Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

A conversation among Whalers
frontier
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Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby frontier » Thu Jan 19, 2017 4:42 pm

Went to the first local boat show of 2017 last week and noticed a lot of new center console boats have Yeti coolers as standard equipment, especially in the high end boats but on many others as well--makes sense to have a high-quality accessory on a high quality boat. Will Boston Whaler follow suit?

jimh
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby jimh » Thu Jan 19, 2017 5:33 pm

I can imagine seeing this situation arise: a boater is comparing two $600,000 center consoles, one a Boston Whaler and the other a similar high-end brand, say a REGULATOR. Which one of these $600,000 boats to buy? Easy, the one with a Yeti cooler.

Jefecinco
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby Jefecinco » Thu Jan 19, 2017 7:06 pm

The Yeti coolers I have seen have very thick walls, bottoms and tops. Consequently for their footprint and height cooler capacity is poor. On what I could call a mega center console deck space may not be plentiful but on our 190 Montauk deck space is in short supply.

If you need the cooler capacity for ice, beverages, lunch and the daily catch on a smallish boat you may not find a Yeti to be a useful accessory. A standard Igloo however will provide perhaps double the capacity of a Yeti. On a long cruise of two or more days ice keeping capability may be more important than large capacity.

I doubt most boaters, especially anglers, have much need for a Yeti. They seem to me to be more of a status symbol than a useful accessory.
Butch

frontier
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby frontier » Thu Jan 19, 2017 9:21 pm

I have a 70 Quart Igloo Marine cooler in my classic Montauk. Paid $49.95 last year.
The Yeti that would fit in the same spot is a Yeti 45 Quart. They sell for $349.00.

ferdinando
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby ferdinando » Fri Jan 20, 2017 6:51 am

I purchased thr Igloo Sportsman 55 for my 190 and it fit like a glove. Even had the cushion redone in Whaler style which looks great. Cooler really retains ice for at least a couple of days without a problem, slightly taller than the stock cooler and worth the upgrade.

I saw this cooler for the first time at West Marine for almost $400 bucks, right in the store I looked it up online at Amazon and they had a used one for $150.00 with free shipping. I took the risk and it arrived a couple of days later in the original box and for the life of me could not tell that it was used, looked brand spanking new. Very happy with my purchase and it is a very solid seat, what I like best that it sits off the floor so it makes cleaning a bit easier.
Fred

msirof2001
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby msirof2001 » Mon Jan 23, 2017 9:30 pm

It is a natural. A Yeti cooler is built like a Whaler. Grady has a Yeti option on their Fisherman 23 CC. But Whaler is more family friendly as opposed to functional for the hard core fisherman. Families don't like lifting really heavy coolers. So I doubt Whaler will offer one. I get a sense that mid-1990's and prior, Whaler would have made Yeti standard or at least an option on the Outrage line if Yeti was around back then.

Coolers in front of center consoles double as a seat. Years of Whaler pounding, with people sitting on Igloos destroy the Igloos. I have been through several. I consider a Yeti a nice piece of furniture that doubles as a great cooler. I like the Yeti 105. A little narrower, taller and has some depth. Perfect for when you need smaller footprints in the bow. Check out the 105's dimentions.
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padrefigure
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby padrefigure » Thu Feb 02, 2017 1:57 pm

Jeffecino's contention that there is a significant loss of capacity due to thicker walls, bottoms and tops is a tad bit overstated. A Yeti 85 has the same dimensions as the Igloo Marine 94. If you consider that 4 of the quarts of capacity in the Igloo are actually in the domed lid, then the differential is even less. I think the biggest delta is the weight. The Yeti will be significantly heavier (empty) than the Igloo. This is a big deal with small coolers that you schlep in and out of the boat. With larger coolers (say 120 quart and up) the weight of the cooler pales in comparison to the weight of the contents, regardless of the cooler construction. A 160 quart Yeti or Igloo will hold about 200 lbs of fish and 80 pounds of ice. Not many people are going to try to lift this full out of the boat. (And the Igloo handles would bread if you tried.) If you want the Yeti quality but not the price, there are many knock-offs out there. RTIC, Grizzly, are a couple of widely distributed brands that look pretty good and I believe that Cabelas and Bass Pro now have house brands that feature similar construction.

