frozen to fill up the icebox if need be. We try to open the icebox only once a day, but probably average twice a day. In the morning, we take our full day's food and drinks out and put it/them in a separate cooler. I got one at West Marine advertised to keep ice for a week with outside temp of 90 degrees. This goes underneath the saloon table. I also use a separate six pack cooler for sodas, bottled water and ice cubes while sailing, so I don't open our daily cooler often. Using this regimen, the last gallon jug of water thaws completely around the 7th day, but the large icebox keeps things cool for a day or so longer. The only thing I replenish is ice cubes. The secret, if there is one, is to keep the large ice box closed and not rummage in it looking for drinks, snacks, etc.
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david lewis
Ice Box Ken
Ken, See how well your ice box is insulated. My Catalina 25 had a nice ice box and it would hold ice for about 36 hours. The first time I used it I couldn't believe it so I dug around and found the box was completely uninsulated!!! I only used it for dry storage after that and relied on a cooler. My O'Day 35 has fantastic insulated ice boxes. They keep ice easily for a week even in hot summer weather. The trick is make very cold ice and freeze all your food to start with. Do not use the ice box for drinks as the number of times you open it effects the length of ice retention. Store bought ice is a scam!!!! It is kept at a much warmer temperature and doesn't last, I also think it is aerated as it seems less dense than the ice I make myself d
Ken, See how well your ice box is insulated. My Catalina 25 had a nice ice box and it would hold ice for about 36 hours. The first time I used it I couldn't believe it so I dug around and found the box was completely uninsulated!!! I only used it for dry storage after that and relied on a cooler. My O'Day 35 has fantastic insulated ice boxes. They keep ice easily for a week even in hot summer weather. The trick is make very cold ice and freeze all your food to start with. Do not use the ice box for drinks as the number of times you open it effects the length of ice retention. Store bought ice is a scam!!!! It is kept at a much warmer temperature and doesn't last, I also think it is aerated as it seems less dense than the ice I make myself d
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Joe Baker
Insulation
We wrap or cover our ice cooler(packed with just ice and frozen meat) with a good sleeping bag. The bag gets a little damp but the ice keeps over a week in early August.
We wrap or cover our ice cooler(packed with just ice and frozen meat) with a good sleeping bag. The bag gets a little damp but the ice keeps over a week in early August.
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Joe Passanisi
Wine bladders
You are right I tried the wine bladders and they work great. I buy a couple of boxes of the wine every week. My wife doesn't seem to mind drinking it and I love it when her girl friends come over and increase the consumption. The bladders work great and they fit perfect in a cooler when transporting.
You are right I tried the wine bladders and they work great. I buy a couple of boxes of the wine every week. My wife doesn't seem to mind drinking it and I love it when her girl friends come over and increase the consumption. The bladders work great and they fit perfect in a cooler when transporting.
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Mike
fit for gallons?
I have used empty plastic milk gallon and half gallon containers in the past. The ice keeps for quite an extended period of time. When the ice does melt you can drink the water. Great and inexpensive way to keep food and BEER cool Priorities! Priorities!
I have used empty plastic milk gallon and half gallon containers in the past. The ice keeps for quite an extended period of time. When the ice does melt you can drink the water. Great and inexpensive way to keep food and BEER cool Priorities! Priorities!
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Joe Baker
Citrus
We freeze some drinking water in rinsed Florida's Natural orange juice cartons. It has a pretty decent citrus flavor and a good pouring spout.
We freeze some drinking water in rinsed Florida's Natural orange juice cartons. It has a pretty decent citrus flavor and a good pouring spout.
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