Adding console/wet bar/ refrigeration

Willhound

I have to admit to being a little jealous of the later model FV270's that have the wetbar console behind the helm. I'd like to add this feature to my year 2000 model.  An ideal set up would have a small sink, space below for a small refrigerator and a bit of counter space. Anybody seen it done? Any idea's on sourcing out cabinets? Been searching for about an hour now without much success.

LaRea

Consider doing it without the sink.  Counter space is priceless, but cockpit sinks get used less than you might think.  If you need to dump out a drink, it can be dumped overboard, and most people don't use that sink for drinking water.  I've had cockpit sinks since 2003, and I've rarely used them.  

Willhound

Good point. I did find this on Great Lakes Skipper. Not quite the shape/size I want to add a small fridge in the cockpit. https://greatlakesskipper.com/suncatcher-pontoon-boat-storage-console-elite-series-white-w-o-sink

Dream_Inn

Well, I may actually have to disagree with LaRea.  I like having my sink and I do use it quite a bit.  Yes, at times it's just for dumping things down, but it also for rinsing things out to make more drinks.  & I do drink water thru it (as well as thru any faucet in the boat), but I usually like stronger drinks .  But, I do agree that counter space is a premium, so if you add a counter there, make sure to add Diggin's sink cover!

raybo3

I also use my sink a lot. Put a sink cover over it and its like more counter space...

J3ff

Use my sink all the time! Mostly washing hands and cups. 

Willhound

I feel I would use a sink. We are constantly heading below deck to rinse a glass or wash hands. Still having no luck finding a suitable console however. Also pondering how I would attach it securely. 

Willhound

Found this:
https://greatlakesskipper.com/avalon-white-fiberglass-pontoon-boat-rear-refrigerator-fridge-bar-table-cabinet-2294hw-129023
Not exactly what I was thinking, but could maybe work. Sticks out a little far for the space available.

Dream_Inn

Any pictures of your cockpit and maybe dimensions?  It may be best to customize one if you are a little handy.

Willhound

Not my boat, but same year and layout. After 2003 they changed the swivel helm seat to a fixed bench that sat on the back side of the console they put in. So whatever I come up with I need to be careful to not impede the operation of the seat and not make it too tight for traffic. Looking at it, if I removed the cooler cutout I might be able to inset a small fridge and build something with a small sink and bar counter above. Don't have measurements and we were "blessed" with another 4 inches of fresh snow last night, so cover isn't coming off for at least another week.
Would really love to find something that's pre-finished and not cobbled together out of star board.

diggin2day1

I highly doubt that there is enough depth to install a fridge in that cooler cutout, but that space on the left side is begging for a modification to install a sink into!! Lose the hinges and have a piece of StarBoard custom fitted to lay flat/level and install a faucet next to the cupholder. A water feed can easily be picked up from underneath in the engine compartment and I guess you’d new to install a drain through the side of the boat  

Willhound

Oddly enough......that thought occurred to me this morning also. I even wondered about cutting into the panel below for a small fridge or maybe better yet, fridge over at the cooler cut out. Was trying to stay on the starboard side for weight distribution but a small sink wouldn't add much weight. Hmmmmm.

raybo3

@Willhound just wondering why a fridge and not an ice maker? If you had an ice maker you wouldn't need a cooler. I use my cockpit ice maker a lot more than my cockpit fridge........... Just say'n

Cableguy Greg

I love my cockpit fridge. It is the adult beverage center on my 280. @tniggel has a 270 and he ditched the cooler for a fridge like mine.

Willhound

Had thought about it. But I'm usually a beer drinker so even with ice I'd still need a cooler. And a decent ice maker is several hundred.  My marina sells ice for a couple of bucks a bag. Have to use a lot of drink ice to pay for an ice maker.

LaRea

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying a sink isn't useful.  What I'm saying is that in such a small space, where there's such a high premium on countertop area and under-counter volume, other features might give you more bang-for-the-buck.  

Sure, you can reclaim counter space with a fold-away faucet and a sink cover.  But if you use that space for drinks or appetizers, then you have to move everything to use the sink, which sort of defeats the purpose.  

And don't forget you lose 6-8 inches of depth under the counter for the sink, drain and supply lines.  

OTOH, the words "wet bar" will definitely add value if you ever sell the boat!

Liberty44140

I think that my perfect "wet bar" would have the sink, but the faucet would completely tuck away. We rarely use the sink but I do admit that when doing drinks its nice to have for a quick rinse. Usually the cover is on it but the faucet can get in the way. I think that some boats do have a tuck away faucet which is nice. 

