We just installed an isotherm drawer frig/freezer in our boat. We absolutely love this unit. It increased the amount of “stuff” we could load into it...for the same footprint. Nothing is lost and forgotten in the back cuz the back is visible each time it is pulled open. The drawback was a TINY freezer. So bought a separate chest freezer unit and we now have so much space to supply our boating adventures. (We are retired 75 year olds exploring the Pacific Northwest).
For the screw holes.... Chop up some fiberglass cloth in small 1/2" x 1/2" or so... Use regular boat resin and pack the holes with that mix... Pack each hole tightly with the mix. It will be as strong as your deck is.... Cheep and works great...
Ok guys let me tell you about refrigerator freezer units. There are two versions of small units. One is for open space installation, (on the counter)and the other is for under counter install. The difference is the way that the unit cools itself or gets rid of the heat. The countertop model (usually cheaper) dissipates the heat By allowing air to move round the unit and the heat radiates from the sides. The under counter unit ( the one you need) is more expensive ,Of course. It takes cool air in from the bottom front of the unit and it rejects it from the top by use of a small fan. Make sure you customize your cabinet to accommodate the airflow. Hopefully this will help with you next project. Kevin K!
Guys with regards to your fridge and freezer the old one you had in there had plates designed to store the cold and slowly release it into the fridge /freezer,the units you are now looking at are more like a house fridge that just cut in and out all day so the Energy is now stored somewhere else I.e. your batteries so you will notice the extra power use. Have you looked at the pull out draw type as they dump less cold air out on the floor when opened so might be more efficient. Regards Neil
We have the isotherm cr 130 on our catamaran… have had to defrost it every few weeks. The eco controller isn’t set up for lithium. It’s for lead acid based on the voltages so eco overcooling just keeps the fridge on and it freezes the fridge. The voltages can not be set up for the lithium. So the higher lithium voltage of 13 volts inadvertently tricks the eco controller into thinking there is extra power available and it will freeze your refrigerator food…Having to unpack and defrost it every few weeks is somehow related to the cold plate size snd it’s essentially the outside of the little freezer…. However once you get it defrosted it’s all on solar and it draws 2.5 amps when the compressor kicks in. It’s about 2/3 the energy of the 40qt Engle freezer when it doesn’t need defrosting but when it needs defrosted it keeps the compressor on all the time and uses 1.5 x the power of the Engle… humidity and room temp make a difference. Defrosted it again today! And when it needs defrosted it starts to not cool the fridge down far enough when it’s hot hot hot out. We even put in a internal blower to move the air around in the fridge… cools down faster. And defrosting can’t be a pick… have to let it heat up and melt…
Being a Kiwi and having sailed add these locations to where you want to go in summer. Bay of Islands, Abel Tasman, Marlborough Sounds, Akaroa. Further South and the West Coast will risk beating your boat up well worth exploring more but I would choose a mono hull and solid core glass construction as a minimum for Stewart Island the Fiordland Sounds and the exposed rugged west coast also Marlborough to CHCH or Akaroa is pretty shallow inshore. If from Akaroa you choose to go by car add the Catlin's and Queenstown area fly to Stewart Island or Milford Sounds and figure out if you want to see more.
Many RV type fridges have panels on the doors that can be changed out to match the decor. And when tightening screws into fiberglass don’t use powertools. Put them in with a screwdriver by hand.
The very first thing I like about you guys is that you are never unhappy.. You catch whatever the life throws at you and make the best use of it.. Second thing is that you have a very good sense of humor. Well, that's what keeps you happy.. Loads of love from India and all the best for the upcoming projects.. (I even don't know whether you are already back on water!! I am no patreon!)
from someone that works on yachts for a living, if your having trouble with stripped screws you should not use the butyl tape. butyl has no adhesive qualities so the screws are the only thing holding the hatch down. if the screw holes are stripped or questionable then at least the sika will bond the hatch in place and you could even remove the screws when its cured and fill the holes with more sika. btw the epoxy you used is just adhesive. that stuff is always very soft. you need to fix the holes with something like west system / laminating epoxy. its runny but much harder and you can thicken it with different fillers or chopped up fiberglass.
Spot on. The uneven surface of your butyl makes it worse too. The wood screws have to put a large amount of force on the tape to flatten it and you're going to struggle to build something strong enough for the screws to pull against without stripping. Caulk is the product for the job.
What about epoxied stainless crew inserts? Plus you should have tried to have the butyl as one continuous piece. Each one of the breaks is a potential water leak. HTH
I also add that using the screws to force the butyl down will only lead to more stripped holes. You can always epoxy a wood or plastic dowel in the hole. Then pre drill a hole slightly smaller then the screw. If you are insistent on using the butyl I’d suggest using a clamp to force the hatch down then use the screws to hold the hatch down once you have the desired “spluge”
I would also suggest using the drill fill drill approach. Drill a larger hole, epoxy that larger hole, then drill your screw in that fibreglass. This will make it much more rigid, not strip and at the same time protect the wood around the whole from getting wet and rotting over time. If you’ve watched SailLife, this is always the méthode he uses when filling with epoxy, that and using fibreglass strands in the epoxy for strength.
For the stripped screws - DEFINITELY do not use wood glue! Nor would I use any kind of wood in the hole - dowel, toothpicks, etc. Those are great techniques for furniture or door and window casing repair. If water gets past the screw head, you will have a soggy mess. See if you can find the next size shaft screw and then get some new epoxy, preferably from West Systems. Fill the hole with thickened epoxy, about the consistency of peanut butter. You will want filler designed for epoxy like West Systems 404 high density filler. If you don't want to have containers of resin and hardener around, get one of their Fiberglass Repair Kits, (Or the 101 Handy Repair Pack, which is even smaller,) which has single use packets for smaller jobs. I can't imagine having a fiberglass boat without an epoxy/fiberglass kit with glass matt and strips, resin, hardener, filler, mixing cups, applicators/spreaders, and popsicle sticks for mixing. I am a big fan of West Systems and their pumps which take the guesswork out of mixing. You also need acetone to clean before you apply epoxy, but it looked like you were using that. The bigger screw will get better grip on the fiberglass and the epoxy will set around the screw, locking it in place. Getting the screw out some day will be tough, but you can put a little grease around the threads before carefully driving it in. (You don't want to strip it again!) I've used this method with some high load applications (Including a mast base and bow cleat.) and it has worked great. Because hatch screws should have little load on them, this technique should be fine for you.
Remember the frost free ones suck all the moisture out which will destroy your veggies, along with keeping them at the wrong temperature of course. Have you looked at the Under Counter Drawer style fridge freezers?
I had a dometic CR50 the compressor had to work hard as there was no ventilation by the heat exchanger. This may be an issue with the cr50 placed a fan to take away the stagnant air and it worked very well. This was on a camper van. Have a read up. Keep up the good work been following you for ages since the episode you went to Mexico to get dental work. Keep living the dream.
If you can't find a stainless steel fridge you can always attach a piece of stainless on the front, or options are put a wood veneer that would match the rest of the boat, or spray paint it whatever color you want. You could also remove the front of the door and go to a metal fabricator and have them make you a new front face. They are usually just attached with a few screws.
When filling the holes that you need to fix put small pieces of wood the length of the hole in with the epoxy. It will be much stronger, otherwise the screws simply chew away the epoxy...
Yep, epoxy is not a good material for wood or sheet metal screws. Drill out the hole and epoxy in a piece of hardwood dowel and drill in a pilot hole in the center of the dowel. Add a couple of drops of liquid urethane finish to the pilot hole to minimize water absorption in the wood, then screw in the metal screw. Do not use a drill or power screw driver to put the screw all the way. Use a screw driver for the final torquing of the screw. You will be less likely to strip out the screw......
