Ice Blocks For Cool Box

[olibird]

Does anyone know where, if anywhere you can buy ice blocks or ice cubes on the northern Broads? We don’t have the luxury of a fridge on our boat…. Or even a cool box, we had to bring our own!

[annv]

Hi Try super markets or pubs. John

[ranworthbreeze]

You can buy bags of ice cubes from most supermarkets.

 

[CambridgeCabby]

Ranworth stores sells ice cubes (subject to stock)but not the cheapest 

[BroadAmbition]

Tesco’s Stalham & Roys supermarket for definite 

Griff

[ChrisB]

In the 70s and early 80's very few sea going, sailing boats anyway, had fridges. Inland boats often had gas ones. Most of the marinas had chest freezers for you to put your freezr blocks in overnight along the SouthCoast.

I still have all mine with our name felt-tipped on, two sets one in use and one freezing. It was during this time that we were introduced to the much higher performance of the "igloo" icebox range, even then they were expensive but worth every penny. Every year it would still get pressed into service when the car was loaded for a shooting/fishing trip. 

Unfortunately about six years ago it had a bad fall and went into terminal decline. It has been replaced by a "Yeti" which again brought tears to the eyes cost wise but the performance is superb. 

Last September my son and I went for a week of evening flights to the St David's peninsula. This was as Wales closed down again. No problems with the Yeti 7 days of frozen meat, fish, veg was packed in Norfolk and was still rock hard when we arrived 2 days later ( Overnight stop in Bucks to pick up son ). 

I have great affection and happy memories for the simple "chilly bin".

[maysailor]

I can recommend the icey-tek range again not the cheapest but their boxes and blocks work really well

https://www.coolboxesuk.com/collections/icey-tek-cube-boxes

[ChrisB]

Look very similar and same sort of price.

[annv]

Hi Oli We have a cold box that has a cigarette lighter plug that plugs into a cig socket in the boot of car, perhaps one of those could be your answer. John

[Graham47]

I remember when I first started hiring boats on the Broads in the 60s you had  cool box and a frozen water bottle. All the boatyards had chest freezers full of frozen bottles which you exchanged daily or whenever the opportunity arose.

 

[CambridgeCabby]

It may be worth buying a few freezer blocks from somewhere like B&M and when you moor up if you’re near a pub or shop see if they will allow you to freeze them in their freezers,

[vanessan]

1 hour ago, CambridgeCabby said:

It may be worth buying a few freezer blocks from somewhere like B&M and when you moor up if you’re near a pub or shop see if they will allow you to freeze them in their freezers,

If in a pub, you’d better wait there until the blocks are frozen………..

[CambridgeCabby]

Also , most hire boats don’t put anything in their freezer compartment so if moored up you could also ask any amenable hirers if you could pop a couple of freezer blocks in their fridge freezer compartment to freeze them , or if I’m moored near you I would certainly do that for you 

[BroadAmbition]

We have recently installed a new fridge (240v) with a fairly decent sized freezer compartment.  It works a treat.  MrsG still buys bags of ice though to supplement our cool box, that runs off 240 and 12v dc, putting ice packs in it helps the start up / cooling down process immensely.  The cool box is also a huge bonus for keeping drinks chilled and maggots in top condition as she insists on putting food in the beer cooler (Fridge)

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Oh and I meant to say but left it too late to amend my previous post, if there is room in our fridges freezer compartment and anyone is berthed up adjacent to us for the evening we too we be willing to chill down ice trays / blocks and the like

Griff

[JanetAnne]

13 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

We have recently installed a new fridge (240v) with a fairly decent sized freezer compartment.  It works a treat.  MrsG still buys bags of ice though to supplement our cool box, that runs off 240 and 12v dc, putting ice packs in it helps the start up / cooling down process immensely.  The cool box is also a huge bonus for keeping drinks chilled and maggots in top condition as she insists on putting food in the beer cooler (Fridge)

Griff

How does the power consumption of your 240v fridge and inverter compare with a 12v version Griff? 

I guess Robin may have some figures?

[BroadAmbition]

Very nicely. The fridge on full chat consumes 6w per Hr. It’s rarely on full chat for any length of time. Normally when we first step onboard but at those times we are plugged into shore power. Seeing as we have six 120amp leisure batteries onboard & two solar panels, 6w an hour is affordable. The fridge was about £150 compared to over £600 for a marine 12v only version 

Griff

[Polly]

We used to put our named cool blocks into the freezer at Ranworth stores when we moored at Ranworth. You could ask. I agree, igloos were awesome.