Marine Heads Blog: Easy Ways to Make Your Boat Cooler Cooler
Maximize the Cooling Ability of Your Cooler
Raritan Engineering Company your marine heads specialists would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding easy ways to make your boat cooler cooler.
Your marine heads experts talk about how you want your drinks and snacks to stay cold longer without forking over hundreds for a high-end cooler? Here's how to hack a cheap model.
Until I got my latest boat, I'd never owned a boat with a fridge. I'd always used a cooler. It was OK and it fit nicely on the boat, but the performance was far from stellar. The ice melted within a day, and I thought that this was just the way it had to be.
On further investigation, it turned out that many cheap coolers are just an inner and outer skin of plastic with an air space between them. If this space can be filled with some sort of insulation, rather than just relying on dead air, the contents of the cooler will stay cold far longer.
Before undertaking this project, be sure to read and follow the spray-foam manufacturer's directions, taking note of recommended temperature and humidity ranges. Always wear protective equipment, including gloves, face mask/respirator, and eyewear.
Here's how to upgrade yours
1. With the lid removed, drill a series of half-inch holes around the top rim of the cooler, placing them them about 4 or 5 inches apart. The spacing isn't critical, but aim for neatness.
2. Insert the dispensing tube from the foam can into each hole in turn and fill until the space is about 50 percent full. The foam will expand in every direction. If you overfill, the pressure of the expanding foam will distort the cooler and may burst the sides apart.
3. After leaving the foam to fully cure overnight (sometimes up to 24 hours), use a sharp knife to trim flush any excess that has squeezed out of the holes.
4. Screw the lid back on the cooler. Add ice and drinks and enjoy!
Standing The Test Of Time
Although far from scientific, I measured how long it took a 5-pound bag of ice to melt, both pre- and post insulation. With no extra insulation, the ice melted to almost nothing within four hours when the cooler with the ice inside was placed outdoors in the shade on an 80-degree day.
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Size
Bigger isn't necessarily better. The more volume your cooler or insulated box has, the more ice you'll need to chill down all the stuff in it, and all the air in any empty space. This is why a full cooler holds ice better than one that's mostly empty — you're not wasting thermal energy cooling down all that air, some of which, by the way, gets exchanged every time you open the lid.
Insulation
Gasketing
Just like the weather stripping around the doors of your house, a good thick gasket prevents air from leaking in or out of your cooler, in this case, stealing your precious cold air and melting your frozen H2O. If the lid of your box or cooler doesn't have a gasket, consider using a $4 roll of foam tape or door kerf to seal the gap.
If you're considering adding insulation to a box on board, make sure it drains overboard, but also figure out how you're going to plug that drain while the box is in use. And while you're at it, figure out a way to stow the plug so you always know where it is when you need it on Saturday morning.
Don't forget these great pointers for boosting the cooling power of your boat's cooler. 1) With the lid removed, drill a series of half-inch holes around the top rim of the cooler, placing them them about 4 or 5 inches apart; 2) insert the dispensing tube from the foam can into each hole in turn and fill until the space is about 50 percent full; and 3) after leaving the foam to fully cure overnight (sometimes up to 24 hours), use a sharp knife to trim flush any excess that has squeezed out of the holes.
Solar-powered Boat is the Perfect Tiny Home for a Life of Sailing
Quebec boat building company Daigno has conceived of an original flagship houseboat called Le Koroc. Constructed as a "single-structure laminated timber," the floating tiny home is, as its website says, "a unique and refined craft for Nature lovers and fishing aficionados."
A floating testimony to the environment
Daigno says their solar-powered sailing abode is "a testimony to our constant concern for the environment "whose concept came about by "challenging habits and exploring innovative ideas." Just one look at the elegant yet compact residence and it is safe to say that the designers are not exaggerating.
Best of all, all the luxuries of a real house are conveniently packed into the boat's 24 feet long and 8 feet wide frame. In this case, small size has not been an excuse for sacrificing function.
The bathroom albeit small is complete with a stand-up shower in addition to the usual necessary accessories. But where does one sleep you might ask?
The back of the boat features a dinette table that folds out into a bed frame that sees the area now used as a bedroom with a view of that can not be beaten. For additional guests, two benches on either side can also fold out to offer another mattress.
Dedicated to sustainability
True to their dedication to sustainability, the boat's metal roof features a 265-watt solar panel that powers the boat’s energy-efficient LED lighting and other electrical equipment. For the extreme eco-friendly, composting toilets are also available.
Daigno's website further states that "each product we build is unique, and is crafted to meet specific customer expectations." The builders also offer additional upgrades for boat owners even after purchase.
Buy a marine head here at Raritan Engineering and see how we provide you the best products in the marine sanitation industry today.
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