Kitchen/Galley bench construction

[GILow]

Hi all,

It with some sadness that I have realised my laminated hardwood galley benches will have to go. Aside from the horrendous weight, they just cannot be salvaged or reconfigured to my new galley layout.

So I went looking to see how people are constructing galley benches these days, and I didn't find much.

I am assuming plywood with a layer of something from Laminex is the go these days, but I wonder if anyone has some better options?

Not looking for a trophy kitchen here, just something easy to keep clean and preferably not too heavy. I am pretty happy with the classic white bench top with timber fiddles.

Total bench length will be around 3 to 4 meters, average depth around 500 mm.

Ideas?

Matt

[AndyEss]

Photos of existing setup and sketches of where you want to go?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by AndyEss

Photos of existing setup and sketches of where you want to go?

Geez, you'd think I had at least ONE photo... but apparently not...

Sketch attached, I'm currently looking at a caravan sink that has a lid that can be lowered to make the sink pretty much flush with the bench. Not sure about that one to be honest, but the current sinks have to go, they are both mounted under the bench and the water is getting into the end of the laminated timber.

Also not sure if I will go for a sink with permanent draining board or one that has a sort of insert that can be pulled out and used as a draining board.

Stove/oven is gimballed and has to remain where it is because of other design decisions.

Currently I have cupboards above the bench for food storage, but these are useless, they get way too hot for food, so I'm moving the crockery up there and using those classic T shaped openings to store plates etc. A bit old fashioned, but I like the look.

Microwave will also go up the top, probably closer to the aft end, if the front to back depth is ok.

Food will go below the bench, which is much cooler. Fridge box will be a top loader of whatever volume I can get, depending on how far towards the aft cabin I decide to go. There's plenty of room, I could make a massive fridge if I needed to, but that would just be hard to keep cool, so I will figure out a compromise.

[GILow]

Stumbled on this photo in my travels. From a Halvorsen, one of the bigger ones.

Like the cup and plate storage idea, but I accept that it is probably not workable for a blue water mono. Still, inspiring.

[coopec43]

FOR SOME REASON I CAN'T DELETE THIS


GILow


Just a couple of thoughts:

• Even on a a 42 ft yacht you have to be careful sea water doesn't flow back up into the sink if the yacht heels. How is the sink drained -through the side of the hull? (Mine flows into the gray water holding tank and is then pumped over the side). The way I have mounted the sink is to have the bowls towards the center of the yacht so they won't go under-water.
• I think white laminex is an excellent choice but there are different shades of white. It is absolutely essential to hold the edges of the laminex down mechanically as the glue won't hold it WHEN it gets wet.
• If you are happy with white then Bunnings are far, far cheaper than the manufacturing outlets like Laminex industries. Bunnings "Special Orders" will have to order it in for you.
• The traditional "T" is OK but how can you clean it?

[coopec43]

GILow


Just a couple of thoughts:

• Even on a a 42 ft yacht you have to be careful sea water doesn't flow back up into the sink if the yacht heels. How is the sink drained -through the side of the hull? (Mine flows into the gray water holding tank and is then pumped over the side). The way I have mounted the sink is to have the bowls towards the center of the yacht so they won't go under-water.
• I think white laminex is an excellent choice but there are different shades of white. It is absolutely essential to hold the edges of the laminex down mechanically as the glue won't hold it WHEN it gets wet. (That is the advice of a number of cabinet-makers)
• If you are happy with white then Bunnings are far, far cheaper than the manufacturing outlets like Laminex industries. Bunnings "Special Orders" will have to order it in for you.
• The traditional "T" is OK but how can you clean it?
• Note how I have a power point well away from water (That is a legal requirement)

[coopec43]

GILow


Is your galley like this? (This is a galley of a Swanson 42 fr sale)

[El Pinguino]

I'd start with stowing the microwave with the washing machine........

Meanwhile... When in NZ I renewed the top in the area around the sinks ... number of issues in that area ( left side of the pics).... it is a formica sort of product .. maybe is Formica... is about 5mm sheets as purchased... bought in Bunnings...
Side note... you can get a bucket load of free samples ... maybe 2inch x 1 inch x 1mm ( did I mention that I was bi-lingual?)... make brilliant shims and also handy for mixing small quantities of epoxy on....
Back on topic...
Also used some EVA closed cell foam against hull for insulation..
So.. sinks to left of pix... cooker lives in the middle... and a bit of finest British design... the icebox... designed to keep pommy beer warm in winter... on the right...

