A Really Good Galley Design

[Wavewacker]

As usual, good advice David, for newbies thinking of refurbishing a boat!

Reminds me of the many meals cooked on a cuddy cruiser with a small butane stove that was wall hung, using the ice chest and berth as counter space. You use what you can. I can adapt.

A good galley is important in searching for a boat, as of now I'm going for the U design if I can find one. I'm not tearing up an Allied or Pearson but given a comprable boat as a choice I'll go for the better galley.

Even setting up an existing galley can stand some tried and true storage features, move the stove if one is not there. A few simply used the counter top!

What constitutes a good galley design probably comes from those that use them more than from the factory imo, the tried and true stuff....
that's you all! What other tricks are there in the galley?

[Stu Jackson]

I agree. Our cabin is here: http://www.c34.org/images/c34_88_brochure_4.jpg

I like double sinks. We keep one as a "dry" sink, and they are both deep and large.

While I'm no gourmet chef (boiling water has been noted as a "challenge" to me by friends and close relatives! ) I haven't yet seen the need for more than two burners. Most stoves with more than two burners do not have much larger surface areas, so the pots you can actually USE on a three burner stove require, ahem, much smaller pots & pans, which seems to me, at least, to miss the point.

Admittedly our boat is a coastal cruiser, NOT an offshore boat, but we have been very happy with our layout, space and top loading fridge. The galley is functional, yet compact, allowing plenty of room for a nice sized saloon.

It's to starboard. IIRC a Beneteau 32 has much the same layout but with the galley to port, or the Hunter 36 has the same layout but it took them two more boat-feet to fit in into the hull. Our boat was designed in 1984-85 and first saw production in 1986. After 1,800 hulls, it was discontinued a few years ago, but the pretty much same layout has come out in the Catalina 355 (with a combination top and front loading fridge - a quite good idea).

Good luck.

[Wavewacker]

Stu, Catalinas are nice, comfortable boats. Your's is an exception to the rule but 6 to 1, or half a dozen to the other. Thanks for posting to the collection!

[The Boat Galley]

A big consideration for me, in addition to all the above, and for the boat in general and not just the galley is VENTILATION. Unfortunately, way too often it's overlooked in the design process. Cooking produces a lot of heat (okay when it's cool out but awful on a hot day) and also food smells.

I'm another one who wants one big sink and then I just use the gunkiest pan for washing dishes instead of filling the sink.

Have fun as you're looking!

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Your galley is laid out just like ours is.

Attachment 51236

Wow, nice interior!

[savoir]

The second sink is perfect for storing the other dishes. "other" here means dirty but not washed or washed but not dry.

[Wavewacker]

Carolyn....GREAT SITE Added to my favorites!

Thanks for posting.....pot restrainers! Now what newbie would think of that? LOL Spent some time on your site and there are tons of galley aspects, lots of good tips. Thanks again....

Savoir, you made me recall memories from years ago, washing my mess kit out of my steel pot in the Army! Wash it and balance the clean pan on my leg while sitting in dirt, it was hot so it didn't matter.

Another memory was my grandmothers kitchen sink, it was one large and deep sink with washboards on both sides, all part of the sink. I took baths in it as a baby, don't really remember it but I was told so. Her house was sold years ago and remodeled. I saw the sink outside and stoped and they gave it to me. Thought was to put it in my lake house, it's still in the shed in the back! Problem is, it's about 4+ feet long and weighs about 150 pounds!

Maybe a smaller, lighter version would work, the washboard area is fine for counter space as well.....certainly boils down to a preference.

While I won't do it, I can see a corian counter with a higher front lip that runs at a slight slope like washboards to a large single bowl mounted under the counter, might be nice but $$$$!

I'll probably stay away from wood boats, it's a shame really as there are some beautiful old boats that with work could be revived, one posted here on this site has stainglass doors, brass hardware and fantastic mill work. Design I would think needs to relate to the style of the boat, the charm and feel of the vessel. While I don't know what the boat is that was posted above by Dockhead, you can imagine what the rest of the boat looks like from the design and finish of its galley. Sorry to say, my work can't match that, but fiberglass can be awsome.

As mentioned, if I (or anyone) gets a boat that needs a full galley facelift, what do you think of a stainless steel counter top? Since most counter runs are rather short in these mid sized boats a top could easily be in one piece and they can be had from a steel fabricator. Another choice, not as easily maintained would be tile, some 90's boats used tile. Another option is a butcher block that can be purchased in up to 6' lengths off the shelf. And, the formica of today isn't your daddy's kitchen counter top anymore, if well done it can look like granite or marble. If it needs to be replaced, what material do you favor for the older glass boats or your boat?

[SunDevil]

I like this type of counter top personally.

[The Boat Galley]

I'd look seriously at Corian or something similar with a gentle slope towards the sink on all sides, similar to the washboards you were talking about.

