A Really Good Galley Design

[Wavewacker]

I'm looking at boat listings, 30 to 36 feet or a really well laid out 27ish up. Can't count the times I have read, galley to port, in this size seems boats are laid out about the same. Must be a reason for it, besides the engineering side there is the fact that production boats are made for the market not so much what might meet particular needs.

I'm not crazy about having part of the galley as a step from the cockpit! Seems what ever the mess is outside is on your shoes or feet and then you step where you may need to make a sandwich or lay utencils. I'm not a germ freak but I don't walk barefoot on my kitchen counters.

What makes a good galley design for you? Do you need a double sink? Are shelves and containers handier than drawers? How many burners do you need for a cruising couple, 1, 2, 3 or 4? Should the microwave be a tiny coffee heater or your oven? Should a fridge be built in or is a top loading type slide out be better? Freezers seem rare on the 30 to 40 footers, do you need one....really use it? Butcher block, formica, tile, stainless or stone counter tops?

Best design, U, L or a straight galley?

What makes a dream galley on a mid size sailboat?

Lots of questions, just choose one or all! Got Pics????

[tamicatana]

Some good stuff from The Boat Galley (not affiliated but have found it useful). Read also the comments. Search around, there are related articles

Galley Features to Look For

Downhill Galley Cooking - Practical Sailor Article

[wingNwing]

Of course it depends on how you like to cook and eat. Ours on our 33 is U-shaped and I love it. Double-bowl sink with pullout spray faucet close to the centerline of the boat for drainage; 3-burner gimballed range with oven, good storage and lighting and ventilation including an over-the-sink cabinet. You can see it in the last photo here: Life Afloat Archives: Small-Space Living ... Afloat

And agree with your concern about the counter that doubles as a step; don't know that I'd care for that. Our steps are just next to the counter, you can see the edge of them in the lower left corner of the photo I referenced.

[Wavewacker]

Thanks Tamif27, good historical view and reasoning for the port galley.

WingNwing, very nice and good note on drain to the center, hadn't considered that! Ventilation, natural and artificial lighting! Do you really use the double sink?

I was told to have your refigerator condensation drain to the tank, not the bilge. And that anything you can do to keep food/liquids from going to the bilge will help with smells and nasty stuff later on.

[Dockhead]

My own subjective views:

U-shaped is best, but in any case you need to be able to wedge yourself in.

Corian type counters are fabulous on a boat.

Top loading fridges are a PITA. Give me front loading any time, despite the slight disadvantage in energy saving. Best fridge I saw on a boat was an Oyster with front-loader at eye level - fantastic! Mine is under the counter - not as good, but miles better than a top loader.

Separate freezer is tremendously useful, especially for long passages away from land and fresh food, but will cost you in terms of energy.

If you have an inverter and sufficient charging capacity, electric appliances like kettle, toaster, microwave, convection oven can be very convenient, save a lot of time and gas. To my mind, a microwave, preferably built in, is tremendously useful on board, one of the top things in the galley. I don't have convection on board, but imagine this would also be extremely useful.

Powered extract ventilation is unbelievably useful. I would never have thought of it, but my boat has it, and it is great for keeping cabin air fresh and free of cooking fug, plus propane fumes and condensation. Now that I've experienced it, would never want to be without it.

Foot pumps for fresh and salt water are really useful, especially for long passages.

Marine stoves, even the big ones, are tiny compared to home, so avoid the smaller ones, they are a PITA to cook on. Goes without saying that in a monohull it needs to be gimbaled.

Just like at home, if not more so, storage is a key issue. You need to be able to stow everything away securely when underway so it doesn't fly around the cabin.

[wingNwing]

Wavewacker, yes, we do; in combination with the pull-out spray faucet it helps us save water. Our colander spans the small bowl, useful for rinsing beans (for example). Small bowl uses less water for hand-washing undies. Large bowl for washing platters and pots, then stand everything on end in the small bowl to rinse off all at once. We don't use seawater for washing and fresh for rinsing, I beleive that is false economy. It takes more fresh to get all the salt out than if you'd used fresh to begin with, not to mention the additional wear/corrosion potential on the metals.