If you want more details send large slabs of cash to fundmyhabit@pingo.com to pay for my fare to the boat to get more photos...

More galley photos later.. if I remember....

[GILow]

Originally Posted by coopec43

GILow
Is your galley like this? (This is a galley of a Swanson 42 fr sale)

Nothing at all like that. See my sketch above.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I'd start with stowing the microwave with the washing machine........

I'm not going to hear the end of this, am I?

My friends already refer to my boat as "Manny's Wharehouse", (usually to the tune of the Bunnings song) Now I reckon I'm going to get some Harvey Norman jokes.

But I'll laugh last, the washing machine is brilliant! And yes, it does only use 40 litres of water for a full wash on normal settings. I measured it.

Regardless, there is no room with the washing machine, it was a darn tight squeeze getting it into the bathroom as it was. So the microwave will stay in the galley. Sorry.

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

More galley photos later.. if I remember....

Thanks mate, those photos are inspirational, just the look I am trying to create and I LOVE the bit for the cups and plates (is there a NAME for that system) but what is under the formica? Plywood?

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

If you want more details send large slabs of cash to fundmyhabit@pingo.com to pay for my fare to the boat to get more photos....

Why not setup a go-fund-me page? Everyone else seems to be doing that these days.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GILow

Thanks mate, those photos are inspirational, just the look I am trying to create and I LOVE the bit for the cups and plates (is there a NAME for that system) but what is under the formica? Plywood?

Done by the Brin Wilson yard in NZ... I selected the 'formica' - not sure if that is what it was but same sort of stuff - in NZ Bunnings... and voila! it was done.

Not sure what the substrate is but it is about 1/4 inch... my Fynspray SW pump http://ariel-cd36.org/wordpress/wp-c...84-480x640.jpg needed a spacer to secure it as thread doesnt go that far...

Reason for replacing that bit of bench was that new H/C FW mixer had a different footprint to old... 2 hole v. 3 hole.
Took the opportunity to 'recess' the sinks as 'sit on top ' style was a grot trap... but used the same old sinks..
Draining board? Nope... waste of space.... cups go on teatowel ( or sometimes not...) next to sink... #2 sink gets pots etc to drain, washing up is done in yellow mop bucket ( 'Willow' brand, IGA, $5 ) which saves water and leaves space to stow plates to drain... knives and forks go in a knife and fork holder I think came from a deceased dishwasher.... small one... about 3 inch square footprint....

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by GILow

Geez, you'd think I had at least ONE photo... but apparently not...

Sketch attached, I'm currently looking at a caravan sink that has a lid that can be lowered to make the sink pretty much flush with the bench. Not sure about that one to be honest, but the current sinks have to go, they are both mounted under the bench and the water is getting into the end of the laminated timber.

Also not sure if I will go for a sink with permanent draining board or one that has a sort of insert that can be pulled out and used as a draining board.

Stove/oven is gimballed and has to remain where it is because of other design decisions.

Currently I have cupboards above the bench for food storage, but these are useless, they get way too hot for food, so I'm moving the crockery up there and using those classic T shaped openings to store plates etc. A bit old fashioned, but I like the look.

Microwave will also go up the top, probably closer to the aft end, if the front to back depth is ok.

Food will go below the bench, which is much cooler. Fridge box will be a top loader of whatever volume I can get, depending on how far towards the aft cabin I decide to go. There's plenty of room, I could make a massive fridge if I needed to, but that would just be hard to keep cool, so I will figure out a compromise.

Hi, a plywood top, 12/13 mm thick,"A" bond with no voids and no pine topped with a custom stainless steel bench top, they even weld the sink in so no leaks would be my first choice or if that is a little too commercial kitchen then a visit to one of the kitchen makeover companies that glue a fabricated stone benchtop to the existing top would be my next option. These tops are only about 6 mm thick so not too heavy. Failing that one of the myriad of laminex/formica options.
Whatever you choose I reckon it will look good and function well.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Done by the Brin Wilson yard in NZ... I selected the 'formica' - not sure if that is what it was but same sort of stuff - in NZ Bunnings... and voila! it was done.

