So what’s the secret to successful cruising? There are so many answers, most depending on the length of the cruise, both in time and distance. Some things are obvious, such as an indestructible autopilot. Next on the list, a good-sized, seaworthy dinghy with a decent outboard motor. And then there’s the cooling. No, not air conditioning, which is now a houseboat-style trend that boat manufacturers seem unable to resist. No, we’re talking about the simple refrigerator. Whether top opening or front, air-cooled or seawater, modest size or gigantic, it can get really confusing. Let’s take a look.
Image
1
/
1
Publié le
16/12/2016
Par
François Trégouët
Numéro :
145
Parution :
Jan.
/
Feb.
2016
It’s been a good thirty years since we gave up on having to hunt for a big block of ice every time we pulled in to port, and we certainly don’t miss that. The arrival of mechanical cooling brought us freedom and self-sufficiency. Sure, for the first few years, electrical consumption drove us to run the motor for a few extra hours. But here in 2015, the surface area of the solar panels on our beautiful catamarans liberates us from this less than ecologically sound requirement. If we keep the number of times we open and close it every day to a minimum compared to at home, and have a good-quality…