Stay away from Dometic!!! We've had 3 dometic's - all garbage! They never froze ice cream & they all sweat like crazy so there was always puddles of water in the fridge & the freezer always iced over. We had to defrost it at least once a month. We finally switched to the Isotherm and we Love it! It's been a year and a half now and no problems whatsoever. It's never iced over. Even though the Isotherm is a bit smaller, it actually fits more stuff in it!! No regrets at all. Thanks for all the wonderful content, we love your channel ❤️
Hi guys. Fasteners ugh! They will need more than the thin fiberglass layer. The builder probably used wood to drive the screws into so that would be my first thought. They also make fiberglass inserts for fasteners. When you take the hatches out, look carefully at the layer construction. I expect there to be a piece of wood and that wood needs to be where the holes are. If the wood is there then the holes in the wood are stripped and those holes need to be filled or the wood replaced. Like I said there is also threaded inserts. If you want to know more about them checkout McMaster Carr for examples and specifications. You might need them for you fridge project too. Happy sailing.
during summer come down south, trully awesome down here. Further south you go the more amazing the sounds get, Milford and doubtful and Dusky are the ultimate
I didn't read all 540 comments but something you might want to think about is that most "frost free" refrigerators use heat to melt the frost. This causes 2 potential issues on a boat. 1 self defrosting freezers are not good for long term food storage as the food at least partially thaws on a regular basis and the defrost cycle uses a fairly large amount of heat which means it uses power. Just some things to think about. Keep the good stuff coming guys.
I've always thought it would be nice to have a self-contained refrigerator and freezer but I think in my case, and probably yours too, there are several big disadvantages. You lose the space equivalent the size of the compressor and condenser from the cooling compartment as these components are no longer located remotely. Secondly, you'd need to provide ventilation to cool the condenser and compressor. If this space is built into the all-in-one design, then those air channels are again deducted from the available space. If not, you'd need to leave room for air flow and probably add a fan. This is even more important in the tropics. How about reinsulating your old cabinet and putting in new refrigeration components? Your old units used holding plates. I think this is no longer considered the efficient way to go. You could just use simple evaporators, lining one or two sides of the compartments. I'd be tempted to go with a compressor each for the freezer and refrigerator compartments. These components are readily available, even here in NZ. You can locate the compressors remotely where you are less likely to hear them running. A side note: I think you'd need to use some kind of thickener mixed in the epoxy (micro balloons or chopped glass fibers) if you're going to use epoxy as a filler to rethread screws in your deck. Alternatively, could you thru-bolt the hatches with fasteners (barrel nuts) like the ones in the link below on the underside? These are available in NZ from Anzor Fasteners in stainless steel. www.anzor.co.nz/nuts/barrel-nuts/truss-phillips-barrel-nuts/14-304-truss-phil-barrel-nut Good luck with the projects! Rich and Cyndi on Legacy (Auckland now).
Have you considered rehabbing the existing fridge freezer unit. Possibly remove some or all of the foam insulation and replace with vacuum panel insulation and replace the refrigeration unit with a cold blue unit. It looks like cold blue would provide technical support to properly size the Cold plate. You could also add a thermostat controlled fan to move air from the freezer to the fridge and maintain proper fridge temperature.
my "2 cents worth" for the epoxy job: So when you do repair the stripped issue, use a hand screwdriver as you can control the strength of it so as not to have the screw pull the new threads out. If you use a power tool you risk the chance of it stripping out again. If you could, it would be better to use a fiberglass resin and fiberglass type material to repair the screw holes instead ( or somewhat like materials). Just using epoxy only seems to me just to be a temporary fix. Good Luck with this.
Yep. I would drill out the holes to clean out all of the caulk and epoxy first. Then cut narrow strips of fiberglass cloth, soak the strips in resin, then push them down in to the holes. Maybe add a bit of extra resin to completely fill the hole. Once cured they should drill pilot holes for the new screws and hand tighten.
It’s one thing to be confident in all things you do in life but not even doing a couple hours research before doing something you have no experience with, is another and far from smart Jason….😉
Not my expertise, but… Is there some type of marine fastening anchor just for those purposes? (stripped holes) Like the wall anchors u can get for your house. I imagine u might need to drill the holes slightly larger to accept the anchors.
Vote +1 for the isotherm "drinks" fridges! We put 2 of them in to replace our older traditional style units and after 2 years, we love them! We added a small 3" computer fan and spliced the power for it into the wire that powers the on board compressor fan. The added fan is mounted in a hole that ventilates the compartment where they are mounted.
An old trick for stripped screws that works every time is to just use a small wood wedge of some sort. I often use a piece of a toothpick. Place it in to the stripped hole and hold it there with a bit of caulk or b tape, then screw the screw in as usual. the wood sliver acts as a binder between the screw and the screw hole and holds the screw fast. Good Luck!!
Another trick: using either wood glue or epoxy, put the glue/epoxy on the toothpicks or fiberglass, and then jam as many picks or fiberglass as you can in the hole. Let dry for 24 hours. Then cut/trim the portion of the toothpick(s) or fiberglass (or some other marine plastic) that are sticking out of the hole. Sand smooth. Now you have a filled hole, with secure wood/fiberglass/material, which the screw can bite into and very securely hold in place. DON'T over-tighten. If you are using an electric drill, you need to set the clutch very low so that the drill stops tightening long before you get to stripping out the hole. And if your electric drill doesn't have an adjustable clutch for driving screws -- don't use it as a screwdriver, it's not designed for that and you will be destroying shit.
I agree with the comments re: expoxing in wood dowels and wood add the following, if you aren't already doing this. When your repair is cured, use the screw setting on your powered driver with the clutch settings on a no. around 2 or 3. That should help from stripping out the repaired hole. Then to tighten and set the screw fully, tighten the remainder manually with a screwdriver or turn the clutch setting up a slightly higher number until the frame is tight to the deck. Best of luck. 🔧 🔨 👍
A thought - A top loading fridge / freezer , You have the main part there , the cabinet . Iv used them on many of my yachts , Freezer below & baskets above , Top loading keeps the cold in , Efficient . Theres a reasonable freezer unit that can be bought & fitted near the F/F & it comes ready gassed ready to go . The work would be in the cutting out the midle of the unit , Glass , foam & making a top hatch to fit (Professional) But iv found them the best in the tropics (Nothing falls out or goes clunk in the night . Good luck. Oh there are draw F/Fs witch are OK but a bit hungry on Power .
BTW, I just left a comment on Kara and Nate's (2.58M subscribers) recent EarthRoamer video suggesting that they do a collab with you guys and Kara said YES!!! Hope you guys can work something out. I love both your channels.
It is a good approach that when things are not going well and getting frustrated with it, "walk away" for at least a day and then come back to it. Amazing how things get much better at finishing the task, not unnecessarily damaging something in the frustration and avoid getting hurt.
On the stripped screws, either go by hand, or easy down the torque/ratchet number on your drill, as you can see in the video, you have your drill on 8 torque, that’s a lot for such small screw. Also try the metal screw type plugs Home Depot inserts used on drywalls, caulking will go over them no problem. Or see if you have enough opening below in between the fiberglass layers to go with through bolts and nuts.
I would go with the double fridge/freezer option. This gives you freezer redundancy, plus more freezer space for,longer passages, ability to make ice so if needed you can use coolers for a fridge, etc. If the existing cabinet works fine but I’m sure there is a cabinet maker around that can custom make something to fit the space with the ability to easily remove the cabinet for any future maintenance
My input, Dometic, for me is 50/50. Of the 4 units I own, 2 have died within 6 month and the other 2 are still going strong after 4 years. As for your predicament, I would not reuse the old housing and go with the largest units that will fit in that space. I'm sure Jason can build a new countertop and facade to make them look awesome. Hope to see you back out sailing and visiting new and exciting places.
@LTDunltd - I tend to agree with you on putting two units in that space. With a little preplanning (and a little clever fabricating), I would think they could easily keep most of the housing (especially the countertop) to help maintain the stock look. Also, far as the warranty goes (whichever model they end up with) they absolutely need to look into putting the units on whichever credit card offers the best extended warranty and then make sure to call the CC company and get the units registered under the CC's extended warranty plan ... so many folks overlook the extended warranty feature that many/some CC companies still offer.
Hi, if you can't get the machine you want in the right colour you could think about wrapping them in any colour you like just as they do with cars. living on a boat from 1905 myself I always try to install normal household appliances as much as possible because of a wider range to choose from, more available support and better prices. And just run them from the inverter. good luck with solving the puzzle!
