The next part of the re-fit project is the fridge. Like the old cooker, the built in fridge on Isosceles is getting on for 40 years old. It is far to big to be efficient or usable. It was time for a change.
Since I’ve owned Isosceles I’ve thought about converting some of the space occupied by the pilot birth into a storage area. With the lee cloth up it pretty much gets used as that anyway, just not in any organised or tidy way. If I need a birth when I’m sailing I use the two saloon births, both of which have good secure lee cloths (strong cloth sides that stop you rolling off as the boat moves).
The fridge
Fridges on boats are a subject that very much divides opinion amongst “yachties”. There are those who believe in keeping things simple on a boat. Need to keep something cool? Put it in a bucket with some water in, or alternatively put it in a net bag tied to a rope and throw it over the side (this works when you’re at anchor, not so much when the boat’s moving!). The old salt in the yacht club bar will often be willing to tell you how wrong all this technology is. The kind of sailor who tells a good tale about the “good old days” but all to often doesn’t go far himself, at least not these days. The kind of sailor who’s better half refuses to sail with him, or is single and doesn’t understand why.
If you watch carefully you can see these types in many places. They go on about their way doing things in quite a smug and self satisfied way. Most people concentrate on the person speaking, I have a tendency to be watching all around me. It is interesting to watch the poor other half at these times. You often see them stood next to the person spouting their views, rolling their eyes and declining to comment with unspoken disdain. It’s surprising how often the person who purports to know so much can not see what is right in front of them.
In the modern world a fridge is essential. It doesn’t have to be as huge as the double height, double width monolith that dominate many domestic kitchens. But you need a fridge for some things if you are aboard for any decent length of time. Especially if you are planning on sailing in warmer climates.
The original fridge on Isosceles was, in all honesty, a pain. If you wanted to get anything out you have to clear half of the available work surface. Once you manage to open it up the space inside is huge. I have quite long arms and I struggle to reach the far corners of the space. I was pretty sure the insulation wouldn’t be up to scratch either. It had to go.
But first, I needed somewhere else to put my milk.
The new fridge
I decided to go for one of the compressor driven camping fridges. There are numerous makes available, but the more you look at these things the more you realise there are only actually 3 or so manufacturers. The majority of them are rebadged and sold as different brands. When you fight your way through and find the importer you can get a reasonable price.
The fridge I chose is around 70 litre capacity, which is pretty big for a portable fridge. It has separate compartments, one of which can be a freezer if I want. I was thinking ahead to when I plan to cross the Atlantic again, having meals that I can just pull out and heat through is going to be a great help.
Holding it in place
Having a portable fridge is a great option, but like anything on a boat it needs to be secure. Boats by their very nature move about. The smaller the boat the more they bob about like a cork! Strapping the fridge down so it doesn’t come flying across the cabin is a necessity. I also wanted to build a seat so that I could use the navigation area / chart table. It seemed sensible to combine the two.
I have built the framing for the seat back so I can attach straps in order to secure one end of the fridge. The other end has a simple low level frame that stops the fridge from sliding. The handle at that end can then be strapped down to this. Lastly I attached loops to the bars that stop the fridge from sliding backwards and forwards. These are designed to provide extra strapping over the top of the fridge for when I am at sea, particularly if the conditions deteriorate.
Hopefully this will keep the fridge in one place. It would be messy, not to mention dangerous, if it were to break free.
Finishing touches
With the fridge secured I took the original foam from the bench and cut it down to fill the spaces. Then it was off to the upholsterer, there are some jobs I just know I should leave to the professionals.
Now that the passage area is finished I have moved back into the galley area. The idea of cutting big holes in the sides of the cabinets fills me with dread, but I know it’ll be worth it in the end.
