The Yeti – ahhhh

You know that saying, ‘It’s not just hot, it’s Africa hot’?  Well I think it’s ok to add Fort Lauderdale in place of the Africa cause this place is just roasting all..of..the..time! Actually this current 90 degree spell of weather is a break from the 100 + temps of a week ago.  We have the ability to wear very little, like a bathing suit but these poor Floridians that have to wear clothes to school, work whatever wow.  It’s just a massive sweat fest.

Our Canadian brain is in semi fall mode – kids back to school, cooler nights, probably one more blast of summery weather and then the red noses and bigger blankets.  Not so here.

Staying cool is really important.  Some people barely touch the heat.
They leave their air conditioned homes.
Get into their air conditioned cars.
Drive to their air conditioned work.

Luckily the boat has AC (unlike the car).  So we get going early while its cool and then do ‘inside work’ in the thick of the heat.

Either way we drink water like it’s…water!  Anything we drink needs to be cool otherwise what’s the point?
Refrigeration on Knot Anchored is a challenge.  The fridge space is fair for just the two of us but I love me my condiments and they take up a LOT of room and then there’s veggies.
Not compact at all.
Not even squishable if you jam everything in really quick and shut the fridge door.
You can do it but it ain’t pretty.

And the catamaran upgrades keep coming!

So we found the mac daddy solution – yes, the YETI cooler.
Never heard of it before?  More familiar with Igloo brands and the like?  So were we.

Here’s the stern (back) of the boat:

That’s the swim platform you’re looking at.  We didn’t use it once on our trip with the kids or any other time.  The port and stern ‘sugar scoops’ (steps) go level with water.

So that’s where we put the Yeti!

The Yeti is an awesome cooler as it sits.  It came along on the trip to the Berry Islands and we only put a couple of bags of ice in along the way.  Everything stayed crazy cool considering the non stop heat and beating sun of the Bahamas.
Sweet tea and beer stayed cooool.

Here’s a fun fact, the Yeti, 2 inches of pressure-injected polyurethane insulation, is GRIZZLY proof.
Take that Igloo!
Grizzly’s are not necessarily our issue but hey a great option for you outdoorsy wilderness types right?

If you’re not thinking the Yeti is kick ass already…

You are correct!  Steve made it even better.
How you ask?  HOW!

Well Steve’s unconventional solution based approach to things means doing unconventional things.
Like drilling in through those 2 inches of pressure-injected polyurethane insulation.
WHY would anyone do that?
Doesn’t that compromise the Yeti?

Nah, makes it better.  Add a cooler plate, put the compressor in the engine compartment and cause he loves to be a hit with the ladies, dividers for sanity (and my vegetables) and milk which is very bulky and apparently a popular drink with folks.

Ok but does it work?

Yes!  It actually started to freeze so the possibilities are endless!

The ice you see there has been in there for a few days and really was only for effect – no ice needed!
No more mushy lettuce and crushed avocadoes – WooHoo!!

We love the Yeti!