Hi End Coolers

B

Bess-C

New member
We don't have a refrigerator on our boat. We prefer using the space for storage. We have used a variety of different sizes and shapes of low cost Coleman style coolers. They have worked ok, but we sometimes travel in areas where it is hard to get ice.

If we're on the boat for two weeks in a remote area we seem to be constantly looking for ice because our cooler only holds it for 2-3 days. I have seen some heavy, expensive, supposedly superior coolers that say they hold ice for a week or more. These are brands like Ultra Cool, Icey-Tek, and Moeller Marine Ice Station Zero.

Does anyone out there have experience with any of these coolers and are they really superior to the standard issue inexpensive coolers? Also, does anyone know of a source in the Northwest? These buggers are so heavy that they cost almost as much to ship as they do to purchase.
Lyle
 
A few years ago Saltwater Sportsman ran an article/test on the pricey coolers and found that their claims were accurate. Some kept ice for over ten days, if memeory serves.

However, many were well over $500 in price and plastic handles vs rope actually were a $125 option on some. Cushions for the top were also outlandishly expensive.

We are using a Coleman Extreme and we find that with pre-cooling and filling any void caused by using food/drinks with closed cell foam that we can get up to six days of ice-life. Good enough for us!

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
Hi,

I hadn't thought of back-filling the spaces after removing items. It could help some. Air is an excellent insulator if the air space isn't large enough for circulation to occur. That's how insulation material (like foam) works, by creating zillions of teensy little air spaces too small for air currents to cause convective cooling. Filling the larger empty pockets inside the cooler with foam would prevent this.

Another great trick with coolers in hot, dry weather is to drape a white towel over them and keep the towel wet. The evaporative cooling of the towel keeps the outside of the cooler much colder than it otherwise would be. We used to do that on houseboat trips to Lakes Mead or Powell. Cooler placed in shade on front deck with towel covering, water splashed on from the lake once in a while....cold....

Probably a person could do this with one of the Coleman thermoelectric coolers with good results. Another idea is to have a second cooler with dry ice to keep things frozen for a few days and then move them to the regular cooler when you're ready to use them.

Jeff
 
The Icey Tek, is now called Yeti Rough Neck. "The factory that produced Icey-Tek is still producing coolers, however, the Icey-Tek name can no longer be used in the United States due to Trademark restrictions. "

Boater's World had some of the Moeller Marine Ice Station Zero Chest coolers last year. They still list the 94 quart size in their catalogue.

There is also the Frigid Rigid...claims to be more effecient than the others.

I have a friend who got one of the Icey Teks last year, and does find he gets 8 to 9 days of "cool" in our Florida summers. (Cooler is shaded on a 45 foot trawler).

We use towels which we keep damp at Lake Powell and get 5 days out of the "Ulta Cool" by Igloo.

The SSI which West Marine carries claims to be as good as the other high end--but some of the others have 2" vs 1.5" for SSI.

However, if you really want cool--make your own. We made a freezer (Built in 12 cu feet capacity) in our Force 50--which had 6" solid closed cell urethane--outer heavy aluminum foil, vapor barrier, the 6" of foam, with no voids or way air could get around corners etc, inner vapor barrier and fiberglass lining, gel coated. I lost the generator for a month and it kept ice for an entire month, with minimal melting (and minimal intrustion into the chest). The lid was sealed and gasketed, and also 6" thick.

If you did this with 2" or 3" of foam, with a gasketed lid--outside could be thin Brynzel ply, with glass over, inside glass. I am sure it would last at least 10 - 15 days in the PNW.

The problem with the usual coolers, is that there are voids, and the insullation is thin--usually less than 3/4".
 
Hey Lyle, I could've written your post myself except that I HAVE tried the Icey-Tek. Mine wouldn't seal so I returned it for a refund. Good thing too. Powerboat Reports tested a bunch and determined that the best was the Coleman Ultimate Extreme.
 
Hi All,

Sorry I do not have the manufacturers name, but our cooler is the same kind used to transport body parts for transplants. It is fairly large and has just a little more room than our "5" day Coleman. The Coleman lasted about two days out in the sun in the cockpit.

This organ transplanter cost over $100. It actually keeps block ice for a week. Our ice cubes are used up in drinks and melt much faster. We did see similar coolers at Boater's World, but do not know if they are made by the same company.

We will be on board this weekend and I will get a name from the box if possible.