This galley runs fore-and-aft so getting thrown out of it at sea is a minimal consideration. You can brace yourself if you're rolling side-to-side, and there's also a hand grab above the range. If you're pitching in waves it's possible, but under those conditions "dinner" is just an energy bar and wait for calmer conditions. Really.

Wad up a green scrubbie and shove it in the fridge drain to act as a filter. It will let the water seep through but catch all the food residue. Periodically remove, rinse, and replace.

[Vasco]

Here;s my favourite galley layout on a 36 footer. Only drawback is the top loading fridge in the corner but you can put a front opening fridge in the locker with the opening door shown on the diagram.

[wingNwing]

The layout from our galley photo above:

[sweetsailing]

My specific criteria for the galley when we were boat shopping:

- Double sink, large enough to place my biggest pot, which is my pressure cooker
- One small spot of counter space where I can work and not move what I am doing to open the fridge
- Small enough to brace in a seaway and keep my husband out of the galley
- Easy to clean surfaces - the boat has formica countertops which is fine, but I am not really liking the teak fiddles
- Handy area for garbage that is stored out of the way
- Adequate storage for frequently used items, both food and kitchen ware, I don't mind storing less frequently used items outside of the galley
- love the storage I have under the stove/oven, huge area for pots & pans

Cons that I have on the boat as compromises, we can't have it all

- Refrig requires gymnastic moves to reach in the back for item or to clean, I have remediated this to some degree with some bins and storage organizers in the fridge
- Teak fiddles make cleaning the counters difficult and constant water on the wood requires me to clean and reapply teak oil annually, I wish it was more maintanence free - if I had the money I would change out the counters and fiddles and put in corian.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

I'm looking at boat listings, 30 to 36 feet or a really well laid out 27ish up. Can't count the times I have read, galley to port, in this size seems boats are laid out about the same. Must be a reason for it, besides the engineering side there is the fact that production boats are made for the market not so much what might meet particular needs.

I'm not crazy about having part of the galley as a step from the cockpit!
I agree, probably only a problem dowen at 28 ft or so and some 30 footers.
Seems what ever the mess is outside is on your shoes or feet and then you step where you may need to make a sandwich or lay utencils. I'm not a germ freak but I don't walk barefoot on my kitchen counters.

What makes a good galley design for you? Do you need a double sink?
Double sinks in t he usual boat size are a hinderance. Nothing fits in them. try washing and rinsing a frying pan in one! one large sink is best, you can always use a small plastic dishpan inside the larger single if you want.
Are shelves and containers handier than drawers? How many burners do you need for a cruising couple, 1, 2, 3 or 4?
Enough drawers are handy for certain things. Each boat needs to be worked out for the rest.
Should the microwave be a tiny coffee heater or your oven? Small. Should a fridge be built in or is a top loading type slide out be better?
Built in, preferably with a top and lower door.
Freezers seem rare on the 30 to 40 footers, do you need one....really use it? Butcher block, formica, tile, stainless or stone counter tops?
Some long distance cruisers use a freezer well. I always got by with just the fridge with the small freezer compartment. If you are going RTW, then yes.
Best design, U, L or a straight galley? Alot of people tout the U shaped galley with the stove athwartships and open to the center. It's good but frankly, with that layout when the boat rolls you are either thrown onto the hot stove or to the opposite side! So I just dont get the "it's more secure" thinking. If anything I want to get away from the stove.
What makes a dream galley on a mid size sailboat? My 44 footer had a U shaped galley with the open side on the forward. it's rarely seen but I liked it. Sink was near boat centerline.
Lots of questions, just choose one or all! Got Pics????

JMHO's

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by wingNwing

The layout from our galley photo above:

What boat is this?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

JMHO's

Your galley is laid out just like ours is.

[Wavewacker]

Great comments, thanks much!

Dockhead I like the U shape as well, it's the most efficient design for home kitchens as well. I have dug through many ice chests so I have the idea about top loaders, just another trade off in boating for efficiency.

Really, I planning on a cheap throw away generator, I'm not spending 8k for juice, with that will probably be an apartment or dorm fridge, I have one already. While such a fridge is not made for a marine environment and requires more juice from the cheaper genset, at $120 when it dies it can be an anchor and just get another one. If these only last two years that's $500 for 10 years when the more expensive type may go out anyway. $500/700 or over a grand saved and the beer stays cold enough. Extra insulation around it might help too! It can be built in as well with a removable front for access and vent from the rear.

