Ideas for galley countertop redo?

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by bcboomer

We went to stainless countertops with built in sinks and a "marine edge".
Easy to look after, you can put a hot pot or frying pan anywhere. We had the double sink made to accommodate our pots. The built in back splash and sinks means no crevice's to trap gunge.

it looks lovely initially , after a few years it looks rough and scratched, functional but not atheistically pleasing

[Scrimshaw4]

I've had Corian countertops in both my galley and head for over 23 years and it looks as good today as it did when the boat was new. You can work with it like wood to cut, route and sand and it comes in a wide variety of colors. It's not brittle like granite or quartz and weighs less per square foot. Because you can work with it like wood you can also make fiddles and other intricate shapes without it cracking. JMHO

[Rod B]

On a related topic, what is the best height and profile for fiddles. Refitting my galley which never had any!

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[realem]

I did my top several years ago and did it in Corian. Take off the top, the sink can be raised I am sure, make a template and bring to local supplier. give them the since and they will mount it under the countertop. You wont be sorry
once it is done

[tamicatana]

We did ours with Wilsonart AEON laminate and have been quite pleased. Light, easy, durable

[Scrimshaw4]

The fiddle height on my galley counters is one inch. I wouldn't go much higher as that would interfere with galley prep activities. JMHO

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Na Mara

It always surprises me that more people don’t consider stainless steel, brushed or otherwise, for galley tops on boats. It’s light, it’s easy to keep clean, it’s fireproof and heat resistant, it allows for seamless integration of sinks and cold boxes and it can even be contoured to remove seams where dirt collects and to provide splash backs.

I also think it looks the business.

What about laying stainless over the OPs existing countertops?

https://rhumblineyachtsales.com/wp-c...interior-1.jpg

I used SS drainer/double sink on my Ingrid 38. looked very ship like...

[Stu Jackson]

I found this years ago and bookmarked it:


Laminate counter Makeover for $28 with Epoxy & Contact Paper…Yes.. I really just said that… | FerrisBuilt Impatiently Crafty


I used it on my cousin's home kitchen counter. It works.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Rod B

On a related topic, what is the best height and profile for fiddles. Refitting my galley which never had any!

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That question might elicit more responses than an "What anchor is best".
One thing for sure, most I've seen are just about the right height to make things tip over them except a flat plate.
It's kinda like walking, the tall thing you step over, it's the 1/2in step that trips you.
Personally, I want them at least ~2>2-1/2in., enough to stop a soup bowl or a coffee mug, and most other things.
Many like to have clean-outs in the corners, but those just channel the water and other liquids down the cabinet faces instead of containing them
Are closed rails harder to clean, yes, just like most things on a boat.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Rod B

On a related topic, what is the best height and profile for fiddles. Refitting my galley which never had any!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

The ones I have made, I made sure they were higher than a large dinner plate. That said, there is usually a radius on the top of the fiddle, so the plate lip would have to be below the radius to be effective.

[JPA Cate]

skwanderer,

We had some friends whose Golden Hind had dark brown Formica, and they simply painted it. The project involved a lot of discussions about how to prep it to be ready to paint, and what primer to use, but, in the end, they painted it a snow white. It seriously lightened the interior of the boat. I don't know how well it held up, but the boat is still in use.

At this point, there sure are a lot of options. I wonder what you'll go with? What do you think will look best with your interior?

Ann

[toddster8]

Twenty two years ago, I made tile countertops throughout my farm house, mostly for reasons of economy, but I certainly have enjoyed the ability to put hot pots and the like down anywhere and not worry about scratches or abrasive cleaners or whatever. They still look fine. I'm not sure if they'd work as well on a "live" surface as found in small plastic boats.

Stainless steel seems like the best option to me, if cost and time are no objects. However that's not what I did. I matched the original laminate surface as best I could and bought an enormous sheet. Since then, I've expanded the counter tops and shelves in the boat so much that the original bit is pretty insignificant. Lesson learned: I should have just chosen what I liked, and not worried about matching the original.

[Bowdrie]

Ok, this is a bit outside-the-box, and would probably only appeal to a few, but perhaps worthy of mention.
Back story; Anyone familiar with Westsail surely knows of Bud Taplan, and his company "Worldcruiser", they used hulls from various manufacturers and produced custom interiors to suit the individual customer.
Anyway, (IIRC,) in the late '70s at the Newport Beach boat show, he was showing an Islander 44, with custom interior, and it had a staysail schooner rig.
Quite a nice boat, the rig fit the hull to a "T", I digress.
The galley counter tops were brass. Now some might bemoan the tendency of brass to tarnish/turn brown, but galleys get wiped down often enough that with a little extra effort brass can stay reasonably good looking, although it is soft and scratches easily.
Perhaps the biggest positive of brass, (or any of the copper alloys,) is that they are naturally anti-microbial, germs don't live/survive long on such surfaces.
So, metals such as brass/copper-nickel have attributes beyond being a surface covering. Monel is lower in copper content, but still exhibits anti-microbial tendencies.
The bottom line is cost, with todays market anything with copper has become almost prohibitive.
In the old days many fuel and water tanks were Copper/Monel and they lasted almost forever, and without the "Bugs" growing inside them unlike the "modern" stuff we have, (put up with,) now.
Just thinking out loud,,,.

[pdx_sailing]

I had copper in my kitchen for 15 years, at the time 2000ish it was cheaper than laminate. We bought the sheet and had an HVAC shop do the forming from our measurements. had integrated backsplash and boxed corners for the revel. It was glued down with contact cement to plywood. Yes it dented, scratched, and developed a patina over the years. I was easy to clean back to fresh copper with metal cleaner if you wanted to.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by bcboomer

We went to stainless countertops with built in sinks and a "marine edge".
Easy to look after, you can put a hot pot or frying pan anywhere. We had the double sink made to accommodate our pots. The built in back splash and sinks means no crevice's to trap gunge.

I like this concept. How did you find someone to make the counter top?

Wondering what I would google to find a local guy.

Also, what was the approximate cost?