Retrofit refrigeration for 43DS

[Zanshin]

My 2002 43DS has an engine drive Frigoboat system that works quite well, but I do not intend on running my engine much at all; plus I have a diesel generator and am installing a wind generator. So I'd like to put in a DC driven refrigeration system and am looking for recommendations and comments from other Jeanneau owners. Is is worth splitting the refrigerator into a freezer and refrigerator (i.e. does the system actually work well enough in hot climates)? Is keel cooling better than water cooled?

[gemini]

Zanshin,

See you didn't get much on this subject.

I just took possession of a 2002 43DS as the third owner. I have a figdaboat compressor located under the stove. The large locker has the condensor but I wish it was in the small locker. I have read much about this combination. I understand that if the condensor was in the small locker, I could just change the thermostat to the freezer thermostat and put a small fan in the lower pass through port between the two lockers. That would make the small left hand locker into a freezer and the right into a refrigerator. This configuration is much like a side by side refrigerator/freezer.

The frigaboat is 12vdc and seems to run fairly efficiently.

My opinion only on the keel cooling.... installation cost more than water cooled and I doubt that the ROI would be less than about 10 years, and by then something new will come out that is even more efficient.

I am interested in your genset... what kind, location, size etc. Also what else do you have, i.e. water maker? Reversing heat pump for heat and A/C?

Thanks.

Gemini ;D

[notorious7004]

Check out SeaFrost's new BD XP 12 volt system; it´s supposed to be the most efficient 12 volt system to date. (seafrost .com)
I have an engine driven seafrost system on my Sun Legende that works like a charm and I´m in the tropics. I do have to run the engine about 2 hours a day, but it keeps my batteries charged and I have no gen set on my boat.

[Zanshin]

Gemini,

I just got back from over a month on the boat, cruising around. I sailed to St. Maartin with a long shopping list of things to buy and one of the items was 12VDC refrigeration system. I bought new running rigging, AB dinghy and 9.8HP outboard on the first day and planned on getting the rest of the "toys" (Air-X wind and radar) the next day, but both of the new acquisition were stolen the first night! (even though I'd chained the dinghy to the boat); so I postponed buying more stuff this trip.

The generator is a small Fischer-Panda one and is in the aft port lifepod bay (along with an air conditioning cooling unit). N.B. that there is no longer room for a liferaft there...

I am no longer sure that I really want a freezer, since I did manage to get by with no problems this past month. I had about 10 1.5 liter bottles of water on the bottom layer of the fridge and once cooled down I found that I didn't really have to run my engine much to keep it cool - just the 30-45 minutes a day needed to get into and out of different anchorages and get the sails up. But if a system does a good job of keeping frozen stuff "solid" and the beer cold then it might be good to get frozen meats and fire up the grill occasionally.

[gemini]

Nortorius & Zanshin,

I'm concerned a little about not having a freezer also..... Don't think running the engine with an engine driven compressor really covers keeping things frozen but would handle keeping things cold.

[gemini]

;D ;DOK.... I get used to hitting the enter key before I get finished.

I plan on making some crossings. Could eat out of a can but after 20-40 days at sea, I think that would get old. Want frozen pre-made meals... good stuff like lasagna, or other caseroles that we can just throw into the microwave and heat up.

My frige has the coldplat in one locker and nothing in the freezer locker so I am looking at adding a plate in the freezer and adding another control to make it freeze. I think the compressor can handle the job.

jj
;D

[notorious7004]

You could add cold plates and make tha compartment into a freezer. Check out your options on Seafrost.com. The most I spend on the water is 1 month and what I do is put in a couple of blocks of ice on the bottom, then my frozen foods and then cubed ice. I only have 1 cold plate on my system but running the engine for 1 hour twice a day keeps my food OK and the batteries charge, I agree with you that for longer periods a freezer would work better. Fair Winds.