Air Cargo Moose Delivery → Rewiring the Boat Freezer (Will It Run?)

We finally got the Yeti cooler back—stuffed with Yukon River moose (thanks, Len!) shipped down to Wrangell by Alaska Air Cargo. One problem: I’d torn out the chest freezer wiring during demo… so tonight’s mission is rewire the vintage GE freezer aboard the 80’ steel motor-sailer Alaskan Gypsy and get that meat rock-hard again. Along the way: southeast Alaska rain gives way to a stunning sunset, I share a few soldering + heat-shrink tips, and we talk honest off-grid food storage—big freezer vs. canning/drying and “keeping it on the hoof.” Question for you: does insulating a freezer’s sides actually help—or trap compressor heat? Have you tried blankets/foam on the lid only? If you’re new here, we’re restoring and living aboard Alaskan Gypsy in Wrangell’s shipyard—steel work, wiring, and wild Alaska life. Chapters 00:00 Yeti returns (Yukon moose backstory) 01:03 80-lb cooler—Alaska Air Cargo 01:48 Onboard: freezer teardown created a wiring problem 02:17 Weather break in SE Alaska 02:55 Why this freezer can’t fit through the doors (!?) 03:54 Picking a new cord that can snake through bulkheads 04:23 Old Weller, solder, and heat-shrink setup 05:07 Rethinking the routing before soldering 06:22 Fishing the wire run 07:00 Two classic heat-shrink mistakes to avoid 08:01 Tinning, paste, and matching leads 10:50 The solder joints go in 13:29 Heat-shrink + first power-on (compressor click) 14:50 Vintage GE freezer reliability chat 15:49 Opening the Yeti: moose & deer cuts inventory 18:13 Yeti pros/cons, bear-cert stamp 19:49 Insulating a freezer—good or bad idea? 20:34 Off-grid food strategy: freezer vs canning/drying 21:33 Wrangell turns gorgeous (time-lapse temptation) 22:18 Boat workshop organization thoughts 24:48 Later: diver neighbor visit, freezer check 25:22 Loading the meat (should’ve thawed dinner…) 27:53 Empty cooler, full freezer—hunting soon Thanks to: Len, “King of the Yukon moose antler.” Location: Wrangell Marine Service Center, Alaska Subscribe for more steel repairs, boat electrics, and wild Alaska living aboard: @TheAlaskanGypsy #Alaska #Wrangell #AlaskanGypsy #BoatLife #YetiCooler #MooseMeat #OffGrid #FreezerFix #Soldering #Shipyard #DIYBoat #WildGame #Subsistence Keyword tags: alaska air cargo, yeti cooler, moose meat, wild game, wrangell alaska, boat freezer, ge chest freezer, soldering heat shrink, off grid food storage, boat refit, shipyard life, alaskan gypsy, yukon river moose, diy wiring, freezer repair