Looking for ideas on galley remodel

[fred1diver]

Hey everyone, I’m getting ready to splash the boat in 2 weeks time and I keep looking at the galley of my Pearson 30 and I always want something different but not sure what to do exactly
I know I need new counter tops and need to add insulation under it to prevent the counter to be always wet from the fridge, I would like to redesign all the cabinetry in the salon but not sure what to do, I am lacking inspirations at the moment
If you have any ideas please share them with me
Fred

 

[dlochner]

How about some photos of what you have now and some basic dimensions?

 

[fred1diver]

So this is what I am starting with, I didn’t have my measuring tape with me, so the dimensions will come soon,
So far I am planning to make the drawer go deeper inside the cabinet to add storage, the cutout on the counter was for an alcohol stove which had died a long time ago, when redoing the counter I was thinking of a large-ish opening panel a bit like on a chart table which would give me access to a large storage space where the stove was.
On the cabinet face I was thinking to remove the 110v panel and reinstall it elsewhere, still debating the where, and making a wider door to have more access to the storage underneath.
For the top storage I want to make it deeper since I don’t need to shield from the stove’s heat, this would add a small shelf on top with a fiddle of course, not sure on how to do the face, just sliding doors or having separate compartments , I also want to give it more length going athwartship.

I do need to insulate the underside of the counter near the fridge, the counter is always damp because of the fridge.
Not sure what to do about the space beneath the cockpit seat where the battery switch is located, a lot of space but just not practical.

I’m also thinking about closing (sliding doors or other) the long side cubbies on either side, will need to find a new spot for the speakers and lights, but at the moment they are all open save for a fiddle and I find it looks bad and things are still falling off on a good heel.

still wondering what material to use for counter tops, any suggestions?
Fred

 

[dmax]

For countertops, I used plywood (epoxy sealed) covered with formica, with teak edge moulding from defender, looks nice - lots of choices with formica. Next step up would be a Corian type of counter, it's very heavy and not easy to obtain.

 

[jssailem]

I feel your pain Fred. I am about a year behind you, but have been thinking a lot about this future project.

I suspect you need to consider the ways you see the galley being used. Will you be preparing a gourmet Thanksgiving dinner while on passage to the Bahamas? Or are you looking for a space to fix a few snacks to enjoy in the cockpit at sunset? You can reach vastly different designs based on the intended plan of use.

 

[UpperPintle]

I remodeled the galley and tried to get corian, but couldn't get anyone to do the job and couldn't source the raw material, so I did it myself. I initially shunned formica because I don't like the look of the formica "end grain" visible on the edge and wanted an undermount sink. I came up with a way to conceal the formica end grain and waterproof the plywood end grain for an undermount sink.


Plywood is 3/4" marine, the edges were banded with hardwood to seal off the plywood end grain and provide solid substrate for fastening the fiddles. The storage hatch was banded with hardwood. The opening around the sink was cut 2" oversized on all four sides, then cut back at a 5:1 taper with an angle grinder and 36 grit sanding disc. The taper was backfilled with with fiberglass and epoxy to within 1/2" of final opening size. I made a rough cardboard dam to represent the final opening size, then poured tinted, thickened epoxy into the void between the rough edge of the fiberglass taper and the cardboard mold. This formed the visible edge the one sees instead of end grain plywood. Sanded everything smooth, then glued the formica. I did not want to band the sink opening with hardwood because of moisture issues.

The corner is banded with teak and routed/filled/sanded round. the formica end grain is not noticeable around sink and almost invisible on the teak corner

All faucet penetrations were drilled oversized, backfilled with epoxy, then redrilled to correct size.

The fiddles are 2.5" tall on the formica side, and about 3.5" tall on the other side. Long #10 machine screws hold the fiddle down and 5/16" machine screws hold it horizontal. Both are tapped into the hardwood banding around edge of plywood. I didn't other with plugging the screw heads; that was too tedious for the marginal benefit in appearance. I used flathead machine screws, but should have used bugle head machine screws for the #10s. Flatheads for the 5/16" machine screws is ok for that application.

Hardwood for banding and cabinet bodies is eucalyptus. Vendor was not certain of the species, but I think it is Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata). Only teak I used was the exposed corner. The eucalyptus is hard enough to tap and holds threads well.

