Where do you put large cooler on your boat?

Stever00

I just put a swim platform on my boat. It's only a 240 (24 feet). The platform is 44.5 long and will probably add few feet after overlapping  existing platform. Do any of you mount cooler on a platform?  I know you can buy cooler tied down corner blocks and hardware to do it. I hate adding more weight to back of boat. Just that platform adds a good bit. Another problem is when I raise my motor cover it raises the back seat over the back of boat and right at spot where I would put the cooler. There is also a stainless steel handle that portrudes from it on back of seat.

I see why one guy on one of these forums said he wouldnt have a boat without a hard top.
On this boat you have to take bimini top down to trailer. Put it back up when you get to the lake. Not to mention the anchor light is mounted on those flimsy aluminum poles with wires going through it that have to be plugged and unplugged. Whose bright idea was that? By yourself that top is like trying to put up a 10 man tent by yourself. I need a diesel trawler. Not many down here in the south. Anybody on this forum have a 240 Fiesta Vee or did I buy only one in United States?  I seen one for sale in England on the web.

PickleRick

I have the 235 fiesta vee, i believe your 242 replaced my 235.  My back seat was removed for fishing years ago.  .  I dont have an extended @willhound style swim platfrom yet.  

Ive upgraded coolers to one twice this size, i will be mounting a seat cushion to it and small removable pole mounted back cushions to the transom for smaller guests to sit(kids)  

My bimni top rear poles never move, i have a 5 ft long pole light that slides into a power slot just behind the rear of the bimni frame and it stands about 6 inches taller than the top.  If i did have a bimini mounted light id run the wires inside the rear poles that dont come down.  The top folds up into the rear pole and zips up inside a boot.  The top was about 175 bucks and is 8 ft long front to back, a huge improvement over the 6 footer the boat came with.  I tow about 45 min to the lake every weekend down the interstate at 60 to 65 and has not had an issue.  The flags must come off before towing past 35mph. Its a cheap light weight aluminum top, needs a scotch guard to waterproof the canavs. In one season it has no signs if fading, shes garage parked other than weekends during the summer.  I can set or stow solo in less than 5 min. id rather do it solo, on a boat this size a 2nd person gets in the way.


I dont have any pics of it stowed for towing.

My top sits high because my windshield doesnt open up, i just step over it to access the anchor and i have the top positioned to give the dash shade in mid day sun as well as keep rain off, these doors are not exactly water tight.  I am 6ft 2, most of it knees and elbows so i need plenty of room to step over without having to crouch.  If i had a walk thru windshield it would be a few inches lower. I also like having standing headroom at the helm, it helps when loading in the trialer and docking.  

Lake_Bum

This is a 55 quart cooler, I can fit up to the 125 qt with the bracket on my platform. Canyon Cooler is the brand of coolers, and tie down bracket kit. They are better than Yeti! 

skennelly

On my 270 I strap the cooler on the swim platform.

LaRea

With that much weight all the way at the stern, it will probably affect how the boat handles.  You'll take longer to get on plane, and you'll need more trim tabs to stay on plane - which affects fuel burn.  

I keep my cooler in the transom locker.  If I'm going to cruise longer than 15-20 minutes, I move it to the floor up in the bow.  Even in my 20,000-lb boat, it makes a noticeable difference.  

mattie

Lake_Bum said:

This is a 55 quart cooler, I can fit up to the 125 qt with the bracket on my platform. Canyon Cooler is the brand of coolers, and tie down bracket kit. They are better than Yeti! 

Always try to keep the coolers up front under the bow filler cushions.

Like those Canyon Coolers. Think they are built down your way Lake_Bum.

Gonna order the 35QT Outfitter shortly. Like the new Havasu Blue color!

PickleRick

I have a huge fin on my outdrive and im usually loaded for a weekend on the hook, i get on plane very quickly. 


This is assuming you have a healthy 5.7 engine and good prop. Ive seen a few rinkers with the 5.0, that would be a bit of a slug.  The new vortec motors are more efficient and have noticeably more power than my 1988 5.7.

I only use my tabs to level the ride, camping boats like to list.

The good news is if you don't like it on the platfrom you can always move it.  

Lake_Bum

@LaRea I've got the weight issue solved. My swim platform cooler,  is only ice, and fish. The fish get fileted each day. I've typically got two other coolers on the boat, further up in the boat. 
@mattie you are spot-on. Canyon Coolers are from my city! But that isn't the only reason I am biased.  They consistently beat Yeti head-to-head in tests. Cheaper, and better = WIN. 

J3ff

I use the fridge and if someone brings a cooler, it goes under the front table... 

GMSLITHO

Lake_Bum said:

This is a 55 quart cooler, I can fit up to the 125 qt with the bracket on my platform. Canyon Cooler is the brand of coolers, and tie down bracket kit. They are better than Yeti! 

That looks like a really nice place to boat 

Lake_Bum

GMSLITHO said:

Lake_Bum said:

This is a 55 quart cooler, I can fit up to the 125 qt with the bracket on my platform. Canyon Cooler is the brand of coolers, and tie down bracket kit. They are better than Yeti! 

That looks like a really nice place to boat 

Very lucky to have been boating here my entire life at Lake Powell. Here's a few more pics. And mostly related to this thread still, since the cooler is on the boat haha. One pic is my Chapparal 

PickleRick

Incredible pics.  How many of your pics have you sold to rinker????