Another issue is whether you want fiddles on the edge of the counters or more of a "bump" near the edge. I definitely don't want it totally flat, but the other choices tend to be more along the lines of where you'll be using the boat. If mostly protected waters, I'd go for the "bump" as it's harder to clean the corner by the fiddle . . . although this too can be mitigated with a radius in Corian.

HOWEVER -- Formica is a lot cheaper, although it's also heavier. As with so many things on a boat, it's cost vs. convenience!

[ConradG]

Anyone have sinks that drain to just above the waterline? Have come across several references in older (commercial) design. Advantage reportedly to avoid the stench from rotting food particles not clearing (floating) in the drain. Makes sense to me if there's enough drop- sink layout close to one side. Love the idea of having less holes below the waterline too. Especially when no ones aboard.

[Kettlewell]

Anyone have sinks that drain to just above the waterline?

Yep, and they work great if your boat doesn't heel, like in a cat. Not so great in a monohull where you might potentially bury the rail in a hard blow. Also, even on a cat, you have to put some kinks in the line in order to prevent wave slaps from coming right back at you and squirting everything back out. In heavy weather in our cat we had to keep the drain plug in the sink with something heavy over it in order to prevent water from coming in.

[Sumner]

Some really nice galleys above and ideas. If I needed to find a boat in the 30 foot range and was coastal cruising and didn't have a ton of money to spend I'd look at the 30 and 34 foot Catalina's and we did. I think they make better use of the room below than about any boat I've seen in that range.

I love some of the galleys above, but don't think they will work space wise in a 30-34 ft. boat. If there is only going to be 1-2 people aboard and I was going to get a boat in the 27-30 foot range I'd look or make a galley that ran lengthwise in the cabin with the settee/table opposite. It is hard to make a U-shaped galley in a boat that narrow and still work in it in my opinion.

We didn't have the money for a larger/newer boat with a nice big galley, so had to build in an effecient galley that meets our needs.

We....



....made and installed a fridge/freezer that is larger than is more convenient to use vs. the original ice box that was back in a corner (now used for storage). The fridge goes where there was a front opening fridge that wasn't near as efficient and sticks our further giving us more counter space.

Storage was added....



...above the fridge and also plate and silverware storage...



...was added above the stove/sink along with more...



..storage under the companionway with a....



...slide-out counter there also.

It took a month or so to make all of that, but now the galley is a joy to use. In heavier seas the dishes and silverware might have to temporarily be stored below, but on anchor it sure makes it easy to use and put away.

If you have the skills and anyone can learn them don't rule out making a galley into your own. One nice advantage to an older boat is it isn't so hard to start modifying it.



You can find all of the above mods at this link...

Endeavour 37 Interion Mods Index

Sum

[Teknav]

The Catalina 315 is well laid out...this is the 2013 model

[Wavewacker]

Whoooo, SunDevil! I didn't mean the galley was 30' I meant the whole boat! LOL Can't compete with the megas, but nice to see how some suffer at sea!

Kettlewell, would a one way valve work for you? Seems the line could be larger to accept a one way flow valve and then be reduced inside toward your fixtures.

ConradG, I think I'd try to eliminate thru-hull openings and tank it then pump it for discharge where allowed.

Summer...now that's what I'm talk'n about! Good design features, functional, nicely done and incorporates disfunctional space for useable storage. Like the drawers under the companionway! Another adopted idea! That slide out counter/cutting board was just what I was thinking too, it can almost enclose the cook making it safer too. Good use of that upper corner with the triangular shelf catching more useable space. I know every square inch matters! Nice mods and I see you had a nice shop to work in as well!

Summer, you're right, the closer I look at the smaller, mid-size cruisers it may be hard to get much of a U galley. For two, I don't see the need for seating for 6 in the saloon.

Here is a failed attempt of a galley build, along with the interior build;

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/cgi-...&ID=27361&mh=1

The windmill probably shows we aren't at a marina along the coast!

Actually, it's one near me that as I have posted in other threads, I'm actually considering, primarily because I'm in a limited market. A big plus is that you can trailer it, they down side, it's an 8' beam! Any suggestions are certainly welcome, but the flavor of the thread is intended to be a good galley design for medium size boat.

Carolyn, good point and I may need to use grab bar types as wood fiddles might be harder to make in most garage woodshops, maybe a wood handrail could be trimmed down, sanded and stained. I suppose you could off set a routered out boad away from the counter top. Those lucky enough to live near some old boat yards to salvage stuff have it made, I'm afraid many will need to make what goes in, at least us dirtdobbers. Ebay! I keep forgetting about Ebay...

Also Carolyn, I failed to comment on the ventilation and agree, keeping cooking odors and especially mositure and steam out of the boat. Not sure if boats this size will allow room for hood vents over the stove. A fan must be the answer.

I'm see that designing and building a well designed galley, with such appointments shown is going to take a lot longer than I thought!

More!!!

Hey Teknav, my putter didn't show your pic, but thanks for it, maybe others see it.

[Teknav]

Trying again...Galley 2013 Catalina 315...