Single sink upgrade?

Nov 15, 2015
268
J J/30 Seward, AK
I have a 1984 Catalina 30 and would *love* to have a single large sink instead of the two that are factory installed. Maybe some custom idea? A super duper bonus would be one with a bottom tapered toward the drain instead of food collecting in the flat bottomed factory version.

Thanks!
 
Feb 15, 2014
180
Catalina 30 Bremerton, WA

Here's my single sink. The other hole I covered with a breadboard/lid, which gives great access to the space underneath. Sorry, no other pix of it at this time.
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
I agree that a large single sink is a better way to go.
I would search RV sites and talk to RV parts places or manufactures... they have a large selection of sizes and styles to choose from, but it may have to be ordered..

a new counter top may be necessary depending on what you have, but I have seen where the existing hole was filled with a cutout "plug", and then a new laminate layed over it all, with the new hole cut where desired and sized according to the new sink....

some think a double sink is necessary or convenient for washing dishes, but it definitely is NOT in a small space....
we have a single sink on our 34, and for washing dishes we use a spray bottle with soapy water in it... any dish that gets placed in the sink gets sprayed with the soapy water... it starts doing its thing.
the dishes may set in the sink most the day before we get around to washing them, but when we do its only a matter of spraying them all again with the soapy water to wet them up, and then scrubbing to loosen any hard bits of residual... after they are all scrubbed and laying in the sink, then they get a warm water rinse.... (with the dishes being cold, the soapy water doesnt dry on them while they are waiting for the rinse, and the pre-spray when the dish was placed in the sink starts breaking down the proteins so stuff like egg yolk doesnt dry out and stick to the plate as hard if it should set for hours before getting washed).
this method saves water and time..... the same method can be performed with a double sink, but its better to have more room to work in than less, and without the sink divider, there is a lot more room..... I can see no practical reason for a double sink in a small space.

we keep a couple of tubs on board for various uses, and we can use these when we have guests and want to place the dishes in the tubs and out of the way until we have the time or counter space to wash them...or wash them in the cockpit.
Ive had boats with double sinks and much prefer the larger, single basin style...
 
Last edited:
Nov 15, 2015
268
J J/30 Seward, AK
Keep the bottom of the replacement sink above the waterline.
Good call. I have actually gotten into the habit of closing the sink drain seacock while underway after a friend of mine noticed a "ton of salt water" in the galley one day.
 
Feb 15, 2014
180
Catalina 30 Bremerton, WA
Keep the bottom of the replacement sink above the waterline.
Wow, that'd be a realllllly deep sink on a C30.

I just bought a stock sink that fit with a bit of
cutting the hole larger. Fits exactly from fiddle
to fiddle.
 
Nov 28, 2009
495
Catalina 30 St. Croix
In my dollar boat, I got rid of thr Atomic 4 that had been sitting in a foot of water above the floor. Installed an outboard and then I cut back the counter an L portion of the settee. Now there is only one sink. The boat really opened up. Have not figure hiw to post photos from my ipad to this site.
 
Nov 15, 2015
268
J J/30 Seward, AK
I've redone the galley counter area, made it a bit wider to support the sink. I installed a Ruvati RVH7110 that I moved to the center, and where the old sinks were made a dry storage area.
Wow, that looks really nice!
 
Jul 9, 2018
65
Catalina 25 Lake Monroe
That looks great! What are those wooden things on the backsplash... they kind of look like small drawers?
 
Sep 8, 2018
10
Catalina 30 FL
Wow! Beautiful. I am looking to upgrade the sink and countertops as well. I am going to use the same sink and I have a question. When putting in a new countertop is there a particular material that I should consider and what should I stay away from? Thanks for sharing the photo’s.
 
Oct 22, 2014
21,088
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@1980Cat30 you can use just about any material you want. I might stay away from granite but it has been used. More often one of the new solid surfaces like, Corian, or swan stone, or the Formica products.. Some folk try wood with an epoxy slurry on top. It will need to be water proof or at least resistant.
You want a product that is reasonable to work and has some permanence.
 
Sep 8, 2018
10
Catalina 30 FL
Thanks for the reply. I’ll check out the local Home Depot for your suggestions. I’ll make sure to post pics of the final project.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
21,088
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
You might find ideas from looking in other boats. Have a local broker take you through a few of the boats for sail in your boat size. Newer and older boats. Power/Sail as well as the big yachts, all will have examples of product that is being used in boat construction. One of the reasons to go to a boat show.
 
Jul 9, 2018
65
Catalina 25 Lake Monroe
I saw another post where someone used contact paper, covered with bar epoxy, then a polyurethane that included UV protection. I've been thinking about doing that, or possible just using one of the counter top paints instead.

It's in perfect condition, I just hate the faux 80s wood design in the formica.
 
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Feb 26, 2004
22,770
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
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Jul 9, 2018
65
Catalina 25 Lake Monroe
Oct 22, 2014
21,088
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Folks have been using a variety of epoxy encapsulated items or images.
Some of the Hubble images of space in the NASA image gallery might be interesting.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
21,088
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Here’s a tidbit I found read in the West Systems page about epoxy projects.
In fact, cured epoxy is just softer than plastic laminate such as Formica® At 70°F, WEST SYSTEM® epoxy cures to 90% of maximum physical properties within 24 hours.​
So I suspect it would make a reasonable option for your counter top. It would open all sorts of color or object options to bury beneath the counter epoxy surface. A truly unique counter top.
 
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