Soft cooler for CD25 ice box?

[Dave Jeffery]

Anyone had success putting a "soft" ice-loaded cooler inside the semi-insulated ice box under the companionway step of a CD 25?

The idea is to have something that can be easily removed and gets some cooling bonus from being in that space. (I don't like water draining into the bilge, and I'm not up for trying something elaborate.)

Maybe there's a good hard cooler that just fits the space, but I haven't found one.

Ideas are welcome.

Dave J.

[Paul McCary]

Dave, I just bought a CD-27 and the prior owner (Bob Shulman) used a neat trick. The hose that drains the ice box meltings etc. into the bilge is instead run into a 1/2 gallon plastic milk bottle that rests in the bilge. When you're cruising and using the cooler, just empty the jug periodically. No ice box/cooler wastewater ends up in the bilge!

[John B]

After stocking my box with a fresh case of Blue cans, I tear the cardboard case in half. The thin cardboard is laid over the beer/ice and traps the cold below it amazingly well.

Hey...it works.