Up or Down Galley

[Lucky]

Love our galley up! Our Belize 43 is equipped with a reasonably sized galley and it's facing forward so you can follow the boats motion in a seaway doing brazing natural. I could not have a galley down yacht, not beeing able to see forward and be "cut" off from the saloon! After all you're not a hired cook on your own boat and best operating out of view from the rest of your crew.

I also do a bit of coastal singlehanded sailing and for that that makes for the galley up only!

Part from this the extra added weight(stuff) there would be room for down below is definetly not benefit the sailing abilities!

Directly above the cooktop a hatch extracts the food fumes and steam. This makes for fresh air in the saloon area.

As said earlier a boat is constructed by a combination of compromises and I would love the benchtop space a galley down would provide for the more extravagant meal preps!

However, for me the choice is easy, it's up!

Happy lead free sailin

[Tom and Maje]

Originally Posted by Ready2gosoon

We have a 43 ft Catana and I really enjoy the galley layout. The galley is up and while I am at the sink, I have a large sliding window to the cockpit right in front of me. With this layout, I have interaction with both the cockpit and the salon. I feel like I am always a part of everything. One benefit to a galley down is the mess can stay down there if you're in a hurry.

What kind of cruising do you do?

Maje

[Even Keel]

Talbot wrote it down clear and (to me) right. Size is one of the main parameter.
Under 45-47 feet (25-28 feet width) it's quite difficult to have confortable saloon, chart table and galley in the same area.

Galley down with open space to saloon is one the best solution. Roomier, cleanier than galley up and socialy acceptable. We organized parties of 10 & more without social cut or "kitchen slavery". Four cabins/heads layout could be an issue.

I've sailed some weeks on a 430 Catana galley up, and I felt the galley was lacking of stowage and counter space comparing to my 37' lagoon. I wouldn't liveaboard many years with this configuration.
In another hand I've spent an oceancrossing on a 50' Privilege and found the galley up layout impervious.

Even Keel is a 37' footer, so, no possible compromise : galley down if you want a bit of confort. After 9 years, it's still working great in all situations : liveaboard, coastal or offshore cruising

[DtM]

For us on our 36 footer it is galley UP. Plenty of room. The Admiral loves it and would not consider galley down.
When we get a bigger boat it will still be galley up.

[Tom and Maje]

There seems to be an opinion that if you are making longer cruises, ie transatlantic, that a down galley is better. But if you are making shorter cruises then an up galley is good. Has anyone with an up galley made a long cruise?

Maje

[SurfNRG]

I had a Wildcat 350 with the galley down and loved it. The saloon was so spacious with lots of storage as was the galley down with cabinets above and below the sink and countertop area. It was nice how the cockpit flowed into the living space. Just open the double sliders and it just flowed so nice. Had so much room to sprawl out and watch the movies or just take a siesta. I tried doing that on a galley up version of the same boat and it was too cramped in the curved U shaped salon. Without a doubt, galley down for the less then 40 ft Cats.

[Talbot]

One of the main concerns for me with the smaller boat is that some designs in order to achieve reasonable saloon size, cut down the cockpit size.

If it is warm, I like to be able to use my patio

[SurfNRG]

Thought I'd forward you over a couple pics of the cockpit, salon and galley down of the Wildcat 350. I found it very attractive and comfortable. The 2001 and on later models of the Wildcat have the walk thru transom which I really liked.

[Southern Star]

I should also say that for me, even in a cruising cat over 40 feet, a galley down that is at least partially open to the main saloon would be preferable. Admittedly, the need is not as pressing as in a smaller cat, but I think that tunnel-like owner's staterooms with sofas staring across a hallway at a wall to be a complete waste of space. I would still rather have my galley down and increased seating in the main saloon, where it is more likely to be utilized.

Brad

[imagine2frolic]

I like galley up, but it's what I am used to. I enjoy cooking, and prepping a meal. The galley never crossed my mind. I was worried about build, and it's sailing ability. I would think size of the boat would dictate where the galley goes.

From the center forward counter looking aft. You can see the nav station, and master's berth. The master's berth being a queen size......i2f

[Southern Star]

Please understand, I am not suggesting that a galley up, or down should be a critical consideration in the purchase of a boat; it certainly wouldn't be deal breaker for me.

Brad

[imagine2frolic]

Brad,

My point is that I got what I got, and not even considered. I was worried about sailing, and build. I have just become use to galley up.........i2f

[stevensc]

Friends of ours had a galley down trawler, his wife hated it she insisted their next boat be galley up. When it came time for their next boat they both fell in love with a trawler with galley down so they bought it and named her GALLEY UP. I guess in a sense she got her way.
Steve

[SearenitySail]

I think M&M did a pretty good job not compromising the galley or the cockpit in our L35. If someone can help, I'll post some pix here. Otherwise you can find them:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...&pictureid=247
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...&pictureid=246

[svstrider]

My cabin person felt that galley down was a deal breaker.

Our last cat was a 33ft Crowther and it had galley up, a settee that the skipper could nap on and we loved the setup. The cook gets to chat to her better half while he is steering (we had a homicidal autopilot for the whole 5 years), galley gets plenty of cross flow ventilation & can hand out drinks to the steerer.

we now have a 47 ft cat and a deal maker was that the galley was up and the autopilot behaved itself (BLISS) We looked at a 46 ft alloy professionally built cat with the galley down. The prep area was on top of the shaft drive diesel engine box & the galley had tiny ports. My wife could not believe the smell & stuffiness. We did not bother looking any further on that boat. As my wife said "Obviously a man designed that galley".

Galley UP for us