Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
Got tired with icebox drain so did this. Insulated the box by combining ridgid foam with silicone glue and drilled holes from the top after removing counter for using spray foam with a straw. Did between box and hull best as hard to get access. Bought storage box, Walmart, with snap top to fit on bottom of hull, lowest place, installed bildge pump with float switch on platform on bottom of storage box. Used pump switch with fuse, rocker switcch for auto, manual and off. Light goes on when pump turns on. Kept wondering why boat had galley ice box with no insullation. This system has worked for me for sometime.
With ice-chilled coolers, the frozen water-bottle trick is great, but if I can only get a bag of ice from the marina, I carry a tupper-ware container that will accommodate most of the ice. I fill it and place it ON TOP of my packaged foods (meats, cheese, milk, eggs, fruit, veggies) that I fill from the bottom up. The tupperware holds the melt-water and prevents it from flooding the cooler. The ice, being on top with the food underneath, produces cold air that drops into the area with the food, and it keeps longer. I've noticed that putting the ice on the bottom does nothing to cool the food on top which readily spoils in a day or two.
Trader joes has a soft cooler that's fits great inside of ice box. And amazingly doesn't leak. Only a little condensation some times. Like seven bucks. And when you are ready to leave the boat, all you have to do is pick it up. So you could actually block off the drain.
We simply replaced the tubing - it had gotten clogged after 30 years - from the basin and the cooler to the thru-hull, when I replaced the thru-hull fitting. Made some simple screen strainers and both the basin and cooler drain fine. Just check the strainers for debris when prepping for winter storage.
We did also add styrofoam insulation, to as much of the cooler as accessable, and it improved things. I agree, it is odd the cooler had no insulation.
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.