Lake_Bum

PickleRick said:

Incredible pics.  How many of your pics have you sold to rinker????

Haha....zero!  I doubt there's much market for a 20 year old boat in pictures.  Being on Lake Powell though, is literally like living in a Postcard 

Lake_Bum

Here's my 55 QT cooler, with cushion attached. 

RiverRat232

Lake_Bum said:

GMSLITHO said:

Lake_Bum said:

This is a 55 quart cooler, I can fit up to the 125 qt with the bracket on my platform. Canyon Cooler is the brand of coolers, and tie down bracket kit. They are better than Yeti! 

That looks like a really nice place to boat 

Very lucky to have been boating here my entire life at Lake Powell. Here's a few more pics. And mostly related to this thread still, since the cooler is on the boat haha. One pic is my Chapparal 

Very cool. How deep is the water there?

rasbury

That is stunning....

Lake_Bum

Lake Powell is over 500 feet deep in places. It is huge canyon, formed by the Colorado River. 2nd largest man made lake in the country...

Stever00

Looking at the rocks the water level has dropped a lot. Is that a seasonal thing or long term thing?

Lake_Bum

Stever00 said:

Looking at the rocks the water level has dropped a lot. Is that a seasonal thing or long term thing?

Well.....think of it, as a bathtub ring.  Once it's been FULL, that ring will always be there.  It's only been completely full twice since the Dam being completed in 1964.  It is a reservoir, and fluctuates a LOT each year, usually 30-50 feet.  For a lake that is 186 miles long, that is a ton of water.  5 states in the West rely on Lake Powell, and Lake Mead for water.   I could go on, but I'm probably the only water nerd on this site for this particular body of water haha. My Grandpa actually helped build Glen Canyon Dam. 

Stever00

It just gives the impression of losing water. With all the talk of global warming and future water shortages you never know. One thing in the south this has been one of the wettest winters on record. I grew up not far from Guntersville dam. Back then you could go on the dam anytime you wanted to.  No terrorist! When there was a fight in school it was fist not guns. You could even show high school principal what kind of pocket knife you had and not get kicked out . You could even write cursive, read a map and do math without a calculator. Have friends in real life not on social media.

GMSLITHO

 you forgot walk into a airport and right down to the boarding gate ..........sure was a different world .......I feel for the next generation 

Lake_Bum

Well, having a good, quality cooler is important in the West. It gets HOT out here.  This is a regular view when camping at Lake Powell.  We just locked in a date for our annual "guys fishing trip", and I cannot wait!  

PickleRick

Big lots used to have their rubbermade 5 day coolers. 50 qt i believe for 29.99.  In the southern heat ice would last maybe 3 days full of food/drinks.  Frozen gallons of water would last 5 days.  

They dont catch fish like the yeti or yeti variations.  They do last.  Mine were abused for years going camping, bonnaroo music festivals and off road trips. Hinges have been repaired a few times

Im interested in seeing how my new cabellas cooler holds up.  My old rubbermade are about a decade old, if not more. 


Well, i guess they did pull some fish.  These were 5 or 6 years ago.  There were old coolers back in 2016

RiverRat232

Lake_Bum said:

Stever00 said:

Looking at the rocks the water level has dropped a lot. Is that a seasonal thing or long term thing?

Well.....think of it, as a bathtub ring.  Once it's been FULL, that ring will always be there.  It's only been completely full twice since the Dam being completed in 1964.  It is a reservoir, and fluctuates a LOT each year, usually 30-50 feet.  For a lake that is 186 miles long, that is a ton of water.  5 states in the West rely on Lake Powell, and Lake Mead for water.   I could go on, but I'm probably the only water nerd on this site for this particular body of water haha. My Grandpa actually helped build Glen Canyon Dam. 

Please go on. I find it interesting. Some of us have to boat on boring bodies of water.

Lake_Bum

RiverRat232 said:

Lake_Bum said:

Stever00 said:

Looking at the rocks the water level has dropped a lot. Is that a seasonal thing or long term thing?

Well.....think of it, as a bathtub ring.  Once it's been FULL, that ring will always be there.  It's only been completely full twice since the Dam being completed in 1964.  It is a reservoir, and fluctuates a LOT each year, usually 30-50 feet.  For a lake that is 186 miles long, that is a ton of water.  5 states in the West rely on Lake Powell, and Lake Mead for water.   I could go on, but I'm probably the only water nerd on this site for this particular body of water haha. My Grandpa actually helped build Glen Canyon Dam. 

Please go on. I find it interesting. Some of us have to boat on boring bodies of water.

Well, that would really be derailing this thread that is about coolers on boats.  I've tried to stay relevant on topic, but I've already screwed that up haha. 

Stever00

Yea, a good lake picture will derail it. Lol

julie4

I carry a Yeti soft side, I’ll throw it under the passenger console. When I’m traveling I fill it up at the hotel ice machine when I come off the water. Even the hotel ice stays cold all night and all day no matter how hot it is outside.

I bought a Polar Bear soft side before a friend gave me the Yeti. There isn’t much if any difference in their performance. Both hold their contents without delamination or leaky zippers like some others. My wife took the Polar Bear to her car.