BOATYARD
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ho doesn’t like a nice, cool drink
on a hot summer aft ernoon, es-
pecially while lazing in the cock-
pit, catching rays, and feeling the tickle of
the sea breeze? Th e tinkle of cubes in the
glass (probably plastic, but still), the sweat of
condensation on an icy can, the fi zz of cold
carbonation in a parched throat: Th ese are
all joys of summer, and of boating. But with-
out a convenient source of cold—a nearby
cooler, mini-fridge, or even a bucket of ice—
these joys will be less enjoyable, disturbed by
the occasional need to mosey into the galley
to fetch another cold one. Who needs that?
You could twist an ankle on the companion-
way steps! Instead, make your boat safer and
more lounge-friendly by adding cockpit re-
frigeration. It’s easier than you think.
Maybe you already have a refrigerator on
deck, or at least a place to put one: Cockpit
wet bars are common aboard express
cruisers, big bowriders, and other day-
boats. A basic setup has a sink, a working
surface, and either an icebox stowed in itsown locker, or an under-counter electric
refrigerator. Th e reefer is usually an op-
tion, but the furniture is standard (and
maybe the wiring for the optional reefer is
too), so adding a refrigerator means sim-
ply fi nding one that fi ts. Th e boatbuilder
can tell you what model was intended for
the space; buy it, install it, and start enjoy-
ing cold food and drink without making
the onerous journey belowdecks. Case
closed. We should all be so lucky.
Truth is, most of us don’t have a
refrigerator-ready locker waiting to be
fi lled. We need to use a bit of creativity to
fi nd an empty space in the cockpit that’s
large enough and ventilated enough for a
refrigerator. Compressors give off heat, and
there has to be suffi cient airfl ow to carry
the heat away; otherwise, the reefer is going
to be unhappy and less effi cient. Even a
small-ish refrigerator takes up a lot of space.
Building a console to hold one doesn’t make
sense—might as well buy another boat with
a full-up wet bar. But chances are there’sKeep Your Cool
THINK ICE IS A STONE AGE METHOD OF KEEPING FOOD COLD?
MAYBE YOU NEED TO INSTALL SOME EXTRA REFRIGERATION.
BUT READ THIS FIRST. BY MIKE SMITHHigh-quality refrigerator drawers have top-shelf compressors and use fewer amps to keep things cold.