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Winter River · 01-09-2009, 10:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobfnbw

The galley is small, and compact, with little head room. The overhead material dingy, the ports small, the Formica hideous... and the backsplash greasy.
I will post pics when done.

Before pictures will make the after look even more impressive.

Tropic Cat · 01-09-2009, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by pressuredrop

all this talk of formica makes me sick,

Interesting point of view, perhaps you should read a different thread that doesn't make you sick?

It seems to me that almost all of our boats have or have had Formica and it lasted for decades. Todays Formica comes in designer colors and textures. It's not your Grandfathers' Formica. It's durable, cheap, great looking and for catamarans, even more importantly, it's light.

SabreKai · 01-09-2009, 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailing now

that is one seriously sharp looking galley! I like it. Yep, definately going to have to look at some tile before I decide which way to go.

Sabre

nhschneider · 01-09-2009, 21:48

We tore apart the galley on Rutea about 9 years ago and had a slab of granite fabricated to fit all of the counter surfaces. Granted, it's pretty heavy but Rutea never was going to win any races. The surface has been extremely durable and there's no grout to clean. The granite we chose is called Luna Perla(Moon Pearl), which I always thought would make a pretty name for a boat.

Fair winds and calm seas.

**s/v Jedi** · 02-09-2009, 00:14

Surprisingly nobody mentions beautiful Italian marble??!!

ciao!
Nick.

sailing now · 02-09-2009, 04:23

While marble is another attractive stone, it's also a soft, absorbant stone and not recommended for use in a galley/kitchen.

**GordMay** · 02-09-2009, 09:19

Because it is not as hard as granite, marble is more subject to staining, acid etching and scratching.
For this reason, some experts rule out marble for kitchen counter tops, unless the work area is subjected to only gentle use (rolling dough, or cooling chocolate).

**s/v Jedi** · 02-09-2009, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordMay

Because it is not as hard as granite, marble is more subject to staining, acid etching and scratching.
For this reason, some experts rule out marble for kitchen counter tops, unless the work area is subjected to only gentle use (rolling dough, or cooling chocolate).

Yep, so it must be sealed. An "Oliophobic impregnator" delivers the best results for a kitchen counter top.

It's a personal taste, but I like marble very much and think granite is so much "colder" and harsh. When you seal the marble properly, it will perform. See here for a test: The Petch House: Sealing Marble: The Acid Test

Edit: oh, yes: granite is harder but also more porous than marble!

ciao!
Nick.

MikeinLA · 02-09-2009, 19:09

Hello all. First post, so be gentle. I tiled both the galley & head counters on my 1986 Catalina 36 when I lived aboard years ago. It came out beautifully, but was pre-digital so no pics. I used 2" tiles as the proportions seemed about the same as 4-6" tiles in a home kitchen. I used an epoxy mastic and epoxy grout for moisture-proofness. There is one trick I used for the fridge and food storage hatches that I can pass along. These were typical flush hatches on the counter and I didn't want to just tile right up to the openings. So, I framed both the hatch edge and the edge of the opening on the counter with 1" X 3/8" teak battens, nicely mitered & plugged and then varnished them. Then I layed my tile so that it was "framed" by the teak. With a beige tile up against that teak, it was really pretty. I'm thinking of doing the same to my current boat, a 1991 Cat 36 (boring, aren't I?). Oh, and I tiled right on the formica. Just scuff it a bit and use the epoxy mastic.

Mike

Stillraining · 03-09-2009, 22:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailing now

Seven or eight years ago, while redoing the salon I laid granite tiles over the formica. I roughed up the surface with 60 grit and a belt sander and used 4200 (flexible) and caulked the joints rather than grout (flexible again). One of the best things I did! Hot pots and pans? No problem! Durable? Like iron! 3/8" thick tiles meant I could use the original fiddles too. There were only 6 full size tiles in the whole project. The rest had to be cut. I made very accurate templates for the rest and a really nice fellow at a local tile shop did all the cutting and polishing for $100. Go for it!

Added a double sink at the same time, and yes the curtains have been changed! '-)

Beautiful...

I can see the tile lines above the oven but the rest looks like Formica...did you but them up tight with no joint spacing?

sailing now · 04-09-2009, 04:21

I can the joints! ;-) No, there is a space between every tile. I used 5/16 washers, I think, standing on end so every tile's gap would be consistent. I then caulked the gaps rather than using unsanded grout. Caulk will flex, grout will crack. Like I said, it's been 7 or 8 years now and we've sailed in some nasty weather off shore and cooked many, many meals in the galley. Zero problems. The admiral loves it! Go for it!

bobfnbw · 05-09-2009, 18:13

Nick I think you sold me on the italian marble idea. Seems you just have to seal it properly.
I like the idea of using silicon for grout.
Now just got to find the right material.

sailing now · 06-09-2009, 04:51

FWIW, a friend had marble installed in the galley of his 53 Amel. Within two years he had it removed and replaced with granite.

aboutgone · 06-09-2009, 05:30

here's a tip for using silicon as grout....use a caulking gun to apply...have some de-natured alcohol in a spray bottle and a roll of paper towels. caulk a couple of tiles at a time,and smooth out with a paper towel wet with alcohol,
now spray the smooth grout line with alcohol, it will cure the silicon instantly.this will save you a lot of messy clean up.....Ed