Refrigerator / Freezer Upgrade

The box for the refrigerator and freezer compartments is very large with the back wall is impossible to reach without climbing into the box itself. During commissioning we had a Frigoboat keel cooled system added and have been extremely happy with it. This system circulates the refrigerant to a heat exchanger plate attached to the hull and in contact with seawater. There are no fans with this system so it is very quiet and the heat does not build up in the compartment where the compressor is mounted.

Our goal has been to keep the freezer side of the split box at about 0 degrees and the refrigerator side at about 40 degrees. The evaporator plate is mounted in the freezer compartment. The refrigerator side is cooled entirely by spillover from the freezer side. We concluded after operating a couple of seasons that the box insulation was not sufficient requiring the compressor to run too much. Many other Island Packet owners have experienced the same in many different models. It is my understanding that the manufacturing process on newer models has been changed to minimize the incidence of voids in the insulation. We found a site, www.rparts.com that sells components for refrigeration systems, including box construction materials. Since the box was over-sized we decided we could add insulation to the interior without great sacrifice of space. We also did not want to remove or alter the countertop in any way. This meant working inside the box which would prove to be very challenging. We ordered vacuum panels which were custom made to our specifications. These are 1 inch thick cut to our dimensions. The box is an irregular shape, so all panels had some angles. They also had to be size to fit through the access opening. The vacuum panels have to be handled carefully and well protected as any puncture will reduce the effectiveness greatly. The panels have an R-value = 28. To protect the panels and provide a new interior surface we orders sheets of protruded fiberglass. We then cut pieces to form a new interior. Construction then involved gluing the vacuum panels in place using insulation foam, and then gluing the fiberglass sheet over the panels and finally using an epoxy putty to seal all joints. The insulated divider between the freezer and refrigerator compartments was removed, cut down on each side to the new dimensions and then refitted. While it was out we added a electric spillover fan which is controlled by its own thermostat.

One last upgrade was to add an electronic module to control the compressor. The objective is to run the compressor at the slowest possible speed. It is more efficient to run it slower for longer periods of time. Depending on the demands, this module adjust the compressor speed to achieve this objective as much as possible. It also has manual override which is used to cool faster such as when restocking.

After one season with the upgrade we are very happy with the result. We probably did not need the spillover fan and subsequently we added a butterfly value to adjust (slow down) the air flow. Once cooled down we usually close the butterfly valve almost completely.

Survival

Our first and most important step toward survival is preparation, planning and giving full consideration to the weather and conditions. That aside, there are always the unknown factors or circumstances. For this we have our survival equipment and plans. These we view much like insurance. It is something we need, but we really hope we never have the need to use it. Also like insurance this equipment provides a peace of mind having it available.

EPIRB – this device is registered with the FCC. If we activate it, it will send a which will report our position from an internal GPS and identify us as sending the signal. In all likelihood either our son Daniel or our daughter Pamela will be contacted as they registered as our contacts. Once they confirm we are in fact at sea, a search team will be deployed to our reported location. Given the swiftness of the potential recovery by activating the EPIRB we consider this a very important piece of equipment.

Life Raft – We have a Winslow 4 person model 40SLO which weights about 41 pounds.. We had it vacuum packed so it can go three years before inspection and repacking rather than the normal annual inspection. Some supplies packed inside the raft are dated and are then replaced during inspection.

Ditch Bag – this bag is stowed just under the companionway so that it can be easily grabbed from the cockpit, but is actually stored inside the cabin. The bag includes essentials for survival and recovery. It includes the EPIRB, distress signals, the first aid kit, additional food and water, and important papers amongst other items. A handheld GPS and VHF radio are nearby and would be put in the bag if possible.

There are a couple of ways to stow a life raft. Some are stowed in a canister which is mounted on deck or on the stern rail. We seriously considered a canister mounted on the cabin roof but in the end rejected this idea. The canister has the benefits of not consuming other valuable storage space, but it must be very securely attached to reduce the risk of being washed overboard, and it does subject the raft to more of the weather, such as the hot sun. We decided on the other available option which is stowing it in a protected space, which in our case is a cockpit locker. This has the advantage of protecting the raft from the elements and also having readily available from the cockpit. The major disadvantage is giving up prime storage space. As a compromise we constructed a shelve for the life raft which is hinged to fold up out of the way when working in the locker and also is on a slide so the life raft can be moved directly under the locker lid ready to be lifted and deployed.

Selling Our Home

Today was huge for us. We signed the contact with our real estate broker to list our home. This is not the best market, but we are listing early. If it sells quickly then we will need to face interim housing until Ariel is launched in the spring. The sale process will begin with an open house on February 11. We wanted to wait until after the Super Bowl. For both of us this is a little hard because we both like this place and our neighborhood so much. The good news is that she did not have any recommendations for improvements. We have been working very hard to get it ready and in show quality. Now we need to live in it this way which is a little unnatural.

Christmas Vacation

We are just back from Christmas vacation. It could not have been nicer. While a lot of driving, it was broken up into manageable pieces as we stopped and visited family along the way to Grand Rapids, Michigan and back. We spent Christmas Eve weekend with Norm's mother. Her and our long time friend Annette came down and we had some good games of Grumble Rummy. Christmas day we went to Norm's brother Bill's. His kids Chad and Alicia were there for awhile. Bill always makes stuffed cabbage (the best) on Christmas day along with pies. We played dominos in between eating and snacking. The day after Christmas we travelled onto Avon Lake, Ohio to have our Christmas with Kim, Jason, Micheal and Evelyn. It was fun to watch Michael and Evelyn opened their presents. Kim made a wonderful ham dinner, which included my favorite potatoes and fruit salad which her and Linda just love. The following day we travelled on to Kentwood. Michigan stopping in Findley, Ohio along the way. Brinkman's Turkey Farm is just outside of Findley. Brinkmans is noted for their canned meats that many cruising boats order. We made up a case with a mixed selection which we will sample before ordering larger quantities. Arriving at Dan and Lesli's we were greeted by Thomas and Lesli. Thomas's initial reaction was to burst into tears. We think he was confused by the presents we were carrying. He quickly warmed to us and was a real joy. We had a great time watching him opened his presents and then playing, reading and just spending time with him, Dan and Lesli. On Friday we started the return trip after a failed attempt to have breakfast at Bob Evans. Thomas developed an upsett stomach just before we ordered so they could not stay. We said our goodbyes in an awkward situation and then we were off to Scott and Pamela's in Broadview Heights, Ohio. They really surprised us with matching polo shirts and fleece jackets with the Island Packet star logo and Ariel embroidered on them. They jointly made a wonderful turkey dinner. We got to see their pictures and hear about their recent trip to the Dominion Republic. New Eve day we made the return trip to our home in Massachusetts allowing us New Years day to rest up and put decorations away.