One thing that helped me early on in understanding fundamentals is that there is no such thing as "cold" only the absence of heat. Heat is what the frig removes from the inside and the product within and then rejects it outside. No or low heat rejection = no or low refrigeration. Eventually it as the copper winding in the compressor overheat and become resistant (higher Amp draw and failure) the oil cooks and becomes acidic as well contributing to failure.
As mentioned before, use a hand screw driver for securing the hatch. You can also go with normal screw and nut setup, so the screw is held by a nut from the inside.
Also check out fridge/freezer drawers, which minimize cold air spillage when they are opened. Much like the open freezers in supermarkets the cold air is denser and heavier so it stays put. Vertical doors allow all the cold air to immediately fall out of the fridge and be replaced with ambient air, all of which then needs to be cooled down again.....and so on every time the door is opened. Make sure you plan exactly how you are going to ventilate the cabinet housing the refrigeration units. All the heat removed from the contents will be dumped into the enclosure, and has to then be pumped out of there. That is why the original installation has a remote compressor and condenser. Beware...there will be a lot of heat going into living space instead of machinery space.
for a quick fix in striped screw holes, keep a supply of wooden toothpicks or plastic ones. pound them into the hole and snap them off flush. install the screws back in. The toothpicks fill the space and wedge into the old threaded holes. the screws lock into the reduced hole and you're done. I've never epoxied one in and never had one fail as long as the structure around the hole is sound.
Hi, using some finely chopped fibreglass mixed with your epoxy is a good idea. Also and most importantly is pre drill the holes and ditch the drill/driver. Screw them in by hand.
I don't know if you can access some lead wool. Plumbers used to use it to seal cast drain pipe. It is shaved lead. Pack it into your stripped screw holes, tamp it compact with a large nail set, predrill for screw size. Use your power driver sparingly so you don't overdrive and strip again. Works really good, and won't absorb water as wood dowels would.
I cant possibly be the first one to suggest this with regards to the stripped screw hole but here it goes. Get a couple of wooden matches or a few slivers of wood. Dip these into the epoxy then drive them into the stripped screw holes. Let it harden then re-screw.
Something you could easily do with the striped screws is get some plastic dowels, drill out the fiberglass to fit the dowel, put some epoxy on the dowel, insert the dowel in the hole, put a small pilot hole and when you screw the screw in, it’ll not only have a friction fit bit the epoxy will ensure it won’t go anywhere. Plus you don’t have to wait for the epoxy to dry to finish. Simple, fast and effective.
My heart sank with that 1st screws in, but its fixable :) Can't wait till all the work is done. And y'all get back in the water. Texas is still rooting for you!
Engel’s are very reliable and energy efficient due to their Japanese swing motor design. I have used one of the chest-types off-roading in Africa for over a decade, and it was already 5 years old when I bought it. They are more expensive, probably because they charge for their reputation, but this is warranted as they are tried and tested. That said, I cannot speak for their upright models. As I understand the majority of other 12v fridges now use Danfoss compressors which are variable speed, and therefore more energy efficient, but this also comes down to the quality of the insulation and door seals. A drawer-type is more efficient compared to a front-opening door type as all the cold air doesn’t ‘fall’ out every time you open the door, resulting in more energy to get it down to set temperature again. Good luck with the search! We love your channel!
Its a good idea to ask your viewers for their feedback regarding fridge/freezers however many will not be yachties or if they are will not have your model of cat. Can I suggest you ask on both leopard forums/facebook pages as though there will be less people on their they are a lot more likely to have the information/experience you want.
If you are still bored, Mt Manaia and Mt Aubrey both have great walking(tramping) tracks - you would enjoy. You also drove some good scallop beds and the season has started. I free dive for them so you would have no difficulty getting them. If the viz is low, drop with your scallop bay in front of you - in case you disturb a stingray. They are usually friendly- just don't like divers landing on them.
Thank you for another great video. I also love looking at other boats as so many of them have their own personality and stories. Feel free to show more of them in your travels. :)
What a fun video! I love skipping school when the weather is nice! Quick tip for the screw holes...it may be better to insert some wooden dowels and epoxy that in place first. Then use the fresh wood to screw into. You may need to drill out the existing epoxy to get a fresh hole and then start from scratch. You will probably get a better bite with the screws as most epoxy types will be hard and brittle when fully cured. Good luck!!
I was looking for your video yesterday. Saturday LOL I was wondering how the problem with your refrigerator was working out when I thought maybe you should reach out to a manufacturer to see if they could do a special order for you. What would be close to work for you could possibly be modified by their engineers to help you. It may cost a little more but is worth trying. Contact a few of them see what they will tell you! Thank you for your videos good luck.
Just a tip on screwing your hatches to the deck where it is stripped. Get a small piece of metal plate maybe 1” square piece for each screw hole or one piece long enough for both holes which maybe better, Drill a small guide hole through the centre of the plate where it lines up with the screw holes in the deck. Get some epoxy glue or similar and glue the metal plates under your deck space where the screw holes are. Replace your hatches and as your screws go through the deck space they will then screw into the metal plates you have glued under your deck space. Make sure the guide holes you previously drilled in the plate will accept the screws as you do not want the plates to dislodge as you screw into them from above.
Whoa Minion looks super sparkly clean, great to see her and you guys out n' bout. Just remember in NZ you need to wear life jackets on all boats under 6m. Lucky you didn't come across the Coast Guard. Look'n forward to next week.
Been following you guys since your RV days. We got our RV because of your influence. We even found a way to move to Japan temporarily. Keep on doing what you’re doing.
Have you considered a water-cooled system vs. air cooled for your freezer/fridge? A little more plumbing (including through-hulls) but there are significant savings to be had, maybe especially valuable since you are off the grid for periods of time and primarily recharging with solar…also cuts down on interior temperature of the boat. I installed a NorCold system on my sailboat years ago, and it worked flawlessly-did have to add a small computer fan in the fridge’s interior to circulate the air for even cooling, though-otherwise the stuff on the bottom would freeze.
Before changing everything, since its such a specific build, I wonder if you should try adding extra cooling plates in the fridge section. Perhaps you just need some more cooling plates? Perhaps with a stronger compressor?
I think the screws will strip, not because the epoxy is weak but because you're trying to compress the caulk. Jason's caulk will squeeze out more easily and be just as good. But by the time you read this.... Love your channel!!!
Take an olds mechanics advice, leave the power drill in the box when driving in screws in material like fiberglass. Hand tighten only, drills are only good for removing and making holes. Driving screws in hard materials that strip easily should always be done by hand. You should pre drill the filled holes as well, the epoxy just splits if its not pre drilled. I would throw that butyl tape in the trash as well. The silicon is what should be used to install the hatch, it actually glues it down. You almost don't even need to worry about the stripped screws, once the silicon cures, that hatch isn't going anywhere.
Not true! the power tools being used have torque limiting capability and settings for "drill" and "screw" that enable and disable the torque limiting (there may also be a setting for Hammer drill, but I can't tell at this point). When used to screw in fasteners, set to "Screw" and the lowest torque setting (not "drill"!) at first, NOT at a "9" (see 6:57) to start. Increase the torque to suit OR let go of the Trigger and rotate the tool manually until "snug" (the torque limiter disengages under low and no power from trigger). As always, throw away any screw bit that gets worn and "jumpy"; worst tool in the world is one that causes more damage than repair when used,
Loads of good ideas for repairing the screw holes. Selleys 'knead it' is another one. When you do the screws up, tighten them with a screw driver by hand. Your drill has waaaaay to much power for those!
❤❤ I don't think your epoxy had anything more than foam to grip on to. I think your clutch was set to drill causing to over tighten. Is the new fridge D/C 12 v, 24 v, or A/C 110 v, or 220 v ? Also , it looked like they opened in the front. I would have thought that they would open on the back seeing how water would be coming from the front. Love your videos. 👍👍
Option for window..small shims of wood "almost like tooth picks" coated in good wood glue..pack holes full and tap with hammer to tighten...once dry chisel top flat and Re drill holes..use smaller bit..