Not sure what the substrate is but it is about 1/4 inch... my Fynspray SW pump http://ariel-cd36.org/wordpress/wp-c...84-480x640.jpg needed a spacer to secure it as thread doesnt go that far...

Reason for replacing that bit of bench was that new H/C FW mixer had a different footprint to old... 2 hole v. 3 hole.
Took the opportunity to 'recess' the sinks as 'sit on top ' style was a grot trap... but used the same old sinks..
Draining board? Nope... waste of space.... cups go on teatowel ( or sometimes not...) next to sink... #2 sink gets pots etc to drain, washing up is done in yellow mop bucket ( 'Willow' brand, IGA, $5 ) which saves water and leaves space to stow plates to drain... knives and forks go in a knife and fork holder I think came from a deceased dishwasher.... small one... about 3 inch square footprint....

Thanks EP. Point taken about the recessed sink, but oh so much harder to make waterproof...

1/4" sounds nice and thin, certainly light, which is a positive. I'd probably go a bit thicker, just because of the length I have to keep straight, nearly 4 metes of bench is a lot.

Also point taken about the draining board, and I hope to have a proper look at some of the caravan sinks as soon as I have finished these assignments. The ones where the draining board was an insert that sat in the sink looked very nice to me.

I wish I knew how the yard got such lovely clean cuts in the plywood for those crockery cutouts, a bit of research for me there.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Hi, a plywood top, 12/13 mm thick,"A" bond with no voids and no pine topped with a custom stainless steel bench top, they even weld the sink in so no leaks would be my first choice or if that is a little too commercial kitchen then a visit to one of the kitchen makeover companies that glue a fabricated stone benchtop to the existing top would be my next option. These tops are only about 6 mm thick so not too heavy. Failing that one of the myriad of laminex/formica options.
Whatever you choose I reckon it will look good and function well.

Yeah, the stainless thing would be good, but like you say, a bit commercial, particularly for someone who used to be a professional cook. And fabrication cost would be a painful. I really need to stick to stuff I can shape myself, because of the complexity of getting the shapes right.

I did look at some of the thinner fabricated stone, but I ran into the problems around shaping it (again, very expensive, needing a third party with special tools) and the weight, though good, was still a bit much.

My boat is already two tons overweight from the extra ballast and the hull layup (nothing I can do about either of those), plus an overly large engine as well. I've spent the last 6 years pulling two tons OUT of her, from a horrendously heavy fitout. (Deck alone was 850 kg, now 450 kg) I am very anxious to put as little back as I can, in line with having the creature comforts I feel are important. (Such as the 37 kg washing machine).

Looks like ply and laminate will be my friend, just need to pick a nice laminate. Lots to choose from, not sure I would go plain white, given the emerging colour scheme which is a warmer set of light colours based on a popular 90's called "Hog Bristle". At least such a popular colour will have some good matching advice available.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GILow

Thanks EP. Point taken about the recessed sink, but oh so much harder to make waterproof...

1/4" sounds nice and thin, certainly light, which is a positive. I'd probably go a bit thicker, just because of the length I have to keep straight, nearly 4 metes of bench is a lot.

Also point taken about the draining board, and I hope to have a proper look at some of the caravan sinks as soon as I have finished these assignments. The ones where the draining board was an insert that sat in the sink looked very nice to me.

I wish I knew how the yard got such lovely clean cuts in the plywood for those crockery cutouts, a bit of research for me there.

Several points....
The Westerly yard did the crockery cutouts.... standard design in several thousand boats I imagine so they had a bit of practice.
Be aware your crockery sizes may change... my soup bowls become dog bowls became trodden on broken bowls, the dinner plates looked daggy, etc...Now have Corel (sp) ... good kit but the dinner plates now have stow on end at the end of that bigger main locker....
Long bench top...? surely you are going to have transverse beams every so often??

Doesn't leak..... what I think they did.. ( I was away cowherding at the time ) .. was rebate(??) the surroundings of the sink holes... drop in the sinks.. and then glue the laminate over the top...

Mine isn't 'dissecting room white'.... more a pale beige.... close as I could get to the tops I didn't change.

I bet the caravan sinks aren't as cheap as a 'Willow' mop bucket..