A micro would be my main zapping cooker, just as it is at home, great for left overs. I'm also seriously considering that convection cooker mentioned in another thread, need to get one and if mastered, it may cut down the micro use saving the juice.

WingNwing, I may not have room for a double sink but it would be nice!
Now thanks for the tip on the green scrubbie as a filter....great tip!

Vasco, good layout there, I like the fact that the stove is not hovering over the seating area, hitting an unsuspecting wake could splash the broth, I'd never hear the end of it!

Seems the stove in a U area could go at an 45 degree angle to aft and port, that puts lpg lines out to the cockpit to a tank, if lpg is used.

Sweetsailing, love the ladies point of view since I'm from Mars and I'm not the chief. Standing in one place with minimal movement and everything in reach is optimal and I forgot all about the trash! Can't be having hook shots out the hatch!

Seems the counter might need a bull nose edge with a routered channel at the inside of the trim for liquids to be held on the counter top but drain to one side, like a makeup table used in commercial kitchens. Don't know if a two inch wide gutter could be fitted or just make the tops deeper.

Storage sufficient for pots n pans, under the stove is very efficient, just like the old free standing stoves where mom put the favorites in the broiler. Guess a hanging pot rack is out of the question!

Cheechako, you have an excellent point with the sink, using a smaller tub inside for smaller needs to save water. Freezers are rare on smaller sailboats I suppose, maybe under a cockpit hatch a small freezer could be used if insulated, have to have tackle, pfds, some lines, tools and other stuff out there, but might work. I have seen some plates on ebay it might be possible to build one in. I'm thinking ice cream in July and ice.

A reversed U has potential here, I don't see stopping suddenly and being thrown forward! I see too your steps are off set giving more room for that design, you could take the return counter forward and kick it out to the center with the sink near the end, that places the the sink to the center of the boat.

Any pull out bread/cutting boards?

Planning is the fun part!
I see too that the boats posted have sufficient beam allowing for the U shape, the boat I'm luke warm on so far is only 8 or 81/2 in beam allowing it to be taken down the road.

I also like redundency, everthing doing more than one job and backups if something breaks. A foot pump for pressure seems like a good idea if you're system is from an air tank. If the genset went out you'd have no power and putting your water system out.

I wonder, is there such a thing as a gimballed tray or platform?
Say you have two burners and the shrimp is done but not the vegies and you have another item to cook, where do you put the pot of boi;ing water, you could set such dishes on a gimballed top/counter to secure it.....or am I making things difficult?

Does anyone use a trapeeze or belt to make sure the cook remains standing?

Most of the older boats seem to lack upper cabinets in this size range, anyone add them in front of the cubby holes and put capstan rails above for higher storage?

Wow dockhead that is beauuuuutiful!

[David_Old_Jersey]

The best advice I can give is to buy a boat based on what it gives overall and that will require accepting less than perfection with the galley. and then leave well alone! (structurally). in practice on passage you will need very little, in port / at anchor a chunk of the rest of the boat will be adopted by the galley / chef during food preparation (pretty much anything within reach!).

Otherwise given the size of boats you are looking at you will spend lots of time, effort and money not only removing re-sale value but also making other parts of the boat less useful (as galley gets bigger elsewhere gets smaller).

Unless the galley layout is really bizarre you will have enough to work with whatever the design - just won't be as much as you (sometimes) will want, but you will adapt.

[Kettlewell]

No galley is perfect for everyone under all conditions. Just for example, most of the time a front-opening fridge is more convenient, but offshore in heavy weather they can be a real pain as everything can come flying out if the boat lurches at the wrong moment. Similarly, the U shape looks great when the boat is level, but can be nasty if the boat is heeled down hard and wants to pitch you towards the blazing hot stove, while on the other tack anything that flys off the stove will hit the cook who is strapped in. My current boat has a neat cabinet that stores our dishes on wire racks inside, with a deck vent at the top, and the bottom open so drips can fall down into the drain area that feeds into the sinks. Therefore we can put dishes away pretty wet and have them air dried for the next use. By far the best overall galleys I have used and seen have been on cats.