Jason: It's gonna easy-peasy! Narrator: *It wasn't easy-peasy* You could say you were screwed. The curse continues...well you tried 😂 and that's what counts. Even from and on the water, NZ has unique sights to discover. I mean, a boat from 1933...has a tale as old as time. And if cuteness overload was a boat...it would be that little fishing boat at 11:43. NZ truly is an explorer's paradise.
@@gonewiththewynns Nikki, can you share what puffer jacket you are wearing in this video? Looks very compact for travel. Also, would you do a video about your storage and organization aboard Curiosity? You seem to have a great wardrobe, shoes, food, plenty of supplies and so this would be interesting. Love your channel & enthusiasm for exploration!
As for ideas about the fridge/freezer: What exactly is wrong? And what do you want? Since you haven't had a built-in fridge/freezer, maybe you don't want anything? Or maybe only a refrigerator or only a freezer? What would be the ideal replacement(s) to last the next five years?
Personally, I wouldn't bother with frost-free; it uses more energy and you won't be able to keep ice for any length of time, it evaporates (sublimates, for the pedants out there). Defrosting the freezer isn't hard, plus it gives you the chance for a mid-summer snowball fight, which we all know you guys would LOVE!
My thoughts exactly. The "free" is not. They are great if your not concerned about power and the timer/heating element is just one more thing that can fail.
I learned the hard way that Fridges don't like being enclosed . i.e. Built in like yours. After 3 lasting no more than 5 years total I have always had free standing units and they last for ever in comparison. A cheap hole fixer is Super Glue mixed with Bicarbonate of Soda / Baking powder. Cover the lower half side of the hole and put a small amount of powder in and add the glue it sets real quick. Repeat until you get to the top of he hole - it sets rock hard but can be sanded/filed and drilled.
Hello Nikki and Jason, loving all your videos. Such an amazing story and inspiration to so many. Nikki, may I ask what down jacket that is? Absolutely love it. Size and compatibility.
Dometic has drawer style fridges, check them out as you can use one as fridge the other a freezer when you catch the big one! Jason needs to put on his kill switch band every time!! Great little pocket coat you have Nikki!! Hope you get your windows fabricated soon!!
When I was a cabinet maker we would drill out stripped holes and fill with a hardwood dowel and epoxy. I’ve never worked on a yacht but don’t see why it wouldn’t work
We used dowels or matchsticks and regular Capernters wood glue. Worked every time and no need to mix epoxy. I can see where the epoxy would give a quicker bond though. Those hinge screws were always troubling if you had to take the doors off.
You should not do the wood dowels in this marine application, especially the top deck. No amount of sealant will prevent water from eventually seeping in around the screws, and even the best wood bits will swell and rot because it will never fully dry out.
I'm a cabinet maker myself, but for a uber-wet situations like a boat's deck I'd use a forstner bit and drill an oversized hole (not through-hole) and epoxy (or poly/vinylester) in a dowel made of recycled/plastic decking board. Totally rot resistant, holds screws like they are welded, and easy to work with.
Hello just thought I'd ask if you all have thought of replacing the fridge compressor and and cooling plate & add another one so that you have one for each compartment, but make sure that it has a digital thermostat control system, Food for THOUGHT!!😁😁
I think I would’ve epoxied some small dowels into the screw holes. That would give some wood to screw into. I’ve used that technique before, and it works great. Good luck!
Isotherm is awesome quality from my experience. This summer i got called out to an island where my niece lives. Her fridge had stopped working but she wanted me to take a look at it. It was a 17 year old isotherm. I wasnt too hopeful about it. Backtracked wires and ended up finding a seperate fusebox in a hidden area where the power had been shut off. Started it and heard the compressor start right away. It reached fridgetemp in less than 15 minutes. I was so impressed.
Fiberglass is a lousy medium for fasteners. Drill through and back a stainless machine screw with a cap nut on the inside. Yes you can see it but it will never strip. And you can torque it as much as you want.
Love the area tour with Minion. Filming is great just makes me feel like I'm there.. Nice to see a clear day and some R&R.. I wish cool weather would get to Texas 55 degrees sounds really good.. Wishing a speedy recovery for Curiosity.. Fred in Texas
Great to get off Curiosity and see the surroundings. I expect getting some freedom of movement for you feels spectacular. I have found in life when a project gets frustrating, walk away for a bit and come back later. Almost always works when a fresh eye sees what was holding up progress. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
I love the stainless drawers. It’s so easy to find everything and seems it doesn’t lose all the air. I do have to fill out the remainder of the cabinet.
I have the inox 130 drinks fridge as my main one with a separate freezer. Fridge is awesome...it has a fan that is always going so you never freeze your vege. Uses less power one average than specs in middle on the New Zealand summer. The latch is adjustable and robust...seals are common fridge seals, so no special replacement seals if required.
@@jimb6087 I had one (full size kitchen model) that was frost free by some sort of humidity reduction mechanism. No frost and no cyclic defrost, but EVERYTHING had to be in sealed containers or it dried out noticeably in days.
I agree with some of the other posters that you could fit a slightly bigger fridge/freezer in that space and build a new cabinet around it. That might give you a lot more options. Also, you can get a counter top or portable ice maker for cheap and have more space for food in the fridge/freezer.
New Zealand is so beautiful. They have crazy charges for use of the bathrooms but still beautiful. Thanks for sharing your experience and troubles of the repairs. We have to replace just about all of our port lights and hatches. It’s nice to see what works and what doesn’t.
Defrost isn’t necessarily a benefit when you’re counting ah’s because that defrost feature is basically a melt cycle that burns more energy than a non self defrosting unit
I’ve finally caught up to you guys! I’ve started watching your oldest videos last month and now I’m here! ☺️🤍 I’m so glad I binge watched your videos. I feel like I’ve been with you guys and explored so many different places in the comfort of my home. All the love from the Philippines 🇵🇭
This is what I would've looked into as well. You got two perfectly fine custom fitted insulated cabinets. Just get new 12/24V compressor unit and either use the existing cooling elements or get new ones. I think there are even sets you can buy that aim to convert gas fridges in RVs or boats into electric.
For the hatches, use stainless steel flathead bolts with stainless washers and lock nuts underneath. Forget the screws you have.
We just installed an isotherm drawer frig/freezer in our boat. We absolutely love this unit. It increased the amount of “stuff” we could load into it...for the same footprint. Nothing is lost and forgotten in the back cuz the back is visible each time it is pulled open. The drawback was a TINY freezer. So bought a separate chest freezer unit and we now have so much space to supply our boating adventures. (We are retired 75 year olds exploring the Pacific Northwest).
For the screw holes.... Chop up some fiberglass cloth in small 1/2" x 1/2" or so... Use regular boat resin and pack the holes with that mix... Pack each hole tightly with the mix. It will be as strong as your deck is.... Cheep and works great...
Excellent advice 👍🏽
Ok guys let me tell you about refrigerator freezer units. There are two versions of small units. One is for open space installation, (on the counter)and the other is for under counter install. The difference is the way that the unit cools itself or gets rid of the heat. The countertop model (usually cheaper) dissipates the heat By allowing air to move round the unit and the heat radiates from the sides. The under counter unit ( the one you need) is more expensive ,Of course. It takes cool air in from the bottom front of the unit and it rejects it from the top by use of a small fan. Make sure you customize your cabinet to accommodate the airflow. Hopefully this will help with you next project. Kevin K!
Sunday morning, Wynns o’clock! ⛵️
Guys with regards to your fridge and freezer the old one you had in there had plates designed to store the cold and slowly release it into the fridge /freezer,the units you are now looking at are more like a house fridge that just cut in and out all day so the Energy is now stored somewhere else I.e. your batteries so you will notice the extra power use.
Have you looked at the pull out draw type as they dump less cold air out on the floor when opened so might be more efficient.
Regards Neil
For the stripped screws epoxy a wood dowel in and screw in to the wood. The dowel expands when you screw into it.
