Glenn Ashmore wrote:
On our recent BVI cruise I started thinking about cockpit drink coolers.
The beneteau 505 has a very poorly insulated cooler in the cockpit
table that is a total waste of ice. RUTU, being derived from a modern
high performance design, has a very wide fairly shallow cockpit. It
will need foot rests to keep braced in the seats on a heel. I am
thinking about building a perminent heavily insulated box down the
center. It could also be used as a seat at anchor when the table is
folded up and the cushion would serve as additional insulation.

Now the question is how to keep it cold. I am thinking that a small
evaporator type system would work. Drinks cool fastest in water so
stocking originally with drinks and ice would provide the water. Once
the ice melts the evaporator would maintain the temperature and the
water would serve as a heat sink.

What I am worried about is that the aluminum evaporator would corrode
rather quickly constantly submerged in water. I am wondering if several
loops of copper tube might make a better evaporator.

Stainless steel might work better. Many restaurants use a cooler to
pre-cool the carbonated water and the syrup for fountain pop. This uses
a bath of water as a "cold bank" and a set of coils for the product and
another set to keep everything cool. You could probably find a setup
like this in a used restaurant equipment store cheaply. They last forever.
--

If you don't go there, you will never know what is there.

I ain't looking for trouble,.....but you can find it here.