Refrigerator question

Tom Lanzilli · January 21, 2007, 06:38:28 AM

I am almost embarrassed to ask this question, however, for the last 12 years I have sailed from a mooring and did not have many of the luxuries boating from a dock would provide. One of the luxuries would be electric power. This season, for the first time, my boat will move from a mooring to a dock where I plan to spend most of my weekends. My question is would it be ok to leave the refrigerator turned on during the week knowing that when I leave the boat on a Sunday night I will be returning on a Friday night?

Ken Juul · January 21, 2007, 07:11:33 AM

This has been discussed many times before. Try a search on refrigerator or power cord to get the various thought. There are 2 sides, yes and no. I'm in the no camp. I've seen a boat and a couple of it's neighbors burn up because a short circuit in an unattended boat.

DougP · January 21, 2007, 07:30:32 AM

I leave mine on and fully stocked all Summer.

I think one of the often overlooked benefits of boat ownership happens right there at the dock. It's those hours you squeeze out between work and home obligations and errands. The hours here and there where you slip down to the boat, have a drink and maybe a bite to eat, and relax while polishing (or think about polishing) the odd bit of stainless or fiberglass.

That's much easier to do if there's cold drinks and ice on the boat 24/7.

Tom Lanzilli · January 21, 2007, 07:50:10 AM

Thanks for the feedback I did a search on this topic (which I should have done first) and there are several good message strings on this subject. I must say it is very interesting the different opinions on this subject. I think I will keep the unit off most of the time I am away from the boat. Thanks for the help.

Stu Jackson · January 21, 2007, 07:51:33 AM

Never be embarrassed to ask a question. Heck, with this gang, all you get is answers! :)

Here's one link that Ken mentions: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=980.0

Jon Schneider · January 21, 2007, 08:01:23 AM

Tom, I'm curious... what advice convinced you not to keep the fridge on? I'm in Doug's camp; it's nice to come "home" to a cold one. I've seen five fires in or around my harbor in the last 10 years and they were all caused either by propane or gasoline. Since we don't have gas aboard, and my propane's locked up, I feel pretty safe with the AC on. Perhaps I shouldn't.

Tom Lanzilli · January 21, 2007, 09:07:06 AM

Jon if you look through the link Stu provided Stu's logic in the thread just seemed to make a lot of sense. I would rather try and avoid problems where ever possible. My fridge cools down fairly fast; if I am very thirsty I will put a few in a small cooler to kick off the weekend.

Mike_S · August 24, 2010, 10:22:46 PM

Holly and I leave the refer on in our 1990 C34 all the time. For us it's a matter of convenience - we don't want to have to empty the fridge each time - we leave a fair amount of food and drink aboard at all times (if you are in the area and we're down there, stop by for a cold one! ;-). Never had a problem so far (knock on wood). Our electric bill (Marina Cortez in San Diego) runs about $6-9/month.

Ron Hill · August 25, 2010, 06:10:02 PM

Guys : From what I've see of 1st Mates, they look at the expiration dates and the stuff left in the fridge boat or at home that's not used very frequently -- gets the Heave - Ho.

If that's true in your house, why keep all the boat machinery running (fridge/ battery charger/ batteries) when it's just as simple to stop by 7/11 and pick up a cold 6 pack and a big bite hot dog ?!? A thought

Mike_S · September 07, 2010, 06:25:22 PM

Hi Ron,

Indeed Holly keeps watch of expiry dates, but she's not draconian about it, rather she's pragmatic. e.g. syrup has an expiry but since it is all sugar, we don't worry about those).

In the end, I guess you could just say we are just lazy ;-) I bet we average out at using the boat every other weekend through the year, and in the fridge we keep things like drinks, frozen sausages, burgers, and buns, lunch meats and cheeses, condiments, pasta, some of those bake-them-yourself rolls, etc. Sure we could pack it all up and cart it to and from home every time we wanted to be on board, but for us it's the convenience factor - for everything. We leave clothes, bedding, towels, fishing gear, dive equipment, dry food, perishable food, etc. all on board just so we don't have to move things back and forth.

Here in San Diego, a new Catalina 350 rents for less than $500 for 24 hours (9:00am through 8:30am the next morning) and I would think if you rented often and regularly you could work out even better pricing. Compared to my 1990 C34, which I have capital invested (and is depreciating) as well as monthly maintenance (lemme think - new sails, halyards, sheets, windlass, batteries, portlights, hatches, galley sinks and faucets, heads, filters, etc. etc. I bet adds up to more than $6k/year or $500/month) I'm pretty sure an accountant would say that owning doesn't make "fiscal" sense and that I really ought to rent (or maybe do one of those partnership / timeshare sailing outfits).

But boy, we really like our boat - we know how she sails, her "quirks" and we really like the fact that she is there and ready to go whenever we are. We don't have to plan in the least to go sailing - we can (and often do) decide to go sailing or spend the night on the boat on a whim. That availability/readiness is one of the aspects that make us feel okay about writing the monthly cheques! ;-) By the way, we also keep our hot water heater on all the time too.

Still, maybe I should float the idea of the cold six-pack and the Big Bite dog as a provisioning strategy ... you never know until you try, right?! ;-)

P.S. Attached is a shot from the weekend before last, about midway between San Diego and Santa Catalina Island - makes it all worthwhile!