And yes, Yeti has done a great job of building brand recognition through quality construction, standing behind their product, and clever marketing. If you perceive no value from this undertaking, there are many other options to choose from. What is really cool is that 10 years ago, we would not even be having this discussion. Igloo was the "only" brand of cooler for a Whaler. Maybe they became complacent, creating opportunity for new entrants into the marketplace.

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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby Jefecinco » Thu Feb 02, 2017 6:46 pm

Padrefigure,

I doubt we are talking about the same Igloo coolers. My basis for comparison was the standard equipment coolers now included with the fishing package option available on many new Boston Whalers. I don't know, but suspect, that the Igloos to which you refer are the more expensive non standard coolers with the extra insulation.

We have a largish cooler we used on our old, much larger, SeaRay. I believe it is an Igloo White Shark model and much too large to use on our 190 Montauk. We keep it as a hurricane survival cooler. A recent upright freezer failure made it essential to saving our frozen food. An added bonus.
Butch

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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby jimh » Fri Feb 03, 2017 1:53 pm

There is one trend in modern life in America that is hard to ignore: the availability of and a strong market for products that are upscaled in price and appearance from what was once considered a standard level. In an age when it is now possible to spend $800,000 on a center console Boston Whaler boat (a 420 OUTRAGE), it is not hard to imagine there is a market for a $500 cooler or ice chest. Should we all replace our $85 IGLOO coolers with one of these new upscaled products? No. Is there a market for a $500 cooler? Apparently there is. I don't think a $500 cooler is particularly difficult to imagine as an upscale product, certainly no more difficult that it would be to imagine an $800,000 center console boat.

frontier
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby frontier » Fri Feb 03, 2017 6:12 pm

At a boat show today, Boston Whaler dealer had a new 270 Dauntless with a Yeti cooler installed under pilot seat. Whaler website shows Yeti in option pictures "Deluxe Leaning Post with live well and 35 QT Yeti Cooler". Another cool option installed on the 270 - side "Swim Patio" - a $15,310 option. You could buy a nice used classic Montauk for just that option price alone!

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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby lakebluffjack » Fri Feb 03, 2017 11:04 pm

I bought a 2017 230 Vantage and it came with a Yeti cooler installed under the bar area. Can't wait for things to thaw out around here so I can try it out!
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Florida13
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby Florida13 » Wed Feb 15, 2017 3:15 pm

ferdinando wrote:I purchased thr Igloo Sportsman 55 for my 190 and it fit like a glove. Even had the cushion redone in Whaler style which looks great. Cooler really retains ice for at least a couple of days without a problem, slightly taller than the stock cooler and worth the upgrade.

I saw this cooler for the first time at West Marine for almost $400 bucks, right in the store I looked it up online at Amazon and they had a used one for $150.00 with free shipping. I took the risk and it arrived a couple of days later in the original box and for the life of me could not tell that it was used, looked brand spanking new. Very happy with my purchase and it is a very solid seat, what I like best that it sits off the floor so it makes cleaning a bit easier.
Fred


Sam's Club usually has the Igloo Sportsman 55 in the store for $149 also.
I missed a sale on Amazon last week. They had the RTIC 45 for $123 and other sized similarly priced.
I waited a couple of days to order and they were sold out.
I am also hearing good things about the WalMart brand Ozark Trail roto-molded cooler which sells for something like $140 for the 60 qt.

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Dutchman
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby Dutchman » Fri Feb 24, 2017 2:10 pm

Butch you nailed it on the head in your first reply and reinforced it thereafter.
I doubt anybody will spend 2 days on their 19' or less boat. The much less expensive Igloo will do fine for a day out.
yes it probably is a nice option on your >$100K and up boat and then a just a BIG drop in the water(expense).
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mrfipp
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby mrfipp » Fri Feb 24, 2017 8:42 pm

Florida13 wrote:I missed a sale on Amazon last week. They had the RTIC 45 for $123 and other sized similarly priced.
I waited a couple of days to order and they were sold out.


I heard the other day that RTIC just lost a lawsuit for copyright or patent (not sure which) infringement that resulted in a hefty settlement to Yeti, plus immediate stop on production of the current RTIC products.

I will say I have a yeti tumbler, and I work outdoors. That cup has outperformed every insulated cup I've ever owned, both for keeping things hot and cold. The exterior of the cup can be too hot to drink from, and the inside still holding ice. I don't own any of their coolers, but if the performance gap is similar, on a hot day it would be noticeable.

