Insulating a Fish Box on an Aluminum Boat

[carpeweekend]

I have a newish 27' Aluminum with a huge fishbox in the floor. Was heading to Rivers Inlet for a 5 day trip and wanted to ensure that my ice lasted for the entire trip. We were planning to anchor out for most nights with a few nights at Dawson Landing but regardless, we needed a way to keep any fish that we caught cold for the duration. After looking online and speaking to a buddy, here is the solution that I came up with.

 

[carpeweekend]

I glued insulation board to 1/4 plywood and then glued the insulation side to the aluminum sides of the fish box. I also used stainless screws on the larger sections for more adhesion. I used aluminum ducting tape around the ends to ensure that the insulation was covered and wouldn't be exposed to water.

 

[carpeweekend]

A lot trickier than it looks as there were a lot of angles and surfaces below the floor with ridges etc. The first pic is the underside of the hatch. The second is the completed fish box. I left a channel on the bottom to allow water to drain easily to the pump in the box.

 

[carpeweekend]

The next step was spraying a truck box liner paint onto all surfaces to provide a waterproof seal, fill any minor gaps, and generally hold everything together. I will post some pics tomorrow on the finished product.

 

[Fisher_dude]

Ever thought of just getting a custom made fish bag to drop in?

 

[RiverBoy]

my neighbours 2725 kingfisher can cook a salmon in no time flat in the fish hold. he tried a million different things and finally bought a calcutta cooler that stays on the deck. fish hold now houses his hali anchors and rope.

like someone above mentioned i think a fish kill bag would also do the trick.
hope your solution works; i would have a backup cooler or something in case it doesn’t hold ice.

 

[carpeweekend]

Given the hours that I spent on this, that would likely have made more sense. But the fish box is very large and provides a lot more insulation than a fish bag would. Looking for something that would keep ice frozen for a long time period. Also, wanted to be able to drain off melted ice easily.

 

[carpeweekend]

my neighbours 2725 kingfisher can cook a salmon in no time flat in the fish hold. he tried a million different things and finally bought a calcutta cooler that stays on the deck. fish hold now houses his hali anchors and rope.

like someone above mentioned i think a fish kill bag would also do the trick.
hope your solution works; i would have a backup cooler or something in case it doesn’t hold ice.

It actually works quite well. Loaded it with ice in Port Hardy at Hardy Buoys. We didn't encounter overly warm temps (nothing over 20C on our trip) but we still had ice in the hold, 4 days later. Not perfect, but certainly good enough for any longer trip that I might encounter.

 

[Fisher_dude]

FISHING GEAR | Wilderness Packs

Fish bags and custom fish bags. Custom made Boxliners for your boat.

www.wildernesspacks.net

these guys will custom build a bag to fit your locker. Just gotta send them the dimensions.

 

[Chasin' Dreams]

FISHING GEAR | Wilderness Packs

Fish bags and custom fish bags. Custom made Boxliners for your boat.

www.wildernesspacks.net

these guys will custom build a bag to fit your locker. Just gotta send them the dimensions.

That's where I got my bag from. Keeps ice frozen for days. Love it. Getting another one. Very well made and great customer service.