We have the isotherm cr 130 on our catamaran… have had to defrost it every few weeks. The eco controller isn’t set up for lithium. It’s for lead acid based on the voltages so eco overcooling just keeps the fridge on and it freezes the fridge. The voltages can not be set up for the lithium. So the higher lithium voltage of 13 volts inadvertently tricks the eco controller into thinking there is extra power available and it will freeze your refrigerator food…Having to unpack and defrost it every few weeks is somehow related to the cold plate size snd it’s essentially the outside of the little freezer…. However once you get it defrosted it’s all on solar and it draws 2.5 amps when the compressor kicks in. It’s about 2/3 the energy of the 40qt Engle freezer when it doesn’t need defrosting but when it needs defrosted it keeps the compressor on all the time and uses 1.5 x the power of the Engle… humidity and room temp make a difference. Defrosted it again today!
And when it needs defrosted it starts to not cool the fridge down far enough when it’s hot hot hot out. We even put in a internal blower to move the air around in the fridge… cools down faster. And defrosting can’t be a pick… have to let it heat up and melt…
Being a Kiwi and having sailed add these locations to where you want to go in summer.
Bay of Islands, Abel Tasman, Marlborough Sounds, Akaroa.
Further South and the West Coast will risk beating your boat up well worth exploring more but I would choose a mono hull and solid core glass construction as a minimum for Stewart Island the Fiordland Sounds and the exposed rugged west coast also Marlborough to CHCH or Akaroa is pretty shallow inshore. If from Akaroa you choose to go by car add the Catlin's and Queenstown area fly to Stewart Island or Milford Sounds and figure out if you want to see more.
Many RV type fridges have panels on the doors that can be changed out to match the decor. And when tightening screws into fiberglass don’t use powertools. Put them in with a screwdriver by hand.
Thanks for showing the Whangarei Heads. So beautiful. I will always miss New Zealand until I can return. 🥰 Good luck on your projects!
The very first thing I like about you guys is that you are never unhappy.. You catch whatever the life throws at you and make the best use of it.. Second thing is that you have a very good sense of humor. Well, that's what keeps you happy.. Loads of love from India and all the best for the upcoming projects.. (I even don't know whether you are already back on water!! I am no patreon!)
from someone that works on yachts for a living, if your having trouble with stripped screws you should not use the butyl tape. butyl has no adhesive qualities so the screws are the only thing holding the hatch down. if the screw holes are stripped or questionable then at least the sika will bond the hatch in place and you could even remove the screws when its cured and fill the holes with more sika. btw the epoxy you used is just adhesive. that stuff is always very soft. you need to fix the holes with something like west system / laminating epoxy. its runny but much harder and you can thicken it with different fillers or chopped up fiberglass.
Spot on. The uneven surface of your butyl makes it worse too. The wood screws have to put a large amount of force on the tape to flatten it and you're going to struggle to build something strong enough for the screws to pull against without stripping. Caulk is the product for the job.
What about epoxied stainless crew inserts? Plus you should have tried to have the butyl as one continuous piece. Each one of the breaks is a potential water leak. HTH
I also add that using the screws to force the butyl down will only lead to more stripped holes. You can always epoxy a wood or plastic dowel in the hole. Then pre drill a hole slightly smaller then the screw. If you are insistent on using the butyl I’d suggest using a clamp to force the hatch down then use the screws to hold the hatch down once you have the desired “spluge”
Dow 795 all the way.
I would also suggest using the drill fill drill approach. Drill a larger hole, epoxy that larger hole, then drill your screw in that fibreglass. This will make it much more rigid, not strip and at the same time protect the wood around the whole from getting wet and rotting over time. If you’ve watched SailLife, this is always the méthode he uses when filling with epoxy, that and using fibreglass strands in the epoxy for strength.
So refreshing to see two people having fun together. 🤗🇨🇦
Always look forward to Sunday mornings with my two favorite mariners! See you next week. Be safe!
For the stripped screws - DEFINITELY do not use wood glue! Nor would I use any kind of wood in the hole - dowel, toothpicks, etc. Those are great techniques for furniture or door and window casing repair. If water gets past the screw head, you will have a soggy mess. See if you can find the next size shaft screw and then get some new epoxy, preferably from West Systems. Fill the hole with thickened epoxy, about the consistency of peanut butter. You will want filler designed for epoxy like West Systems 404 high density filler. If you don't want to have containers of resin and hardener around, get one of their Fiberglass Repair Kits, (Or the 101 Handy Repair Pack, which is even smaller,) which has single use packets for smaller jobs. I can't imagine having a fiberglass boat without an epoxy/fiberglass kit with glass matt and strips, resin, hardener, filler, mixing cups, applicators/spreaders, and popsicle sticks for mixing. I am a big fan of West Systems and their pumps which take the guesswork out of mixing. You also need acetone to clean before you apply epoxy, but it looked like you were using that.
The bigger screw will get better grip on the fiberglass and the epoxy will set around the screw, locking it in place. Getting the screw out some day will be tough, but you can put a little grease around the threads before carefully driving it in. (You don't want to strip it again!) I've used this method with some high load applications (Including a mast base and bow cleat.) and it has worked great. Because hatch screws should have little load on them, this technique should be fine for you.
Remember the frost free ones suck all the moisture out which will destroy your veggies, along with keeping them at the wrong temperature of course. Have you looked at the Under Counter Drawer style fridge freezers?
Drawers create wasted space and sealing issues. Top door are more efficient but consume counter.
Good filming out in the harbour. Amazing scenery of the mountains. Loved that pack'away jacket. Keep safe.
I had a dometic CR50 the compressor had to work hard as there was no ventilation by the heat exchanger. This may be an issue with the cr50 placed a fan to take away the stagnant air and it worked very well. This was on a camper van. Have a read up. Keep up the good work been following you for ages since the episode you went to Mexico to get dental work. Keep living the dream.
If you can't find a stainless steel fridge you can always attach a piece of stainless on the front, or options are put a wood veneer that would match the rest of the boat, or spray paint it whatever color you want. You could also remove the front of the door and go to a metal fabricator and have them make you a new front face. They are usually just attached with a few screws.
When filling the holes that you need to fix put small pieces of wood the length of the hole in with the epoxy. It will be much stronger, otherwise the screws simply chew away the epoxy...
Yep, epoxy is not a good material for wood or sheet metal screws. Drill out the hole and epoxy in a piece of hardwood dowel and drill in a pilot hole in the center of the dowel. Add a couple of drops of liquid urethane finish to the pilot hole to minimize water absorption in the wood, then screw in the metal screw. Do not use a drill or power screw driver to put the screw all the way. Use a screw driver for the final torquing of the screw. You will be less likely to strip out the screw......
I use wooden match sticks for the purpose.
Stay away from Dometic!!! We've had 3 dometic's - all garbage! They never froze ice cream & they all sweat like crazy so there was always puddles of water in the fridge & the freezer always iced over. We had to defrost it at least once a month. We finally switched to the Isotherm and we Love it! It's been a year and a half now and no problems whatsoever. It's never iced over. Even though the Isotherm is a bit smaller, it actually fits more stuff in it!! No regrets at all. Thanks for all the wonderful content, we love your channel ❤️
I have a Norcold fridge in my camper. 16 years old, works perfectly still. I have a Dometic A/C unit, same thing. 16 years and runs perfect.
Hi guys. Fasteners ugh! They will need more than the thin fiberglass layer. The builder probably used wood to drive the screws into so that would be my first thought. They also make fiberglass inserts for fasteners. When you take the hatches out, look carefully at the layer construction. I expect there to be a piece of wood and that wood needs to be where the holes are. If the wood is there then the holes in the wood are stripped and those holes need to be filled or the wood replaced.
Like I said there is also threaded inserts. If you want to know more about them checkout McMaster Carr for examples and specifications. You might need them for you fridge project too.
Happy sailing.
during summer come down south, trully awesome down here. Further south you go the more amazing the sounds get, Milford and doubtful and Dusky are the ultimate
I didn't read all 540 comments but something you might want to think about is that most "frost free" refrigerators use heat to melt the frost. This causes 2 potential issues on a boat. 1 self defrosting freezers are not good for long term food storage as the food at least partially thaws on a regular basis and the defrost cycle uses a fairly large amount of heat which means it uses power. Just some things to think about. Keep the good stuff coming guys.