Cableguy Greg

Willhound said:

Found this:
https://greatlakesskipper.com/avalon-white-fiberglass-pontoon-boat-rear-refrigerator-fridge-bar-table-cabinet-2294hw-129023
Not exactly what I was thinking, but could maybe work. Sticks out a little far for the space available.

What if you got this one, but cut it down on the back side and used the cooler space to mount the fridge along with the underside of this cabinet? It might make it so it doesn't stick out so far and you get the fridge.

Dream_Inn

I'm agreeing with Greg.  Now that I see your layout, using the one mentioned and putting a fridge in the bottom of it might work very well.  I do think a combo sink/fridge behind the helm seat could work well.  Being a beer drinker, you would definitely benefit even if it's the smaller of the dorm style fridges allowing room for the sink above.  Although, that space behind the port side seating does seem a bit wasteful. 

Willhound

Would work.....but GLS wants $512 USD to ship it to me.... .  Time for plan B....

Stodge

raybo3 said:

@Willhound just wondering why a fridge and not an ice maker? If you had an ice maker you wouldn't need a cooler. I use my cockpit ice maker a lot more than my cockpit fridge........... Just say'n

I'd take a fridge over an ice maker any day.  The ice maker only works on shore power or genny, fridge is 12v and works all the time.  Now I'll admit I use my ice maker, but if I had to pick just 1, it would be a fridge.

Willhound

Well, this might be a budget project so the fridge will likely be 110V. A decent 12V is pricey and my galley fridge is 12 volt only so sucks enough battery as it is. Once beer is as cold as possible it'll stay cold quite awhile away from the dock anyway. This add on is more for evenings around the marina or a dock somewhere with shore power so I don't have to keep running below deck and waking up the Admiral.

raybo3

Stodge said:

raybo3 said:

@Willhound just wondering why a fridge and not an ice maker? If you had an ice maker you wouldn't need a cooler. I use my cockpit ice maker a lot more than my cockpit fridge........... Just say'n

I'd take a fridge over an ice maker any day.  The ice maker only works on shore power or genny, fridge is 12v and works all the time.  Now I'll admit I use my ice maker, but if I had to pick just 1, it would be a fridge.

I have both in my cockpit and yes the fridge is nice. I am not a big beer drinker so I can keep beer and "other" stuff in the cabin fridge if I had to. To me the ice maker is great. I make a lot of "blender" drinks and mixed cocktails so ice is important. My thought process on Willhound is, I assume he has a fridge in the cabin he is losing his ice chest space so the best of both worlds it an ice maker. Looking at his layout its a 270 with not a whole lot of extra space in the cockpit to just lay a cooler down........... Just say'n

Stodge

Agreed it depends on his use.  For me its nice not to have to go below for a drink or snacks like fruit or salsa.

zaverin1

Next boat will deff have both 
that way I can keep more 5ths lol

Willhound

Still working on this idea, and still having a tough time finding a ready made solution. GLS had a few pieces that could work, but shipping was more than the purchase cost. I'm not up to gel coat work, Star Board might work, hard to finish. I'm starting to consider a resin impregnated plywood like Crezon or MDO that I could fashion into a cabinet with a Corian top. I'd still like to put it in front of the area of the cooler cutout and use the space behind the cutout to mount the fridge further back in the combing. Anybody work with Crezon or MDO or have an opinion on suitability for handling some moisture from time to time?

randy56

Buy a bigger boat? Newer boat? 

Cableguy Greg

Could you have it shipped to a UPS store in Buffalo then go pick it up?

Stodge

A friend of mine who has a Amberjack but uses it like a cruiser made a fridge by wrapping one of the live-wells with refrigeration coils and feeds it with a compressor which I believe was a replacement part for a small fridge.  Course you could pick up a dorm room fridge and scavenge parts from it to do the same thing.

Willhound

Cableguy Greg said:

Could you have it shipped to a UPS store in Buffalo then go pick it up?

That's an idea. Drops the shipping to $135 U.S. so total cost about $525 CDN. Then add tax and duty coming back across the border.
Google maps reports 2 and a half hours each way, but that doesn't take into account traffic and the border crossing. I know from experience that depending on traffic it can be an 8 hour round trip......just don't think it's worth it. Think I'll give up on this project for now and just concentrate on trying to get on the water, depending on weather....