I do completely agree that anything that comes with a free Yeti strikes me as a gimmick. If I want the cooler, I'll just go buy one.

Whalerdog
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby Whalerdog » Tue May 23, 2017 7:57 pm

Yeti cooler are very small inside for [their] exterior size.

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Todd
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby Todd » Tue Jun 13, 2017 5:16 pm

My recently purchased 2003 160 Dauntless with only 112 hours came with the original equipment Igloo cooler that looked like it had 11,200 hours on it. It was clearly used and abused more than the boat. Fortunately, the seat pad wasn't used when the cooler was so it was in pristine condition. I fell victim to the hype and cool (pardon the pun) factor and replaced the Igloo with a Yeti Tundra 45. It has nearly identical dimensions to the Igloo, it didn't fit perfectly in the retaining bracket of the old cooler but with minimal modifications to the bracket it does now. I will admit drilling the holes for the seat snaps was nerve wracking, putting holes in a $350 cooler. So after 3 day trips including an all day excursion in 90 degree heat I have begun to understand why people like these coolers. It's really remarkable how it keeps ice and contents cold and further serves as and excellent base for the seat pad. Rock solid. I know it's overbuilt (and over priced) but I do believe it's a good match for the Whaler, I tend to be willing to spend a lot on things of high quality and so far the Yeti hasn't disappointed me. I even bought the can cozy for me and the lowball tumbler for the wife. No complaints about her wine getting warm anymore.

Home Aside
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby Home Aside » Sun Jul 09, 2017 11:20 pm

Dutchman, almost all the the members of the Great Lakes Boston Whaler Cruising Club at one time or another have spent 7-8 days onboard their small whalers, Montauk 17's, Outrage 18's, sport 15's, in remote areas where power & ice is not readily available. Most all of us have now graduated to larger whalers, Revenge 22 WT's, Outrage 25, Conquests, etc (we call them Pocket Cruisers). Most all of us use the Igloo Marine coolers, and most of us carry 2-3 coolers on our trips. we worked out a system where we freeze food/meals ahead of time and keep all frozen food in one cooler, that is opened only once a day in the morning when you transfer your food for the day to the drink cooler for the day to be thawed, in the process it helps keep drinks cold. the third cooler is for dry goods. Some of our members have tried dry ice in the main cooler, others freeze bottles of water to help keep the food in the main cooler frozen throughout the week. I have three Igloo Marine 94 qt coolers onboard my revenge. I have yet to get to the point where I have spoiled food or warm drinks in a five day period. Another thing I do is I usually soak at beach towel in the cold (Great lakes ) water and lay it over the top of the coolers. I also keep the coolers under the flytop/Bimini out of the sun. I have been very happy with the performance of my Igloo Marine coolers. I also am quite impressed with the Yeti Coolers & their sturdy construction, but not with their price or the capacity loss. Also I've got a lot invested in the Whaler cooler cushions for my 94 qt coolers. So for me if it ain't broke don't fix it...

ConB
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby ConB » Mon Jul 10, 2017 8:52 pm

The best use of a Yeti cooler I've seen to date was by some folks down in Butches (Jefecinco) neighbor hood.

https://obawebsite.com/182-2011/1263-local-angler-leading-in-worldwide-photo-contest

Con
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andygere
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Re: Yeti Coolers as Standard Equipment

Postby andygere » Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:36 pm

I think Yeti makes really nice products, and I own one of their soft coolers which is a truly amazing piece of equipment. It's not surprising to me that high-end boats would spec them, just as they might another premium part such as Lee's rod holders or a Schmitt steering wheel.

The reality for the average boater is that the low-tech Igloo works just fine, and I'd rather throw my bloody salmon in my $89 Igloo than a $450 Yeti. If I were going on multi-day trips, perhaps I'd want the Yeti, but that would be for the food and beverage cooler, not the fish box. The other consideration is theft. Retailers have experienced a huge problem with shoplifting of Yeti products, and many have them cabled or otherwise protected in the stores as a result. I leave my boat in a wet slip, and a couple of easily portable $450+ coolers might be tempting to thieves. Perhaps if I had a half million dollar boat, I'd be less worried about having my $450 cooler ripped off...
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