I've always thought it would be nice to have a self-contained refrigerator and freezer but I think in my case, and probably yours too, there are several big disadvantages. You lose the space equivalent the size of the compressor and condenser from the cooling compartment as these components are no longer located remotely. Secondly, you'd need to provide ventilation to cool the condenser and compressor. If this space is built into the all-in-one design, then those air channels are again deducted from the available space. If not, you'd need to leave room for air flow and probably add a fan. This is even more important in the tropics.
How about reinsulating your old cabinet and putting in new refrigeration components? Your old units used holding plates. I think this is no longer considered the efficient way to go. You could just use simple evaporators, lining one or two sides of the compartments. I'd be tempted to go with a compressor each for the freezer and refrigerator compartments. These components are readily available, even here in NZ. You can locate the compressors remotely where you are less likely to hear them running.
A side note: I think you'd need to use some kind of thickener mixed in the epoxy (micro balloons or chopped glass fibers) if you're going to use epoxy as a filler to rethread screws in your deck. Alternatively, could you thru-bolt the hatches with fasteners (barrel nuts) like the ones in the link below on the underside? These are available in NZ from Anzor Fasteners in stainless steel.
www.anzor.co.nz/nuts/barrel-nuts/truss-phillips-barrel-nuts/14-304-truss-phil-barrel-nut
Good luck with the projects! Rich and Cyndi on Legacy (Auckland now).
Have you considered rehabbing the existing fridge freezer unit. Possibly remove some or all of the foam insulation and replace with vacuum panel insulation and replace the refrigeration unit with a cold blue unit. It looks like cold blue would provide technical support to properly size the Cold plate. You could also add a thermostat controlled fan to move air from the freezer to the fridge and maintain proper fridge temperature.
my "2 cents worth" for the epoxy job: So when you do repair the stripped issue, use a hand screwdriver as you can control the strength of it so as not to have the screw pull the new threads out. If you use a power tool you risk the chance of it stripping out again. If you could, it would be better to use a fiberglass resin and fiberglass type material to repair the screw holes instead ( or somewhat like materials). Just using epoxy only seems to me just to be a temporary fix. Good Luck with this.
Yep. I would drill out the holes to clean out all of the caulk and epoxy first. Then cut narrow strips of fiberglass cloth, soak the strips in resin, then push them down in to the holes. Maybe add a bit of extra resin to completely fill the hole. Once cured they should drill pilot holes for the new screws and hand tighten.
It’s one thing to be confident in all things you do in life but not even doing a couple hours research before doing something you have no experience with, is another and far from smart Jason….😉
Not my expertise, but…
Is there some type of marine fastening anchor just for those purposes? (stripped holes)
Like the wall anchors u can get for your house. I imagine u might need to drill the holes slightly larger to accept the anchors.
@@riggermorpus yes, it’s called fiberglass. The same stuff that the boat is mage of. You just fill the holes with fiberglass fill and boat resin.
Vote +1 for the isotherm "drinks" fridges! We put 2 of them in to replace our older traditional style units and after 2 years, we love them! We added a small 3" computer fan and spliced the power for it into the wire that powers the on board compressor fan. The added fan is mounted in a hole that ventilates the compartment where they are mounted.
An old trick for stripped screws that works every time is to just use a small wood wedge of some sort. I often use a piece of a toothpick. Place it in to the stripped hole and hold it there with a bit of caulk or b tape, then screw the screw in as usual. the wood sliver acts as a binder between the screw and the screw hole and holds the screw fast. Good Luck!!
Another trick: using either wood glue or epoxy, put the glue/epoxy on the toothpicks or fiberglass, and then jam as many picks or fiberglass as you can in the hole. Let dry for 24 hours. Then cut/trim the portion of the toothpick(s) or fiberglass (or some other marine plastic) that are sticking out of the hole. Sand smooth. Now you have a filled hole, with secure wood/fiberglass/material, which the screw can bite into and very securely hold in place.
DON'T over-tighten. If you are using an electric drill, you need to set the clutch very low so that the drill stops tightening long before you get to stripping out the hole. And if your electric drill doesn't have an adjustable clutch for driving screws -- don't use it as a screwdriver, it's not designed for that and you will be destroying shit.
A pencil or toothpick are what I usually use. I typically put wood glue on them before putting them into the hole.
I agree with the comments re: expoxing in wood dowels and wood add the following, if you aren't already doing this.
When your repair is cured, use the screw setting on your powered driver with the clutch settings on a no. around 2 or 3. That should help from stripping out the repaired hole. Then to tighten and set the screw fully, tighten the remainder manually with a screwdriver or turn the clutch setting up a slightly higher number until the frame is tight to the deck. Best of luck. 🔧 🔨 👍
Aerogel insulation around the unit makes it really efficient. Had an old built in unit retrofited. Pretty amazing stuff
A thought - A top loading fridge / freezer , You have the main part there , the cabinet . Iv used them on many of my yachts , Freezer below & baskets above , Top loading keeps the cold in , Efficient . Theres a reasonable freezer unit that can be bought & fitted near the F/F & it comes ready gassed ready to go . The work would be in the cutting out the midle of the unit , Glass , foam & making a top hatch to fit (Professional) But iv found them the best in the tropics (Nothing falls out or goes clunk in the night . Good luck. Oh there are draw F/Fs witch are OK but a bit hungry on Power .
BTW, I just left a comment on Kara and Nate's (2.58M subscribers) recent EarthRoamer video suggesting that they do a collab with you guys and Kara said YES!!! Hope you guys can work something out. I love both your channels.
It is a good approach that when things are not going well and getting frustrated with it, "walk away" for at least a day and then come back to it. Amazing how things get much better at finishing the task, not unnecessarily damaging something in the frustration and avoid getting hurt.
Another Sunday morning with the Wynns…always look forward to your update.👍😎
On the stripped screws, either go by hand, or easy down the torque/ratchet number on your drill, as you can see in the video, you have your drill on 8 torque, that’s a lot for such small screw. Also try the metal screw type plugs Home Depot inserts used on drywalls, caulking will go over them no problem. Or see if you have enough opening below in between the fiberglass layers to go with through bolts and nuts.
Have you considered drawer fridge/freezers? I feel like they might work in your existing box. Checkout Sub Zero, Summit, Frigobar and LG. Good luck.
I would go with the double fridge/freezer option. This gives you freezer redundancy, plus more freezer space for,longer passages, ability to make ice so if needed you can use coolers for a fridge, etc. If the existing cabinet works fine but I’m sure there is a cabinet maker around that can custom make something to fit the space with the ability to easily remove the cabinet for any future maintenance
My input, Dometic, for me is 50/50. Of the 4 units I own, 2 have died within 6 month and the other 2 are still going strong after 4 years.
As for your predicament, I would not reuse the old housing and go with the largest units that will fit in that space.
I'm sure Jason can build a new countertop and facade to make them look awesome.
Hope to see you back out sailing and visiting new and exciting places.
@LTDunltd - I tend to agree with you on putting two units in that space. With a little preplanning (and a little clever fabricating), I would think they could easily keep most of the housing (especially the countertop) to help maintain the stock look. Also, far as the warranty goes (whichever model they end up with) they absolutely need to look into putting the units on whichever credit card offers the best extended warranty and then make sure to call the CC company and get the units registered under the CC's extended warranty plan ... so many folks overlook the extended warranty feature that many/some CC companies still offer.
I agree. Buy 2 units, one frig, one freezer, and build a cabinet to house them.
The small green boat named Tara. I think it's a play on words? Tara was Scarlett's plantation if I remember correctly from "Gone With The Wind".
I'm happy you are able to haul out finally!
You guys are my favorites! Hopefully one day we'll run into you on the water, keep living the dream!
Hi, if you can't get the machine you want in the right colour you could think about wrapping them in any colour you like just as they do with cars. living on a boat from 1905 myself I always try to install normal household appliances as much as possible because of a wider range to choose from, more available support and better prices. And just run them from the inverter. good luck with solving the puzzle!
