When we were putting together the list of "must have" ambiance items for Wind Horse one of the things we did not give a second thought to was an ice maker. Yes, we know stinkpots all have them, and some cruising sailboats as well. But we’ve been using a system for 30 years that works well, and never breaks down.

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The system starts with a container which has a close-fitting lid. Round usually works better than the rectangular shape we’re using here, as the lids tend to seal better – and metal is better than plastic. We usually make about a quart (liter) of ice at a time because the water will freeze more quickly if there is less of it. (It is better to have two small containers than one larger unit as the ice tends to insulate the water in the middle.)

Once the water is frozen we place the container on some form of protective surface – in the photo above we’re using a cutting board – and go to work with an ice pick.

It takes a bit of concentration to avoid puncturing the plastic container (another reason to use metal bowls).

Here’s the result after a couple of minutes’ work. We find that one of these tubs of ice lasts us about three days in the tropics. We tend to make ice in batches, putting extra ice into a bag in the freezer for future use.