This being our third haul-out we were determined to be well-prepared-even more than last year. Being July, Russ was wise enough to insist on buying a used portable AC unit.  In my infinite wisdom, I’d pined for a fridge/freezer cooler and we’d  ended up with an isotherm unit, not quite the equal of an Engel. This was a very au courant unit in that, well you see, it goes both ways. Since we like duality on board Ortolan, this would be a perfect addition and a companion for our “cube” fridge during haul-outs.

As you may recall, our Frigoboat freezer and refrigerator do not work out of water, so what is one to do?  Year 1: borrowed a dorm fridge from Lily and used the freezer compartment as an ice box for the overflow. Year 2: had the small cube and the ice box. Year 3: cube for a fridge, isotherm (we call it the Engel :-)) as a freezer AND the icebox (because the cube isn’t very big).  The icebox is just that, a block of ice and two ice packs struggle to keep the contents cold. Unfortunately on Day 6 when Russ went to get a new block of ice, all gone. He’d commented that last time only a few were in stock; maybe not enough demand?- hey we need them! So a bag of cubes would have to suffice.

My side-by-side. What? Yours isn’t quite the same?

Open freezer. Side section not as cold-good for cold beverages.

We installed the portable AC unit in the starboard side, nav station area in the hopes it would keep that hull cool. Of course as the heat climbed to 90 plus, even at 10,000 BTUs it could not keep up so we closed the curtain by our bunk so that it could more easily cool just the very forward part during the day. In the evening we opened the curtain. For several nights we have needed to run this at night. Hot, damn hot.  July, what else?  You can see the display indicates 80 degrees; that is after running all night and day, curtain closed and an outside temp of 92.

A/C in bow vented through hatch. Marvelous