One thing that helped me early on in understanding fundamentals is that there is no such thing as "cold" only the absence of heat. Heat is what the frig removes from the inside and the product within and then rejects it outside. No or low heat rejection = no or low refrigeration. Eventually it as the copper winding in the compressor overheat and become resistant (higher Amp draw and failure) the oil cooks and becomes acidic as well contributing to failure.
As mentioned before, use a hand screw driver for securing the hatch. You can also go with normal screw and nut setup, so the screw is held by a nut from the inside.
Also check out fridge/freezer drawers, which minimize cold air spillage when they are opened. Much like the open freezers in supermarkets the cold air is denser and heavier so it stays put. Vertical doors allow all the cold air to immediately fall out of the fridge and be replaced with ambient air, all of which then needs to be cooled down again.....and so on every time the door is opened.
Make sure you plan exactly how you are going to ventilate the cabinet housing the refrigeration units. All the heat removed from the contents will be dumped into the enclosure, and has to then be pumped out of there. That is why the original installation has a remote compressor and condenser. Beware...there will be a lot of heat going into living space instead of machinery space.
for a quick fix in striped screw holes, keep a supply of wooden toothpicks or plastic ones. pound them into the hole and snap them off flush. install the screws back in. The toothpicks fill the space and wedge into the old threaded holes. the screws lock into the reduced hole and you're done. I've never epoxied one in and never had one fail as long as the structure around the hole is sound.
Hi, using some finely chopped fibreglass mixed with your epoxy is a good idea. Also and most importantly is pre drill the holes and ditch the drill/driver. Screw them in by hand.
always finish with hand tight 'turn of the nut method'
I don't know if you can access some lead wool. Plumbers used to use it to seal cast drain pipe. It is shaved lead. Pack it into your stripped screw holes, tamp it compact with a large nail set, predrill for screw size. Use your power driver sparingly so you don't overdrive and strip again. Works really good, and won't absorb water as wood dowels would.
I cant possibly be the first one to suggest this with regards to the stripped screw hole but here it goes.
Get a couple of wooden matches or a few slivers of wood. Dip these into the epoxy then drive them into the stripped screw holes. Let it harden then re-screw.
Something you could easily do with the striped screws is get some plastic dowels, drill out the fiberglass to fit the dowel, put some epoxy on the dowel, insert the dowel in the hole, put a small pilot hole and when you screw the screw in, it’ll not only have a friction fit bit the epoxy will ensure it won’t go anywhere. Plus you don’t have to wait for the epoxy to dry to finish. Simple, fast and effective.
My heart sank with that 1st screws in, but its fixable :) Can't wait till all the work is done. And y'all get back in the water. Texas is still rooting for you!
Engel’s are very reliable and energy efficient due to their Japanese swing motor design. I have used one of the chest-types off-roading in Africa for over a decade, and it was already 5 years old when I bought it. They are more expensive, probably because they charge for their reputation, but this is warranted as they are tried and tested. That said, I cannot speak for their upright models.
As I understand the majority of other 12v fridges now use Danfoss compressors which are variable speed, and therefore more energy efficient, but this also comes down to the quality of the insulation and door seals. A drawer-type is more efficient compared to a front-opening door type as all the cold air doesn’t ‘fall’ out every time you open the door, resulting in more energy to get it down to set temperature again.
Good luck with the search!
We love your channel!
Its a good idea to ask your viewers for their feedback regarding fridge/freezers however many will not be yachties or if they are will not have your model of cat. Can I suggest you ask on both leopard forums/facebook pages as though there will be less people on their they are a lot more likely to have the information/experience you want.
If you are still bored, Mt Manaia and Mt Aubrey both have great walking(tramping) tracks - you would enjoy. You also drove some good scallop beds and the season has started. I free dive for them so you would have no difficulty getting them. If the viz is low, drop with your scallop bay in front of you - in case you disturb a stingray. They are usually friendly- just don't like divers landing on them.
Thank you for another great video. I also love looking at other boats as so many of them have their own personality and stories. Feel free to show more of them in your travels. :)
What a fun video! I love skipping school when the weather is nice! Quick tip for the screw holes...it may be better to insert some wooden dowels and epoxy that in place first. Then use the fresh wood to screw into. You may need to drill out the existing epoxy to get a fresh hole and then start from scratch. You will probably get a better bite with the screws as most epoxy types will be hard and brittle when fully cured. Good luck!!
I was looking for your video yesterday. Saturday LOL I was wondering how the problem with your refrigerator was working out when I thought maybe you should reach out to a manufacturer to see if they could do a special order for you. What would be close to work for you could possibly be modified by their engineers to help you. It may cost a little more but is worth trying. Contact a few of them see what they will tell you! Thank you for your videos good luck.
'Custom' means expen$ive. I would expect to triple the co$t of a base unit if you customi$e it.
Just a tip on screwing your hatches to the deck where it is stripped. Get a small piece of metal plate maybe 1” square piece for each screw hole or one piece long enough for both holes which maybe better, Drill a small guide hole through the centre of the plate where it lines up with the screw holes in the deck. Get some epoxy glue or similar and glue the metal plates under your deck space where the screw holes are. Replace your hatches and as your screws go through the deck space they will then screw into the metal plates you have glued under your deck space. Make sure the guide holes you previously drilled in the plate will accept the screws as you do not want the plates to dislodge as you screw into them from above.
Whoa Minion looks super sparkly clean, great to see her and you guys out n' bout. Just remember in NZ you need to wear life jackets on all boats under 6m. Lucky you didn't come across the Coast Guard. Look'n forward to next week.
I would also like to see you using a kill cord. I’d hate to hear you’d fallen out and been mowed down by your own outboard.
Both of you are a most welcomed part of my Sundays. Thank you for sharing.
Coffee time! ☕ loved the guy dancing on the dock too in the first few seconds of the video. It's obvious everyone needed the sunshine 😊
Been following you guys since your RV days. We got our RV because of your influence. We even found a way to move to Japan temporarily. Keep on doing what you’re doing.
Thank you for this weeks update on your life I found it relaxing interesting and thought-provoking and I also thoroughly enjoyed reading the comments.
Have you considered a water-cooled system vs. air cooled for your freezer/fridge? A little more plumbing (including through-hulls) but there are significant savings to be had, maybe especially valuable since you are off the grid for periods of time and primarily recharging with solar…also cuts down on interior temperature of the boat. I installed a NorCold system on my sailboat years ago, and it worked flawlessly-did have to add a small computer fan in the fridge’s interior to circulate the air for even cooling, though-otherwise the stuff on the bottom would freeze.
Before changing everything, since its such a specific build, I wonder if you should try adding extra cooling plates in the fridge section. Perhaps you just need some more cooling plates? Perhaps with a stronger compressor?
I think the screws will strip, not because the epoxy is weak but because you're trying to compress the caulk. Jason's caulk will squeeze out more easily and be just as good. But by the time you read this.... Love your channel!!!
Take an olds mechanics advice, leave the power drill in the box when driving in screws in material like fiberglass. Hand tighten only, drills are only good for removing and making holes. Driving screws in hard materials that strip easily should always be done by hand. You should pre drill the filled holes as well, the epoxy just splits if its not pre drilled. I would throw that butyl tape in the trash as well. The silicon is what should be used to install the hatch, it actually glues it down. You almost don't even need to worry about the stripped screws, once the silicon cures, that hatch isn't going anywhere.
All true.
Not true! the power tools being used have torque limiting capability and settings for "drill" and "screw" that enable and disable the torque limiting (there may also be a setting for Hammer drill, but I can't tell at this point). When used to screw in fasteners, set to "Screw" and the lowest torque setting (not "drill"!) at first, NOT at a "9" (see 6:57) to start. Increase the torque to suit OR let go of the Trigger and rotate the tool manually until "snug" (the torque limiter disengages under low and no power from trigger). As always, throw away any screw bit that gets worn and "jumpy"; worst tool in the world is one that causes more damage than repair when used,
Loads of good ideas for repairing the screw holes. Selleys 'knead it' is another one. When you do the screws up, tighten them with a screw driver by hand. Your drill has waaaaay to much power for those!
