• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

Ice box drain

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
Anything wrong with draining to the bilge? Seems simpler, but maybe I'm missing something.
Nothing egregiously wrong, I suppose. But particles of food, spilled milk, etc. can find their way into the ice box, and I'd just as soon keep that both out of the bilge and on the path to the bilge. With the pump I simply dump the liquid directly overboard via the sink. Then, when I give my ice box a good cleaning after a trip or two, I can dump that grungy water overboard via the sink as well.

I guess it's analogous to having a shower sump vs. having the shower drain directly into the bilge, i.e., to avoid introducing unnecessary organic matter into the bilge.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Another way to look at this is that cold air is denser and sinks. So an opening in the bottom of the ice box allows your interior cold air to slowly flow down to your bilge. Either this will cost you electricity to make more cold air or use up your ice faster. Not a very good outcome.
I suspect that the original plan was aimed at owners going out for a day sail, and throwing a couple bags of crush into the ice box to keep the beers cool.... Just a guess.
 
Last edited:

u079721

Contributing Partner
Anything wrong with draining to the bilge? Seems simpler, but maybe I'm missing something.
Probably not really an issue, unless your carton of milk is leaking inside the icebox. But my impression is that you shouldn't leave the drain open all the time, as it just lets more dense cold air fall into the bilge.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
As I recall, the 32-3 salt water foot pump had a selector valve permitting foot-pumping either of salt or icebox water. It pumped into the sink.

And yeah, I keep the drain plugged on current boat (refrigerator) so as not to "drain" cold air.
 

Bolo

Contributing Partner
As I recall, the 32-3 salt water foot pump had a selector valve permitting foot-pumping either of salt or icebox water. It pumped into the sink.

And yeah, I keep the drain plugged on current boat (refrigerator) so as not to "drain" cold air.
That’s true Christian and every once in awhile I’ll pump out whatever ”develops” in the frig even though I never put ice in it. The aroma of the liquid that comes out of the dedicated sea water/frig spout at the galley sink can be, let’s say “interesting”. A few times during our sailing season I’ll remove all items from the frig, turn it off to de-ice the freezer section and give it a good cleaning with hot soapy water and a good hot water rinse. That’s when the sea water/frig pump comes in handy. To clean the frig it helps to have a long handled brush or long arms.
 

Nick J

Sustaining Member
Moderator
Blogs Author
Do the fellow non aft cabin owners have refrigeration in both ice boxes? We have refrigeration in the aft ice box, but the forward one is still just an ice box. We use block ice or dry ice in the forward one to keep drinks and other items that are just nice to keep cold.
 

Bolo

Contributing Partner
Do the fellow non aft cabin owners have refrigeration in both ice boxes? We have refrigeration in the aft ice box, but the forward one is still just an ice box. We use block ice or dry ice in the forward one to keep drinks and other items that are just nice to keep cold.
Us E32-3 owners are too poor to afford TWO ICE BOXES. :)
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
2 ice boxes ! Wow that is decadent. I had no idea that was a thing.
The late 80's E-34 (-2) achieved a special place in the market. The two factory "ice boxes" were a nice idea. They did have to sacrifice any attempt at a sit-down nav "table" like the 1980's E-35-3 or the Olson 34. Within a given displacement and dimension of hull there is only so much room.
Bruce King is about the "best there every was" at laying out a true dual purpose "fast cruiser" but even he was constrained by the geography of the interior room he had to work with! i.e. the laws of physics.... :)
 
Top