Fred, Pat, and Mr Grey(the cat)
 
We use a 60 quart 5 day ultra cool made by Igloo sold at West Marine. With the wheels and handles it is easy to maneuver, lift and store. We put a layer of dry ice in the bottom covered by cardboard then a trash bag. We then put in 2 bags of ice and our items to be stored. We still had ice in 7 days. The cooler was exposed to 90+ temps daily. All food items were stored in zip lock freezer bags and we only opened it a couple of times a day. When my boat fridge takes a hike I will do like Dr Bob and put in a freezer then use a cooler for refrigerated items.
 
a little off topic but just as good as any place to put it. While driving thru north everett today I noticed a fire Extinguisher shop on broadway that sells dry ice. they had it advertised on a sign out front. So if you are looking for dry ice in the north end thats the place to go. Near johns sporting goods.
 
Hi Folks,

Has anybody had good results with the 12 volt electric small coolers? After all, we have a good source of electricity with our engines.

Fred
 
Fred,

I've used two of the 12V, inexpensive coolers from Wal-Mart extensively. I bought the first really small unit to keep cold drinks on the tractor during baling, etc.. It is an amazing little unit. When I am alone on the boat, the tiny one is the only one I use. I think it holds a dozen cans or more, fewer bottles, but how much do you need? You can always put a hot one in after you drink a cold one.

The larger unit cost me $79.95 and I think they're even cheaper now. I'll put a couple of ice bags into it (lid up position) and plug it in while running. I usually unplug the 12V line while anchored to prevent excessive battery drain. The two 8 lb ice bags will last 3-4 days that way.

Another thing that is neat to do: I have a folding cooler bag with a shoulder strap that just fits into the larger cold plate unit. I'll load it up at home with ice and food that I'll be bringing back home after the outing. That bag sits inside the 12V cooler which is plugged in while engines run, which really keeps the ice from melting. When the trip is over, I just pull the flexible cooler out of the 12V unit and head home, ketchup, bbque sauce, milk, cheese and all! And the stuff stays cool during the 4 hour drive home.

As a side note, one really does not have to drink ice cold water all day long. I'm happy most of the time with ambient temp. water, unless it's 100 degrees out. Only cooling things that need it cuts back on alot of the mess, weight, and worry.

Good luck,

John
 
I have had great results with my SSI 200 , but they dont make a small coolers as far as I know . It will hold ice for a week and with the cushion on top it doubles as a sofa !
Marc
 
The Peltier effect refrigerator is only relitatively effective (power use wise). You have copper wires, and Bismuth or iron wire, and then again copper wiire in a circuit. The junction where current flows from copper to bismuth will get hot, and the junction where current flows from bismuth to copper the junction will get cold. The maximum temperature drop is about 40 F from the ambient temperature where the hot junction is located.

We tried this with a super effecient ice box, with flow over from a freezer, --the power drain was the biggest problem. If you have relitatively cool climate it may cool down 20 degrees from the starting temp. Lets put it this way, if it was all that good we would all be using it instead of refigerators which run on compressors or amonia gas (which also requires a heat source).
 
Warren,

I think Dr. Bob of Thataway was describing the principle used in the cheap, portable refrigerators like I am using.

He has a conventional freezer under his passenger dinette seat, I believe.

While the Peltier units are not as powerful as conventional units, they have worked OK for me during short 2-4 day stints when I augment themwith ice.

I primarily use them to extend the life of the ice.

John
 
Key issue with a Peltier effect fridge is to NOT add large, warm items. The cooling element has a relatively small thermal mass which will try to cool down the large mass of warm "stuff" and will draw large current continuously while doing so.
So pre-chill whatever you add and add ice as helper and it may be Ok for small applications.

Merv
 
I tried a Peltier ice box conversion unit in a past sailboat. It was cheap, worked marginally, and could really eat up a group 27 battery. I even poured in foam all around the box to increase insulation. Adler-Barbour was added the next year.
 
Warren,
The chest freezer/refigerator under the navigators seat in Thataway is a Norcold compressor driven refigeration unit. It will hold ice cream frozen well--so reasonably cold.
 
When I ordered my boat I opted for the ice box under the captain's seat (big mistake because it leaks onto the floor and won't keep ice more than 24 hours) and the rear bench seat which has two stainless steel posts that are removable.

At last year's Annapolis Boat Show, I bought a 60 Qt Yeti which fits between the S/S seat poles with an inch to spare. I just completed a 5 day run up the Chesapeake Bay and back home. The Yeti kept the original ice for the full 5 days and I had to dump out the left over ice out when we got back to the dock.

The cooler was expensive, but I don't have to buy ice everyday and the food did not spoil like it did on last years trip. If you use your boat for multi-day trips, I would say it is worth the investment.
 
starcrafttom":3ivpnjnt said:
While driving thru north everett today I noticed a fire Extinguisher shop on broadway that sells dry ice. they had it advertised on a sign out front. So if you are looking for dry ice in the north end thats the place to go. Near johns sporting goods.
Click to expand...

Tom, you might try some of the Safeway stores in the area as well........the Safeway in Arlington has dry ice for sale as well. (It is located near the bottled water machine...so not many people notice that it is there.
 
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