❤❤ I don't think your epoxy had anything more than foam to grip on to. I think your clutch was set to drill causing to over tighten. Is the new fridge D/C 12 v, 24 v, or A/C 110 v, or 220 v ? Also , it looked like they opened in the front. I would have thought that they would open on the back seeing how water would be coming from the front. Love your videos. 👍👍
Option for window..small shims of wood "almost like tooth picks" coated in good wood glue..pack holes full and tap with hammer to tighten...once dry chisel top flat and Re drill holes..use smaller bit..
Nice to see you had a break today :). Hope you find a good fridge / freezer.
I love how you team up and fix your boat ♥️
Jason: It's gonna easy-peasy!
Narrator: *It wasn't easy-peasy*
You could say you were screwed. The curse continues...well you tried 😂 and that's what counts. Even from and on the water, NZ has unique sights to discover. I mean, a boat from 1933...has a tale as old as time. And if cuteness overload was a boat...it would be that little fishing boat at 11:43. NZ truly is an explorer's paradise.
😝👍
@@gonewiththewynns
Nikki, can you share what puffer jacket you are wearing in this video? Looks very compact for travel.
Also, would you do a video about your storage and organization aboard Curiosity? You seem to have a great wardrobe, shoes, food, plenty of supplies and so this would be interesting.
Love your channel & enthusiasm for exploration!
@@nicki8461 It looks like it said Columbia brand on the Logo.
@@nicki8461 found it! Kathmandu!
@@thejameslealartco.7625 Thank you.
As for ideas about the fridge/freezer: What exactly is wrong? And what do you want? Since you haven't had a built-in fridge/freezer, maybe you don't want anything? Or maybe only a refrigerator or only a freezer? What would be the ideal replacement(s) to last the next five years?
Personally, I wouldn't bother with frost-free; it uses more energy and you won't be able to keep ice for any length of time, it evaporates (sublimates, for the pedants out there). Defrosting the freezer isn't hard, plus it gives you the chance for a mid-summer snowball fight, which we all know you guys would LOVE!
Or they could get a separate counter top ice maker for cheap and use that extra freezer space for food.
I disagree, have had my frost free freezer for over a decade and it has never had any problems with what you describe
My thoughts exactly. The "free" is not. They are great if your not concerned about power and the timer/heating element is just one more thing that can fail.
I learned the hard way that Fridges don't like being enclosed . i.e. Built in like yours. After 3 lasting no more than 5 years total I have always had free standing units and they last for ever in comparison.
A cheap hole fixer is Super Glue mixed with Bicarbonate of Soda / Baking powder. Cover the lower half side of the hole and put a small amount of powder in and add the glue it sets real quick. Repeat until you get to the top of he hole - it sets rock hard but can be sanded/filed and drilled.
Hello Nikki and Jason, loving all your videos. Such an amazing story and inspiration to so many.
Nikki, may I ask what down jacket that is?
Absolutely love it. Size and compatibility.
Dometic has drawer style fridges, check them out as you can use one as fridge the other a freezer when you catch the big one! Jason needs to put on his kill switch band every time!! Great little pocket coat you have Nikki!! Hope you get your windows fabricated soon!!
When I was a cabinet maker we would drill out stripped holes and fill with a hardwood dowel and epoxy. I’ve never worked on a yacht but don’t see why it wouldn’t work
We used dowels or matchsticks and regular Capernters wood glue. Worked every time and no need to mix epoxy. I can see where the epoxy would give a quicker bond though. Those hinge screws were always troubling if you had to take the doors off.
Nylon or fiberglass rod? No chance of water rot?
You should not do the wood dowels in this marine application, especially the top deck. No amount of sealant will prevent water from eventually seeping in around the screws, and even the best wood bits will swell and rot because it will never fully dry out.
@@peterg.8245 makes perfect sense
I'm a cabinet maker myself, but for a uber-wet situations like a boat's deck I'd use a forstner bit and drill an oversized hole (not through-hole) and epoxy (or poly/vinylester) in a dowel made of recycled/plastic decking board. Totally rot resistant, holds screws like they are welded, and easy to work with.
Hello just thought I'd ask if you all have thought of replacing the fridge compressor and and cooling plate & add another one so that you have one for each compartment, but make sure that it has a digital thermostat control system, Food for THOUGHT!!😁😁
Good morning Wynns!
Glad to see things slowly moving along
I think I would’ve epoxied some small dowels into the screw holes. That would give some wood to screw into. I’ve used that technique before, and it works great. Good luck!
Better yet, drill out the holes and epoxy in hardwood plugs to take the screws.
Either way works here; the plugs are about identical to dowels.
DON'T uses epoxy - too brittle for wood - use good waterproof wood glue.
Isotherm is awesome quality from my experience. This summer i got called out to an island where my niece lives. Her fridge had stopped working but she wanted me to take a look at it. It was a 17 year old isotherm. I wasnt too hopeful about it. Backtracked wires and ended up finding a seperate fusebox in a hidden area where the power had been shut off. Started it and heard the compressor start right away. It reached fridgetemp in less than 15 minutes. I was so impressed.
Fiberglass is a lousy medium for fasteners. Drill through and back a stainless machine screw with a cap nut on the inside. Yes you can see it but it will never strip. And you can torque it as much as you want.
Gotta love a little fishing boat with my name on it♥♥♥. Love Sunday morning coffee with you two AMAZING people. Love and light to you both!
Love the area tour with Minion. Filming is great just makes me feel like I'm there.. Nice to see a clear day and some R&R.. I wish cool weather would get to Texas 55 degrees sounds really good.. Wishing a speedy recovery for Curiosity.. Fred in Texas
It’s definitely beautiful I grew up in Whangarei but live in the Canterbury region of the South Island now, miss home
@@NZFarmboy80 From all that I have seen New Zealand is stunning.. I could live there in a heart beat.
Great to get off Curiosity and see the surroundings. I expect getting some freedom of movement for you feels spectacular. I have found in life when a project gets frustrating, walk away for a bit and come back later. Almost always works when a fresh eye sees what was holding up progress. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
I love the stainless drawers. It’s so easy to find everything and seems it doesn’t lose all the air. I do have to fill out the remainder of the cabinet.
I have the inox 130 drinks fridge as my main one with a separate freezer. Fridge is awesome...it has a fan that is always going so you never freeze your vege. Uses less power one average than specs in middle on the New Zealand summer. The latch is adjustable and robust...seals are common fridge seals, so no special replacement seals if required.
Check energy consumption on the frost free. Sometimes they use more.
Also the defrost cycle warms enough to lose the frost. Warming frozen food cuts down food life
@@jimb6087 I had one (full size kitchen model) that was frost free by some sort of humidity reduction mechanism. No frost and no cyclic defrost, but EVERYTHING had to be in sealed containers or it dried out noticeably in days.
I agree with some of the other posters that you could fit a slightly bigger fridge/freezer in that space and build a new cabinet around it. That might give you a lot more options. Also, you can get a counter top or portable ice maker for cheap and have more space for food in the fridge/freezer.
Have you considered a top loading Freezer Fridge? They are inherently more efficient.
Perfect timing, just pouring my coffee, like many others. Greetings from Yacolt, Washington 😎🇺🇸.
New Zealand is so beautiful. They have crazy charges for use of the bathrooms but still beautiful. Thanks for sharing your experience and troubles of the repairs. We have to replace just about all of our port lights and hatches. It’s nice to see what works and what doesn’t.
Defrost isn’t necessarily a benefit when you’re counting ah’s because that defrost feature is basically a melt cycle that burns more energy than a non self defrosting unit
I’ve finally caught up to you guys! I’ve started watching your oldest videos last month and now I’m here! ☺️🤍 I’m so glad I binge watched your videos. I feel like I’ve been with you guys and explored so many different places in the comfort of my home.
All the love from the Philippines 🇵🇭
Another Compressor unit .Might be the go with that one. Engle make some good units .
This is what I would've looked into as well. You got two perfectly fine custom fitted insulated cabinets. Just get new 12/24V compressor unit and either use the existing cooling elements or get new ones. I think there are even sets you can buy that aim to convert gas fridges in RVs or boats into electric.