Grunert's Polarmate is typical of a 12-volt system that can be set up with an air-cooled or water-cooled condenser. The basic com- ūponents - evaporator, compressor, condenser - are common to all systems.

The British, who have a long history of extended sea voyages, drink their beer warm. And while we can't be sure there's a connection there, it's a fact that keeping food and drink cold aboard a small vessel has, until the last couple of decades, not really been worth the hassle. The icebox, a relic of the last century, is still the solution provided by many boatbuilders.

A well-insulated icebox can actually work pretty well, if you're not venturing out for more than a few days. And if you can find an icehouse to sell you a block (or you can afford the freezer space to make blocks of your own).…