 

[fred1diver]

What do you all think about stainless steel for countertops?

 

[Timm R Oday25]

Stainless has it's uses . My experiance leads me to believe it get's very slippery when wet . It also shows scratches fairly easily .
It also has a colder ,more industrial look . Harder to work with unless you have the tools and experiance .

 

[fred1diver]

Ok, new season approaching fast, time to tackle the galley, just got a survey done on her, the surveyor suggested that I change the stairs layout so they can be hinged out of the way, really considering it. We have the laminate at home, need to go buy plywood, thinking of insulating the fridge area to prevent condensation on the counter, will be redesigning the top cabinets at the same time, will be a bit deeper, still wondering what to use for doors? Either sliding plexiglass or??? If so what tracks would you recommend?
will be redoing the dishes holder, a bit cleaner looking.
Just need to figure out what to do with the corner space at the back besides the dishes not great accessibility and must leave room for fridge access.
Maybe pullout drawer?
Looking for options and ideas
Thank you all for any input

 

[dmax]

Sliding plexiglass doors are easy to do - you can build tracks from 1" x 1" hardwood (match your cabinets) using a table saw. Often, access from the top works for corner cabinets in a boat. Putting the stairs on a hinge sounds like a good idea.

 

[dLj]

How much work are you willing to do? Take a look at an early episode of Sailing Uma where they did a kitchen remodel and make a lazy susan cabinet. It looked like a great solution.

I don't particularly like sliding plexiglass, they are pretty flexible and have seen them pop out when things get feisty. They also get scratched over time. But if you like seeing what's inside the cabinet, they can work. I prefer thin plywood - lots of way to make them attractive, in my mind anyway. Here's a photo of a cabinet in my boat with two sliding doors.

But it all depends upon the look you want to create and the amount of work you want to get into..

dj

 

[Urban Hermit]

If this helps: I recently replaced my home kitchen countertops. A bit of research prior showed Formica to be of better quality than Wilsonart.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Like a boat, look at how you use the galley, not how you think you want to use it. Analyze your habits and figure out how to enhance them.

You've probably figured this out and there might not be a way around it but, I've found that galley's with a built in step, end up with a lot of dirt from feet and shoes

 

[fred1diver]

Ok good advice everyone, thank you

as for the step, there is not much I can do about that; the lower steps will be modified; but the main step ( counter height) I cannot delete because it is narrower than the companionway, so either I replace the sink for an extremely small and unusable one and change all the stairs or I work with it

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Ok good advice everyone, thank you

as for the step, there is not much I can do about that; the lower steps will be modified; but the main step ( counter height) I cannot delete because it is narrower than the companionway, so either I replace the sink for an extremely small and unusable one and change all the stairs or I work with it

I always wanted to put a divider to keep the dirt away from potential food prep surfaces but I sold the boat

 

[fred1diver]

Yesterday was a very busy day on the boat
We removed the galley counter top, found a lot of water damage, I will remove and rebed 2 starboard stanchions, one on which I need to scrape the wood and fill with thickened epoxy to reinforce, the deck is a little soft according to the survey I just got done.
After the stanchion issues is filled we will install a new plywood and make new cabinets over the counter, we are still redesigning the cabinets.

while doing the demolition, we decided to remove the stairs/engine access panel; we will be making a new stair panel which will be angled with 3 steps like the previous panel.

what a difference removing the stairs makes, we can actually see and work on the engine.
The new stairs will be hinged to optimise access

here are a few pictures of our work so far

 

[fred1diver]

For the counter we are thinking about making it with a slide out panel to access the space originally used by the pressurized alcohol stove, before the demo we had this panel opened with hinges, but it was not practical when cooking

Stay tuned for the updates

 

[fred1diver]

Here are a few ideas for the stairs we like

On the picture with 3 models we like #2 and we really love the first one

 

[BigEasy]

Here are a few ideas for the stairs we like
On the picture with 3 models we like #2 and we really love the first one

Number one looks good & likely the easiest to fabricate!
With unlimited access to the engine compartment, now would be a great time to organize & label the wiring runs. Funny, or not, how these projects grow!

 

[fred1diver]

That is what I was thinking, finally have easy access, so a good clean up, organizing and labelling will be done as well
Not sure if funny or not, but boy does it ever grow